Noosa Everglades is the gateway to the world famous sand dunes of Fraser Island. Fraser Island, also known as K'gari is the largest sand dune island in the world. The Aboriginal word K'gari translates to paradise, which it truly was.
On Fraser Island there is a rainforest growing in the middle which is quite rare. There are approximately 180 Aboriginal people left who still inhabit the land but other than that there is not much else. There is a small town where tourists can stay for a night or two as well. K’gari is also known for its Dingo population. A dingo is an Asian wolf and because they look similar to dogs, there are many incidents with tourists trying to pet or feed them. We were warned never to eat food in the open or run because that attracts the dingos. If the dingos attack a tourist they are sadly put down so their population is slowly dwindling on the island.
Getting to K’gari was a feat in itself. We boarded two 4WD buses that had a high clearance level and insane level of traction on their tires. I was warned it would be very turbulent so I informed the driver I get very easily sick and took a motion sickness pill. The driver told me to come up and sit with him in the front so I happily agreed. I had a front row seat so I could see everything. The bus driver's name was Jacob and he was born in Melbourne. He fits into your typical male Aussie as he is a surfer and very tan. He gives adventure tours twice a week for fun. He lives on a 50 acre farm where they grow all of their own food.
The initial drive to Rainbow Beach was on a paved road. There were some rollercoaster moments where the road climbed so high up and then dropped. It was quite fun! I thought that was going to be the worst part of the drive. When we reached Rainbow Beach, the drivers got out and removed air from the tires so that they would have more traction driving on the sand. We crossed the sand and then boarded a ferry. I had not realized the drivers were going to be with us the whole time! On the other side of the ferry was the longest drive on the sand imaginable! It must have been about 2 hours of driving through sand. Driving on the beach was fine as it was flat. The surf was beautiful but there was not a single person in sight. Instead, there were tons of jellyfish washed up on the shore. There were sharks in the waters too. The surf was too high for the ferry to go around the island so the rainforest on the island could only be reached by driving a 4WD. We passed another group in a monster bus like ours and only a few cars since it was still early. It was also Australia Day today and the driver was remarking he has never seen it this quiet before.
At the end of the beach shore we tucked into driving through the forest thicket. That was the off roading part. The sand looked like ski moguls all up and down and we had to drive rather slowly at parts to get through it. The driver thankfully kept the windows open so there was always a draft.
At last we reached a beautiful rainforest. The foliage changed from lush trees to dense tropical plants such as palm trees. The tropical rainforest was so gorgeous. We took a short walk through and it was so still. Except for the bugs which were out to get us. Australia also has these massive flies called March flies that are red flies that bite. Everyone loaded on the deet and played the march fly dance as we tried to shake them off. You couldn't kill them or else they send out a scent to other March flies that attracts a larger swarm. Seems like a comedy movie to me.
The main thing we had come to K’gari for was to see the amazing foliage and swim in Lake McKenzie. The guide has hyped Lake McKenzie and told me it was the most beautiful lake I would ever see. He was not wrong though. When we arrived the lake around the edge was a clear transparent blue with white sands. It was the clearest lake I have ever seen! Even better, the clear waters were nice and warm. According to the guide, the middle of the lake is an abyss if you look down. The water in the middle of the lake was a very dark color so I believed him. There was a very large dropoff from the clear shallow waters to the deeper waters. We spent about an hour playing around in the water and floating while looking up at the sky. I really love just floating effortlessly in the water. It was an overcast day with frequent rain showers. It was constantly changing here in the rainforest and on average they get about 5 feet of rainfall per year.
For lunch since we were on a remote island, the tour operators brought us lunch boxes. We were only permitted to eat in a fenced area due to the dingos. Lunch was very fun with the guides. They brought out beers and wines and were joking and having a good time. I had my first taste of Australian wines!
Following lunch we strolled through the subtropical K'Gari rainforest. The area they took us this time was a sacred Aboriginal site. It was made for the Aboriginal Bujcher women. As a strictly female zone, it was also a spot for water births to clean all the blood as well. In the middle of the trees was a small river that I almost missed as it was so clear. The only thing that gave it away was that the sand was exposed. This island is incredible the way it has formed. Considering it is an island made up entirely of sand, you would never have thought there would be so much greenery growing. The greenery has come up over centuries through decomposed matter and fungi working to create rich conditions for growth. In the forest there is the largest fern in the world also known as the King fern. There are only about 80 species of this fern remaining as it only grows in very wet conditions.
The rainforest was by far the prettiest rainforest I have seen before. The leaves were wet from the rainfall above and birds chattered among the trees. It was such a special space to be walking through. I loved seeing how clear the river water that ran through the forest was. The forest was alive with life and everywhere you looked was wildlife. The guide pointed out some webs that belonged to the deadliest spider in Australia - the funnel K’gari spider. I am glad we did not see that one. Not today.
I definitely didn't want to leave but we had nearly 4 hours left to return home. I fell asleep on the bus until the guide woke us up as we were stuck in the sand on the beach. At first I thought he was joking but we all jumped out to verify he was indeed stuck. So while the other bus towed our bus, we played the fool on the beach under the hot sun. It was my best day so far and I loved the full day adventure! Tiring day off-roading but worth every minute. Plus I really enjoyed talking to the guide the whole time and asking questions.
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