Looking north from the second campsite

Tracks in the sand

Fraser Island is a picturesque sand island off the coast of central Queensland, Australia.  It’s a fairly major tourist attraction and frequented by locals and their 4WDs.  The warm weather, white beaches and comparatively untouched bushland makes it a great place to go for a short holiday.

Naturally, we did it a bit differently…  Coming from Brisbane, we all got up at 2:45am and piled into a couple of combi vans to make the early ferry, catching what sleep we could on the way up.  Some a little more affectionately than others.

Piling out of the vans and gearing up, it didn’t take long to get used to the sideways glances and comments from bemused passers by. Who could blame them? Here was 9 people on push bikes with all manner of junk strapped to the back boarding a ferry to a sand island!

Spooning in the combi

Getting ready

Moon Point vehicle barge

After copping a little bit of flak from the ferry wench we were on our way.  The short trip over was uneventful other than being charged an additional $10 for each push bike which, of course, we didn’t pay.  Disembarking down the smooth metal ramp guiding a heavy pushbike and trying not to slip arse-over-tit was somewhat difficult but we managed, except Ricky who got screamed at by the ferry driver for cutting off a bus.

Many people had doubted that it could be done – a pushbike on sand.  This was the moment which decided how successful our trip would be.  About 25 metres from the ferry we all stood, wheels sunken into the sand, much to the amusement of people getting off the ferry.  We pushed the bikes a short way up the beach and then ditched them for a swim and to wait for the tide to go down.  It was high and we were limited to the soft sand.

Dean crossing the creek

The ride up the western beach was fine once we had hard sand.  The bikes with thicker tyres did well on the soft sand but created too much drag on the hard sand where the skinnier tyres flew along.  We had a strong headwind which made cycling pretty hard and we averaged out at about 9KM/H up the beach.  The weight of the food and water supplies made the first leg the hardest.

Warm reflection off the water during the sunset

We rode a total of 14.5Ks on the first day, crossing a single creek which was rather deep and proved a bit problematic.  A couple of kids offered to ferry us across in a rubber dingy but after the first load the engine ingested a mouthful of sand so that was the end of that.  We ended up unstrapping the packs and carrying everything above our heads through the rapidly flowing water.  It stank of peat and the trips over the creek were hairy at times due to large brown stingrays being swept down the creek past our feet!  We all got across without incident and kept riding up the beach.

A few kilometers later we came across the first fresh water we’d found and it was a lovely place.  There was a debate as to whether we set up there or carry on but we opted for the former.  The water was clear, a lovely cool temperature and tasted great.  We cooled our heels here for the evening, cooking up all manner of good food.

Bacon & Eggs for breakfast!

The next morning we split up.  Half of the crew left early to cover more distance and the rest of us chilled out and cooked bacon and eggs on the beach, waiting for the tide to go down exposing the harder sand.  Riding on the second day was similar to the first – we had a head wind but the sand was hard.  Some places, namely around rocks and areas where water was running down the beach, the sand was soft.  This was amusing as you’d get speed up only to sink into soft sand and slow right down again!  Most of us opted to get off and walk our bikes.

Chilling out in the afternoon heat under a big pandanas tree

After a couple of hours of riding we stopped at a creek which stank even worse of peat.  The water tasted crap but it was drinkable.  There was talk of setting up there but it wasn’t the best place.  A couple of the guys took the packs off their bikes and scouted ahead up the beach.  Shortly after they returned reporting that they’d found a tiny stream near a bunch of pandanas trees.  Not big enough to swim in but enough to fill water bottles.  We rode up here and set up camp.  Here we stayed for two nights and relaxed.

Phil trying to recruit people for a game of Brandy

The camp was great.  We all found spots under trees and were spread out right up the beach with nobody else in sight.  The sand was clean, white and soft and the surf was clear.  Dingos had a ball at night, chewing up one of my flags and checking out Phil who’d fallen asleep on the beach.  Ricky camped next to all the food and got growled at when he went to take a pee in the middle of the night.

That evening some of the guys made a bonfire on the beach strategically positioned so the tide would put it out when it came up.  The fire was a ripper and provided some great lighting for photos!  There was 4.5 photographers along on the trip and we were all busy taking photos, bouncing between an incredible sunset and a roaring fire.

Steve & Phill by the fire

Fraser Dean Sunset

Colourful sunset

Ricky playing with the HD function of the 5D MkII and taking photos at the same time

The next day we all did our own thing, some riding further up the beach and others just relaxing.  The most eventful part of the day being when the park rangers showed up and fined us for not having camping permits and lighting a fire on the beach.  Ironically we didn’t get fined for the fire the evening before but a small one dug into the sand which I had used to bake hot cross buns (it was Easter after all!).

Startrail taken while stoned. 30min exposure @ ISO 100 f/3.5.

Photographically, not much happened until the evening.  The sky was perfectly clear so the sunset was average, however the night sky was incredible.  The moon took a few hours to rise so we were blessed with a black sky full of thousands of clouds.  Subsequently, I set myself up on the beach capturing a star trail with my camera.  The exposures of this lasted about half an hour so I lay back on the cool sand, smoked a joint and enjoyed the moment.

When we woke up the next morning it was raining and we had to start the return journey, so we packed our gear and hit the beach.  The ride back was easier; we had a tail wind and the bikes were much lighter.  We made good time only stopping briefly for a couple of breaks.  On the way up I learned that having a decent amount of sugar in one’s system makes riding on the beach much easier so I rigged myself up with a “booster”.  It consisted of an elastic strap holding a bag of port to the back of my bike.  From time to time I’d turn around and take a mouthful.  Rocket fuel!

Riding head-first into the wind and the rain

Scout Camp

Dean had told of us of a ’secret scout campsite’ we should stay at that evening which we couldn’t find.  We all waited on the beach while he ran up and down trying to find it.  Everyone was cold, wet and miserable.  Except me of course, full of port to keep me warm!  Dean eventually found it and we all had to ride back up the beach, into the tail wind that was previously helping us.  I thought this was hilarious however I’m not sure everyone else shared my glee.  This video describes best what words cannot.

The campsite was off the main beach about 100m inland, right next to a fresh water creek.  It was nice and private in there.  We had dinner and hit the sack pretty early as we had to get up before dawn the next morning.  On the trip, everyone slept in tents except Ricky and I; we had hammocks.  The hammocks have built in fly screens and are excellent at keeping the mozzies out however that night they were particularly bad.  I don’t think any got in with me but in the morning I was covered in bites on the only areas of my skin exposed – my hands and my forehead.  It seems that if they’re keen enough, mosquitos can bite through the hammock.  Not good.

The same creek as in the video above, but calm

Smooth water

Riding to the ferry the next day was easy.  It wasn’t far and the tide was in our favour.  We crossed the same creek again but this time it was perfectly still and made for an excellent photograph. There was some time to kill before the ferry came so I used the opportunity to sit down and take in the scenery. While I was chilling out on the sand taking photos a dingo came right up to me. Probably didn’t know what I was and what I was doing on his beach! He seemed pretty playful but didn’t stick around for long.

I had mixed feelings getting onto the ferry. A long hot shower was definitely in order but I didn’t like turning my back on the island. Getting sand in everything (meals included), mosquito bites on your mosquito bites and digging holes in the ground aside, it was a fantastic trip and I’d do it again in a heartbeat!  Nothing beats laying on a serene beach, by yourself and just relaxing.

Fraser Island on a push bike? Done.