We departed on Saturday morning (Aug 3) at 6 a.m. The meeting place was at the uni where all 25 students, 15 student mentors , and the 5 profs/tutorial leaders boarded the buses that would take us to the island. And when I say 'buses', I mean big 4 wheel drives. The profs also took up a jeep that carried some of the more important stuff, like our food for the weekend.
Some of you might be wondering, professors are going on a trip with a bunch of Canadian Grad students? Yes. And they were great. I'm coming to realize that Aussies have a great sense of humour and a good outlook on life, which I really enjoy. :)
From the university it's about a 4 hour drive to the Island and the first couple of hours were pretty boring. Lucky for me I was sitting next to a classmate, Katie, who brought her iPod and we listened to some U2 and Weezer on the way up. Fantastic. :)
We made a few stops along the way; bathroom breaks and food breaks, but we were always back on the road within minutes so that we didn't fall behind schedule.
Our driver, Tim, was really great and along the way he was giving us some background info on the areas that we entered. Tim was always quick to point out the wildlife that we would pass by and he would even slow down for us to take pictures. And since we went up in two vehicles, the other driver would sometimes get on the radio to less if there was something worthy of a picture on the road ahead.
To get to the actual island all the vehicles had to board a ferry, similar to what they do on the East Coast in Canada and the U.S. with the catamaran ferries. In this case, we boarded a small ferry that held about 6 vehicles and this was what took us over to the island. The ride across was only 10-15 minutes long.
Once we arrived on the island, we hopped back into the buses where we were informed by Tim that we would be stopping somewhere along the beach for a 'cuppa' morning tea. We road along a stretch of highway that is about 75 miles long (located on the east coast of Fraser Island) and is referred to as Highway 1 or, as Tim jokingly calls it, the 'Pacific Highway'. This is because it's the main road on the island that takes you to all the campsites and other various 'attractions' on the island. The rest of it are dirt roads that lead to various other beaches, campsites, and resorts.
Eventually we found a clear spot and we stopped for some tea, coffee, cold drinks, and biscuits (apparently there are no such things as cookies here! *lol*). Some of us dipped our feet in the ocean while others decided to stay dry and chat with some of the profs and the rest of our classmates. After about 20 minutes it was back on the bus where we headed for our next stop: a picnic area where we would break into two hiking groups and where lunch was to be prepared.
I should add here that the drive in the actual island is quite bumpy, especially when you're sitting at the back and I'm still finding bruises from it (a week later)! *lol*
After a bumpy 40 minutes we arrived at our next destination. This was where, Chris, a tutorial leader who organizes this trip every year, gave us the break down for the rest of the day and where we broke up into our separate groups.
The hike we went on was great. I'd say we went bush walking, but we didn't really. Most of our walk was on a 'board walk', which was most likely built to keep people from straying off the path and getting lost. There are some venomous animals on the island and the last thing you'd want to do is get separated from the group and getting bit by something. So it was a good thing that those were there!
Most of the walk consisted of Chris and Kath (another leader) explaining some of the vegetation on the island. And there is quite an abundance of it which is so fascinating because the island is made up of sand. So you have plants and trees that are over 500 years old and yet are growing in sand! It felt like we were walking through a jungle, although Tim likened it to that of a rainforest. We must've walked for close to an hour before we were called for lunch. And most of us were starving!!
After our feast we headed to Lake McKenzie which is a lake that is located towards the centre of the island. It's also referred to as a 'perched' lake because it's about 100 metres above sea level. It also has exfoliating properties if you can believe it. When you come out, your skin becomes really soft. And they say that you can even clean jewellery in there. However, I haven't tried it so I don't know if that's true. The lake is surrounded by white sand made of silica and it's hard to believe that you're looking at bright white sand and clear blue waters in the middle of an island.
We spent about an hour there, but unfortunately I didn't go in the water. As nice as the weather was (there wasn't a cloud in the sky), it was still a bit cool and we still had a lot to see. So rather than freezing for the rest of the trip, I decided to just wade into the water and sit on the beach with some of the other girls to chat.
After heading back onto the buses we drove to our 'home' for the weekend. USC has it's own campsite on Fraser which is also a research centre for some of the science program. But it's also open to the other faculties to use for trips like ours. The site has approximately 8 cabins, each with 4 rooms and some with two beds or bunks. We broke up into pairs and got settled in until it was time for our next activity. My roommate was a girl named Katie who's also from Toronto and has a degree from York U. Up until then I thought I was the only one from York. :) We spent our time making up our beds and getting to know each and finding out we had a bit in common.
This time was also used for us to slip into our bathing suits before heading back to the beach for some activities. To get to the beach we had to cross a small creek which was absolutely freezing!! Someone on the trip took a picture and if I can find it I will post it with the rest of my pictures. But thankfully there were two guys there to help us in and out of the creek. Although one of my classmates, also named Chris, pretty much hauled each of us out of the creek when we got to the end! At least we didn't have to struggle!! :) The swim across wasn't long at all, it was just very, very cold, even for us Canadians. ;)
Then we had a short walk to the beach where we once again split into two groups. One group was going to learn how to play Beach Cricket, which is like regular cricket, but with slightly different rules. I'd explain it here, but I'm not sure that I understand it just yet. I just remember that rather than throwing the paddle on the ground like they do in baseball, you have to hold on to it while you run to the wickets which are like bases.
Group 2 walked along the beach in search of pippies, which are a nickname the Aussies have for a type of shellfish, in this case, clams. When you walk along some of the beaches in Australia, you'll see bubbles in the sand, which means there's a shellfish underneath. If you dig it up underneath the sand you'll find one. We walked along and searching for pippies while Chris (tutorila leader) informed us we were to have pippy races. This is where you place the shellfish back on the sand and watch it dig itself back into the sand. The first one to disappear under the sand, obviously, is the winner. I found 4 and none of mine won. *lol* This activity was fun and I look forward to doing it again at some point in the future.
We spent a couple of hours there and soon it was time to prepare dinner. Before we left for the beach we broke up into three groups: dinner duty, breakfast duty, and lunch duty. I was lucky enough to be one of those in charge of dinner which was: spaghetti, garlic bread, and a mix of veggies (carrots, peas, and green beans). It was chaotic in the kitchen, but we managed to get it done, and we set some high standards for the rest of the group because we did a great job. Although we all might've been incredibly hungry, in which case anything tastes good. *lol*
After dinner, there was another group activity. This involved the International students performing skits using Aussie slang. So off we went in our groups to try and create something that made sense using each of our words (hopefully in the right context). We were also informed that the winning group was able to win a prize. So we made sure it was as entertaining as possible. When it was time to show off our skits, my group went second. Everyone loved it, but there were still 2 groups left to go. When it came time to declare the winner the student mentors chose....my group. The prize? A box of wine. *lol* This activity was then followed by a quick cleanup and some time to ourselves before we met again for the campfire.
The campfire was great and this was our social time, a chance to really get to know each other. Some of us brought out our blankets from the cabins (it was a chilly night!) and we sat around singing songs, telling jokes, and munching on popcorn. And there were NO camp songs (thank goodness!!!). We started off by singing songs from some Canadian favourites: the Tragically Hip was very popular; as was Bryan Adams, Tom Cochrane, and Neil Young. There were some others, however, I can't remember any of them. We also sang songs from: Matchbox 20, Weezer, Chumbawumba (yes. You read that right), Tom Petty, and some German band that sings 'Du Haus'.
At one point we also made s'mores. Chris, in the 3 years that he has been organizing this trip, had never had them before. So he went out and bought the ingredients and we were able to give him a taste. Which actually turned into Chris eating most of them! *lol* He loved them so much that he ate most of them himself. :) Wait until he gets a taste of poutine! (And if you don't know what it is, leave a comment and either Neil or I will explain it to you...)
Although the night was cold, the campfire kept us warm. We even sang 'O Canada' with sparklers. Why we chose the Canadian anthem, I'm still not sure, but nonetheless it was pretty cool to look around and see everyone waving there sparklers. At the end of it me and this guy, Greg, started humming the old "Hockey Night in Canada" theme song which got a lot of groans AND laughs. Eventually we were told to stop when it was obvious to the crowd that we weren't going to stop anytime soon. I guess the song is similar to "The Song That Never Ends" and you can hum it for ever, much to the annoyance of those close enough to hear it.
Eventually the night came to an end. For some it came a lot later than midnight!
But Sunday was going to be another early morning and our last day on the Island.
*****
After breakfast we slipped into our bathing suits and made our way back to the beach for a quick lesson on beach safety and engaging in some activities that the kids participate in. There were some relays and an activity where they made us run into the ocean (up to our knees) and then back out. Looking back on it, I'm not sure what the point of these activities were, even though there was one. That's how much I was paying attention. *lol*
Once the beach session ended it was back to the campsite for lunch and then another hike. A really loooooong hike.
When they told us that it was going to be an hour, I thought 'No problem. I've walked longer than that.' What they didn't tell us was that most of the walk was going to be up hill. *lol* They did tell us that they were going to take us to a look out point with a spectacular view. What they didn't tell us, was that to get to this lookout point we would have to climb up a steep sand dune after hour hike. *lol* So up we went. And once we got to the top we were met with a spectacular view. Beyond the sand was a lush forest and beyond that was a view of the ocean. None of us wanted to leave. Some of us even ran down the sand dune only to run back up and do it again.
Unfortunately we were running a bit behind and we had to rush back for some refreshments after the long hike and then to campsite to grab our bags and head back to the Sunny Coast.
As tired as I was, I'm so glad that I ended up going. I met a ton of people which will definitely make the year go by faster than it was a couple of weeks ago.
And I hope you all enjoy the pictures that I post here, some of which I 'borrowed' from those who also went on the trip.
Once the beach session ended it was back to the campsite for lunch and then another hike. A really loooooong hike.
When they told us that it was going to be an hour, I thought 'No problem. I've walked longer than that.' What they didn't tell us was that most of the walk was going to be up hill. *lol* They did tell us that they were going to take us to a look out point with a spectacular view. What they didn't tell us, was that to get to this lookout point we would have to climb up a steep sand dune after hour hike. *lol* So up we went. And once we got to the top we were met with a spectacular view. Beyond the sand was a lush forest and beyond that was a view of the ocean. None of us wanted to leave. Some of us even ran down the sand dune only to run back up and do it again.
Unfortunately we were running a bit behind and we had to rush back for some refreshments after the long hike and then to campsite to grab our bags and head back to the Sunny Coast.
As tired as I was, I'm so glad that I ended up going. I met a ton of people which will definitely make the year go by faster than it was a couple of weeks ago.
And I hope you all enjoy the pictures that I post here, some of which I 'borrowed' from those who also went on the trip.
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