Fraser Island in a 4WD

My next adventure saw me make my way up to Rainbow Beach where I was to undertake the real Fraser Island Experience.

After a short ride on the Oz Experience bus, only a two and a half hour journey, made a lot quicker by the knowledgable commentary from the tour guide, we were dropped off at our accommodation. I stayed in Fraser's on Rainbow Beach for two nights which was perfect, as it provided me with the opportunity to meet some amazing people from all corners of the globe, and also to bond with the group that I was going over to Fraser Island with.

The next day consisted of an early rise so that we could pack the cars and head over to Fraser island for our Fraser Island Four-wheel-drive Adventure. Usually this early start would of bothered me as I love my sleep ins, however, this time around I was definitely too excited to sleep. 

First stop in Fraser Island was to our Campsite where we set up our tents and cooking areas, and then straight onto Lake Mackenzie for a swim to cool down. Lake Mackenzie is by far one of the most beautiful places that I have ever experienced and definitely a MUST SEE for any backpacker or tourists traveling around Australia. The cooling freshwater, soft, talcum powder-like sand and beautiful aqua colour of the water was definitely difficult to say goodbye to at the end of the day.

The second day was full of activities, including a visit to the champagne pools. These pools are large rock pools that filter out anything from the ocean, causing beautiful aqua pools of water.
After a quick stop at the rock pools, we then made our way to Indian Headland beach, where we had a quick lunch stop and then a hike up to the headland. The view was spectacular and we easily found ourselves staring out onto the ocean for over two hours.

The next stop for the day was at Eli Creek. This was probably my second favourite location of the trip - big call I know. Eli Creek is a cold freshwater creek, that runs quite quickly from a natural spring out into the ocean. The creek is so clear and refreshing that our driver said that you could even drink from it.

The final day of our Fraser Adventure was made up of what felt like a 5 day treck to Lake Wabby. Ok maybe a slight exaggeration, the walk was only 45 mins there and 45 minutes back, and yes, the scenery was well worth it. However we were definitely relieved when we arrived at the fresh water lake that was surrounded by never ending sand dunes and bush land.

On the final journey back to the barge to leave Fraser, we came across a friendly turtle that was resting on the beach. The driver mentioned that the Turtle had made its way onto the beach to die, however in this case, lets just say this beautiful Turtle was simply having a rest.

2012 – The Year for Travel!

As with every New Years celebration, the infamous New Year resolution follows. These goals or resolutions are usually unrealistic and sometimes difficult to achieve. How many times have you planned to lose weight, change jobs or save money….successfully?

Cruising down the beautiful Noosa River and slightly hung-over on New Year’s Day, I decided that instead of creating another unachievable and dull New Years Resolution for 2012, I will instead aim to travel and let myself loose on the world. If resolutions are meant to be about self-fulfillment, travelling the globe is surely a suitable path to achieve this.

 

With savings in my bank and an urge to travel, I have decided to lows the pictures from the Cwhich is more than capable of fufilling d eye-openingreer contributing!backpack the East Coast of Australia before heading off on a European Adventure. Having just completed my studies, there is really nothing holding me back - so no excuses! Plus it would be a great compliment to my tourism degree. Both life enriching and career contributing.

While a lot of my itinerary is still in its drafting stage, I will give you a sneak peak of what looks to be an amazing year of travel.

East Coast of Australia

Although I have lived in Australia my whole life and have visited many of it’s capital cities, I am still yet to actually see and experience what my beautiful country has to offer in its more remote locations.

I figured the best way to experience the typical Aussie backpacking trip was to book myself onto an Oz Experience bus that will take me from Brisbane to Cairns at the end of Jan. This hop on, hop off form of tour will stop at all the iconic Australian hotspots such as Noosa, Rainbow Beach/Fraser Island, Airlie Beach, Whitsundays, Magnetic Island, Mission Beach and Cairns. Supposedly I will even get to try my hand at being an Aussie cowgirl at Kroombit Cattle Station, where I can participate in a goat muster and ride a mechanical bull. Keep an eye out for the pictures from the Cattle Farm, they are sure to be amusing!

London

Late April, will find me making my way to London, where I will spend a week sight seeing and experiencing the best of what London has to offer. Some of the must do’s while in London will include a Monopoly Pub Crawl, visiting London’s Portobello Road Markets, seeing the Queen, spending some pounds in Harrods and finally finding out what all the fuss is about mushy peas. I have also been advised that there is a wide range of free, yes I said FREE museums that are a must see when in London.

Contiki – Road to Athens

In May, I will depart on my first Contiki trip. This tour makes its way from London to Greece, stopping along the way in Paris, Lucerne, Munich, Tyrol, Venice, Florence, Rome, Corfu and finally ending in Athens. This trip is almost like a tasting plate, allowing me to sample the best of what each country has to offer, while partying and meeting some amazing people along the way.

Greek Islands

Mid May will be relaxation time! After the action packed Contiki tour, I will be looking forward to a bit of R&R and maybe a cocktail or two while I Island hop around the Greek Islands. Two of the Islands that are definitely on the ‘to-do’ list while I am in Greece are Santorini, to see the classic Greek Sunset and cave houses and Ios, to party, shop and lay by the beach. Knowing my clumsiness, I will most likely make a fool of myself, attempting some of the water sports that the islands have to offer.

Spain

My final stop on my European adventure is Spain. I am still deciding where to go; however, as I am only there for one week, it’s probably best if I make Barcelona my main point of call. I’m already in love with the food, Sangria and the Country, and can you blame me? You have no choice but to love a country that closes down halfway through the day for a nana nap.

Know of any travel destinations that I should add to my itinerary?