Fraser Island is out of this world. It is a large sand island upon which a forest of eucalypts, various species of pines, and indigenous plants grown. Kerry Swann and I left for the island after Sunday Mass and we met up with his wife, Loretta, later in the day at their resort condo.
The resort at Kingfisher’s Bay is extravagant and eco-friendly. The vast ceilings make the resort seems as if it has been carved into the landscape as the rainforest enters upon the calm waters of the bay. The green plants that adorn the inside and outside of the resort give its luxury a seamless feel. One of the two super-sized swimming pools are heated. They too are situated so that once you are in them, it is almost indistinguishable that you are separated from the day.
We ate at the Sandbar, which is a casual outdoor pub surrounded by two swimming pools. We tried for reservations at the Seaside, but I will go there tonight to eat a Kangaroo, Emu, and Crocodile plate. The other restaurants are named after some significant local events, such as the grounding of the Meheno, a larger liner that was to be rehabbed and converted into a luxury liner.
Each day we get a drenching rain for five minutes. This is a blessing for us as the rain will pack down the sand that allows our four-wheel drive to gain traction. The roads are completely sand and it forms into ruts that are difficult to travel. It was a wild wide from the bayside to the seaside, but what a blast. Kerry saw a snake traverse the road. Dingoes are everywhere, but they stay near the resorts because people foolishly feed the dingoes. Horses were removed from the land because they were brought over in colonial times and were not indigenous, but they left the dingoes which also were not indigenous. The aborigines who settled the island seldom left the island. They were a tall tribe and are now extinct. An American was notorious for setting up hunting sport expeditions to kill the aborigines. The British tried to stop him, but at one time the Aborigines told the British that they no longer had to put together a search party to look for the wicked murderer.
The coast is amazing. Vehicles can travel on the sand, which is a 75-mile beach. We traveled over the top of the island and ended up at Urang beach that let right out onto the sand. The Pacific waves were very choppy. The continental shelf is not far from the edge of the beach and it is not safe to go swimming because of the huge sharks. They say you don’t have to worry about shark bites because they will swallow you whole. Some of the jelly fish will also give you bad stings, as if you’ve been stung by a wasp. People don’t go swimming there much, but will wade in knee deep to fish. To go swimming, you go to a river that is dumping into the ocean. It is a little cooler than the ocean’s temperatures, but it is pure and refreshing. The water is rain water that is so pure it is just like distilled water. We went swimming at Eli’s beach.
Airplanes have the right of way and it is best to know the tidal times so you can travel at low tide. We had lunch at Happy Valley and then to the wreck of the Maheno, which is sunken into the sand and it rotten. It beached in 1935 and is just a shell now. The people stripped it of all its valuable furnishings: pots and pans, artwork, seats, and anything on interest and they have used it in their own homes. Up until 1990, couples used to get married in the grand ballroom, but now the ship has sunken so deep that only the top of the ship is visible.
The unit in which I am staying is part of a town-house like complex that has views of the bay. The bay is very still because the island breaks up the waves. The temperatures are warmer and the sunsets are so peaceful. I had wine, cheese and crackers at look-out point to savor the beauty of the place and the richness of life that God has given to me.
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