Noosa & Hervey Bay
It took us a little over two hours to drive from Brisbane to Noosa. Our first stop upon arrival was to Mt. Tinbeerwah. You can drive almost to the top of the hill and then it is a short half-mile walk to the viewing platform. In the distance, you can see the town of Noosa and the Pacific Ocean. It was a bit cloudy when we got there, but the views were still very pretty.
We also spent some time at the Noosa Farmer’s Market where we picked up some produce to enjoy over the next few nights. This included baby bok choy, brussels sprouts, sweet potato, and a bag of baby kiwis. We also visited a couple of the food trucks where we each ordered a pork steam bun and shared a smoothie for lunch.
After leaving the farmer’s market, we headed into the town center. As it was Sunday, there were a ton of people enjoying the day and we spent some time walking around the shops and along the beach.
Monday, we woke early and headed to Noosa National Park. The Park is only a 10-minute drive from town, but it feels much further. We opted for the 6-mile Coastal Hike and it was a great way to spend the morning. The trail follows along the cliffs looking out into the ocean.
Boiling Pot
Alexandria Bay
Sunshine Beach
After our hike, we headed back into town and got lunch and a beer at Land & Sea Brewery. We sat outside and relaxed for a couple of hours while enjoying the weather.
We left Noosa on Tuesday and drove to Hervey Bay. On the way, we stopped at Rainbow Beach to see the Carlo Sandblow. This large sand mass extends over 37 acres and overlooks the Inskip Peninsula, Tin Can Bay and the southern tip of Fraser Island. There is a short walk from the carpark through the gum trees before reaching the dunes. We spent some time walking through the sand enjoying the views. It was a bit cloudy at first, but once the sun peaked through the trees, the water turned the most amazing shade of turquoise. It never ceases to amaze me how clear the water is in Australia.
Rainbow Beach is called just that due to the multicolored cliffs overlooking the white sandy beach. As we were walking along the beach, the tide was rising and our beach kept getting smaller and smaller. We were hesitant to walk too far for fear of our beach disappearing before we made it back to the car!
Alex and I spent all day Wednesday on Fraser Island. We went with the Fraser Experience Hummer Tour and it was a blast. Originally named “K’gari” meaning “paradise” by the natives, Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world. We took a 30-minute ferry from Hervey Bay and arrived on the island shortly before 9:00am. Our guide, Helen, was great and knew a ton about the island and surrounding region. There was one other couple on the tour from Italy (now living in London) and they were just lovely and so nice. They will be traveling around Australia for the next couple of months, so it was fun sharing experiences and places we really enjoyed.
You need to have a 4WD to get around the island as all the roads are just cleared paths of sand and really bumpy! One of the most fun experiences was driving the Hummer down 75-Mile Beach. You can only go during low tide and it was great flying down the sand. We were told in the summer the beach is packed with cars, tour buses, and people, but during the winter it is much less busy. We made a few stops at The Maheno Shipwreck, The Pinnacles and Eli Creek.
Our transportation for the day
The Maheno Shipwreck is the most famous of Fraser Island's wrecks as you can see it right from the shore (23 wrecks were recorded in Fraser Island waters between 1856 and 1935). Built in 1905, the ship mainly sailed between Sydney and Auckland before it was commissioned as a hospital ship in Europe during WWI. In 1935, The Maheno was sold to Japan and beached on Fraser Island's shore after being stranded due to a cyclone.
The Pinnacles are colored sand cliffs along Fraser Island which were formed hundreds of thousands of years ago when minerals leached through the sand and on exposed dunes. The Pinnacles are significant to the local Aboriginal Butchulla People who believe it is a sacred woman’s place. They believe the Rainbow Serpent is responsible for creating these beautiful sand formations.
Eli Creek
In the afternoon, we visited Lake McKenzie, one of the most well-known lakes on Fraser Island. Lake McKenzie is a "perched" lake meaning it only contains rainwater. The sand and organic matter at the base of the lake form a protective layer which prevents the rainwater from draining away. The sand here is 98% pure white silica and when the sun shines, the lake takes on a beautiful blue color.
We ended the day at The Jetty where we saw a dingo! Helen informed us that dingoes are very curious creatures and typically not afraid of humans. This particular one came right up to us and despite Helen’s efforts of trying to shoo it away, it kept pretty close. We had previously seen a dingo in Western Australia which was really thin and scrappy looking. The dingo we saw on Fraser Island was a beautiful looking animal with a shiny coat and furry tail. When the dingo finally started to lose interest and trot off, he ended up grabbing a pair of sandals the Italian woman left in the sand and started carrying them off in his mouth! We were all cracking up and trying to chase the dingo and get him to drop them. He eventually did and we all could not stop laughing. It happened so quickly none of us thought to get a photo and I so wish we did. This dingo was definitely mischievous! Before heading back to the ferry, our group toasted the day with a glass of champagne and chocolates.
Alex and I had such a fun time on Fraser Island and despite some heavy rain in the morning, we ended the afternoon with a beautiful sunset on the ferry ride back to Hervey Bay.
