COOL DINGOS AND HOT DOGS

Sometimes you can get too much of a good thing and wonderful Hervey Bay was like that for me. Wherever I went was so lovely, I started to get sensory overload. Luckily the next housesit was near enough for me to be able to return to get another ‘fix’, but far enough away to give me the peace and tranquility that I needed to regain my balance. River Heads was only  km away and a beautiful place, in its own right.  What was, not so long ago, a tiny little fishing village, made of small holiday cottages or few, quiet homes, had suddenly begun to  burst into a frenzy of new builds. Large homes on large plots of land had sprung up on the outer edges, while the town itself found more and more homes squeezing onto every available plot of land.

  As for shops…There was literally only an IGA, an estate agents, one Pharmacy, a gift shop, a Frazer Island travel bureau and a café, in the small, new shopping complex. I went to that café many times, just to sit and look out at the awesome views over the harbor. It was absolute magic there, revealing what I especially loved most about River Heads,  that it was still a very peaceful, quiet little place nestling in a stunningly, natural landscape.  I had been so lucky! And who could blame anyone? Here, with the ferry terminal at the end of furthermost point, was the gateway to Frazer Island. And, also, where the rivers converged to offer a beautiful natural harbour with great fishing.

So sweet a nature

But the best thing for me, at this time, were the furballs I had to look after. Both stole my heart  as soon as I walked through the gate. Jess, the sheep dog, greeted me straight away with kisses and excitement. Little Rocky (the rocket), the Chihuahua, took a little longer. Maybe all of ten seconds. Hey, no way was he being left out! That little man demanded centre stage…. And got it. Like all Chihuahuas he had more energy than a Duracell bunny!! Their parents Glenda and Danny were welcoming too.

How can you resist this face?

 But, I have to admit, I was so ready to cuddle a furbaby! I know, I know, I should have one (at least) of my own. But I am not yet used to travelling enough yet (especially finding freecamps) to ensure they have a good life with me. Till then, I’ll just give to charities and rescues, and doggysit where I can. And these two certainly made the housesit a wonderful  time for me. Of course I couldn’t stay with them 24/7… well actually, I quite happily could have, but I tore myself away for one important journey I HAD to make.

Frazer Island! I could not stay at River Heads and NOT go to Frazer Island. The Ferry was just 5mins drive from me! So I booked my ticket at the little Bureau for $59, which I thought was great as it included the Ferry there and back to Kingfisher Resort (which was $55 on its own), use of all the resorts amenities PLUS lunch! Fraser Island itself, is the largest sand island in the world. It was inscribed on the World Heritage List in1992 and has complex dune systems that are still evolving, including dune lakes (like the magical Lake McKenzie) and tall rainforests. The island is part of the Fraser Coast Region and protected in the Great Sandy National Park. This place has an incredible variety of natural environments and is home to a small number of mammal species, as well as a diverse range of birds, reptiles and amphibians including the occasional saltwater crocodile.

 But, for me, the best of these natural inhabitants is the Dingo. Fraser Island is said to have the purest bred dingos anywhere on the east coast of Australia. Estimates of dingo numbers on Fraser Island have put the population at around 150. But due to the conservation efforts there these Dingos are kept wild, as nature intended. Therefore all travellers to Fraser Island  are advised to stay away from Dingos. Unfortunately, I have heard, that despite efforts to keep the environment as natural as possible, with little human interference (which includes NO feeding of wild animals), the dingo is now starving, due to lack of food source there. This is deeply upsetting as they are such a beautiful, valuable creature. I’m sure another option needs to be put in place. They have, after all become the symbol of Frazer Island, with tours called ‘Cool Dingo’ just to see them.

Lake Mc Kenzie

Eli Creek

Of course there is much more to see too and you can go on many other tours, but only 4wheel drive (either your own or a tour bus) can navigate the Island, so no other vehicles are allowed. On these tours  you would see sights like the 75mile beach, Eli Creek, Rainforest Walk, Lake McKenzie,  Maheno Shipwreck, Coloured Sands, Champagne Pools, Lake Wabby, Indian head and much more. But Fraser Island is a BIG Island and you would not see all these in one day!

This time, I just wanted a few hours there to relax and rewind. And what better place than the Kingfisher Resort, straight off the ferry jetty. You wouldn’t even know it’s there as you approach in the ferry, all you see is stunning waters and beach.This and its sister, Eurong Resort on the other side of the island are the only two accommodation places here. This was such a wonderful day. There is the large, main building with it’s beautiful dining areas and swimming pools, outdoor and indoor seating, just a short 5 min walk from the jetty, but hidden amongst natural foliage.

There was even a hot spa pool for cooler days, which this day was, if the larger pools were too cold for you.  Actually they were 21degrees that day, but I still went in the bubbly spa pool anyway J. Or theres the Beach Shack. A lovely, more relaxed dining area down near the beach, where I had my meal. And let me tell you, the portions here are enormous! Even better you can have ANYTHING off the menu, even the $35 beef and reef lunch. Not knowing the portion sizes here I ordered the 12inch Kingfisher Pizza. Alas it should have been the 6inch one! No way could I eat it all even in two sittings!Just a little word of warning here,.. anything else you buy is a tad expensive! Like a diet coke for $4. Theres another little café too right on the jetty itself, which it’s nice to sit and watch the sunset at.

Then of course, there’s the small shopping complex to the back of the main building. A lovely little place with beautiful (not tatty) soulveniers, clothing, food and lots more. I bought a lovely mug there. Guess what was on it? Next to it is a small spa area, for those who need a pampering massage, etc. A tour company (of course), bike/ 4wheel drive hire, petrol station and so on.

There many walks you can go on too, through the forests, along the beach. I tried both and was amazed at the time spent doing this.  So if you find you don’t have enough time to do everything you can always book for a longer stay at the hotel itself or in one of the many beach houses hidden in the trees here. And I didn’t have enough time. I’d planned to go back on the 2pm ferry as it takes 45min, but ended up on the 5pm ferry instead.  But if it weren’t for me looking after the furballs, I’d have stayed till the 8pm ferry. Sigh. … next time! It was a great day anyway.

Live in the moment.
The Grey Chihuahua