I think I left off about to go to Fraser Island. Fraser is famous for being entirely made from sand and in fact it's original name was indeed the Big Sandy Island. Imaginative. To get to this mecca of sand, I first had to travel to Rainbow Beach which sounds delightful, but is in fact a small street with an over priced supermarket. Unfortunately, I had made an error with my bus booking and the 12 hour journey overnight on a uncomfortable bus turned into 18 hours. As you can imagine I was not pleased with myself for this error and chastised myself appropriately. On arrival in Rainbow, I was quite exhausted as during my long bus journey not much rest was had, hindered by the bus driver that kept waking the bus up to tell us it was time for a meal break. At 4 am?! Really, seriously, come on.
Fortunately, my afternoon nap followed by an early night did not mean I missed anything due to the small and rather unexciting nature of Rainbow and I arose the next day with a new enthusiasm for exploring and adventure. Now, most people when adventuring on Fraser, do a self drive trip wherein you get out together with ten other tourists and drive around and camp. Yes, camp. On an island entirely made of sand, recently a victim of a cyclone. Not my cup of tea. I like a toilet and a bed and a shower and protection fron evil beasties. So I did a guided tour with about 15 other people and a guide called Petre (NOT Peter). My group was a pleasant crowd and to great delight the average age was about 24 unlike the usual 14 that I had encountered on the rest of my trip down the North East coast. We spent 2 days and 2 nights exploring lakes, sand dunes, Scottish ship wrecks (really its called the Maheno, you can google it) and generally having a jolly time. Unfortunately, on the last night one of the girls in my dorm developed a gastroenteritis. Filled with fear, I refused to use the same facilities and became over whelmed with concern that I would be stricken with this on the bus journey to Brisbane the next day. This was not helped by on the parting of the group, the same girl methodically hugged and kissed (yes kissed!! Health and safety people!) everyone, one by one. I made a swift exit across the road, waving goodbye, safe from the transmission of vomit inducing mircorobes.
That evening was spent back in the very small Rainbow Beach so not much excitment was had although I did educate a German on the the language and culture of Gaelic. The next day I travelled back to Brisbane to the hotel of Maggie and Duncan and found myself joined by another guest, Zac the chef, who is trying very hard to get a new visa, but not managing very well. The last few days have as been the usual joyful, fun filled, civilised dinner party days that seem to be customary in the hotel of Maggie and Duncan. I have eaten much fine food, drank some fine wines and even made a salad and baked cakes!!! Morag the chef should now be my name. I also managed to catch up with Amanda, the lovely Tasmania trip travel agent and Luke, the delightful Berlin trip town planner and by lovely coincidence actually ended up in the in a night club dancing ridiculously with both of them.
So now my last day in Oz is upon me. I'm sitting typing this whilst Zac and Duncan are doing the crossword and newspaper quiz from yesterday's paper in a very civilised manner. Later I will post a large package home to my mother of excess belongings that have somehow appeared and will no longer fit in my rucksack. Then tomorrow, I will put my bag on my back and again travel to the airport to start a new journey.
And of course as seems to be the way with me these days, I haven't organised a damn thing!
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