Wide bay and the Hyundai that could

The next stop on our journey has been Hervey Bay on the Fraser Coast about 3 hrs north of Brisbane.  Here we caught up with good friends Peter and Annette from Brisbane who also have similar aged kids and a camper. Essentially it was a weekend of catching up and an opportunity for the kids to knock around with similar aged kids. Its amazing to how quickly the friendships develop between the children. We had a lovely time despite the weather being a little on the wet side.  

Hervey Bay proved a great location being small enough to be quiet and relaxed but with all the services (read: Coffee) that come with it being a grey nomad and back packer destination. A feature of the town is the beautiful esplanade that runs the full length (10km) of the bay. On one side is the calm waters of Hervey Bay, then a broad beach followed by a thin strip of coastal vegetation reserve along which a walking track weaves its way for the full length of the bay. Along the reserve are a range of play grounds perfect for the kids and opposite this the bayside road (perfect for cycling) and then the shops, restaurants and cafes over looking the ocean. 

Morning views across Torquay Beach, Hervey Bay

So in a nut shell Hervey Bay was all about going to parks, drinking coffee, walking along the beach, cycling along the bay, bbq's, dodging the rain, and much time spent on the jumping pillow at the caravan park.

Hervey Bay is also the departure point for Fraser island. I had been to the island before and was pretty keen to show the family. The island can be accessed easily (for a price) via organised tour or you can take your own vehicle across a barge as long as you have four wheel drive to cope with the sand tracks and generally rough conditions. I mentioned earlier that we are driving a Hyundai Santa Fe which is a mid-sized SUV or All Wheel Drive (AWD). The big question was, was the little korean AWD up for the task? I have had the car since new and it has been put through its paces over a range of conditions probably all (just) within its design specifications. Its always come through surprisingly well. 

So I was confident about the cars abilities as well as my own driving experience to safely and without drama navigate the sandy roads of Fraser Island. It appeared however it would take a lot more to convince the locals that this Canberran with his urban off roader was not heading for disaster. On no less than 5 occasions I was told that the Hyundai was not suitable for the island and that I should strongly reconsider taking a tour or hiring a "real" four wheel. I didn't want to come across as the guy who  "knows boats"  but I gently persuaded them that I thought the vehicle was up for the job.  Even the lady taking the bookings for the barge was hesitant to let us on.

So first thing Monday morning with the weather looking reasonable we headed down to the barge excited but a tad tentative about hitting the big sandy island. I felt a test of manhood as I lined the Santa Fe up in the queue to board the barge. The little understated Korean was along side the likes of a beefed up Toyota Troop Carrier, a brand new and heavily modified Land Cruiser and weathered Nissan Patrol. This did not help the little uncertainty that I had. The true test would be taken as soon as we arrived after our 30 minute crossing.

Fraser Island inland trail for "real" four wheel drives only

As soon as you arrive on Fraser Island you get a sense that the place is true wilderness and worthy of its World Heritage status. The vegetation is very different,  much more tropical than the mainland and magnificently lush and tall.  With the tyre pressure dropped, 4 wheel drive locked in we got straight into it and not to any great surprise the Hyundai took straight to the sandy trails with ease.  The tracks were narrow, rough and in some areas particularly deep and soft in sand but in no circumstances through out the day did the Hyundai get out of it's depth or into trouble. The most unsettling part of the day was being bared down and forced off the single lane track by one of the tourist buses in his rush to catch the last barge home.

Eurong Beach, Fraser Island

The day on Fraser was brief but a good sample of what the island has to offer.  We managed to get in a short walk to Basin Lake, lunch beside Lake Mackenzie and then an ice cream stop in Eurong on the ocean side of the island before returning to the barge drop off point.  The trip back (with ego intact) was topped off by a superb sunset as we sailed home across wide bay.

The return barge from Fraser Island

Hervey Bay and Fraser Island have been superb, and we can see ourselves returning for a more comprehensive visit of the island in the future. 

The road calls us northward with our next stop being the small coastal township of 1770.

Recommend in Hervey Bay

Coffee at the little art gallery on the Esplanade

A walk along the main pier

Anything on Fraser Island of course

A patisserie from the French Bakery on the Esplanade

Primed and ready to hit the road.

Packed and ready for departure.

Well, its been on the drawing board for at least 2 years and finally we are here, pre-departure! Over the past week the camper trailer, a 2005 Jayco Flamingo Outback, has been sitting in the back yard as we slowly stock it with all the bits and pieces that we will need over coming months. It now has more plastic containers than a greasy takeaway and they all full of stuff. Are we ready? Yes! Are we excited? Well yes of course but we would be lying if we didn't say that there is a little bit of trepidation mixed in there as well. Its not as though we are making a dangerous solo journey across the Tanami Desert. This will hardly be roughing it, but there is a level of the unknown ahead. Unknown locations, unknown roads, how comfortable (and water tight) will the camper be and of course what will it be like being in such close company for all that time. All that sort of stuff. Anyway we are keen to throw ourselves at it and give it a good run.

So stay tuned, I will try to make the commentary light but interesting and not to lengthy, it will be great to have you drop in from time to time to see how we are travelling and hopefully share with you some of the beautiful places and experiences this great island has to offer. So in short:

Who:
We are a young(ish) family from Canberra, Australia, being Jeffrey and Tamara, Thomas (9), Lara (7) and Jacob (4).

Why:
Not so silly a question really. 100 Day Escape is code for a nice long break. Tamara and I have been lucky enough to travel a fair bit over the years and with a little bit of leave up our sleeves we wanted to do something special with the kids and introduce them to the joy and adventure of travel, as well as give them an experience they won't forget (for all the good reasons hopefully).

Where:
Essentially its going to be a half loop of Australia, meaning heading north from Canberra up the eastern seaboard until the Gulf of Carpentaria, west north west to Darwin, south to Alice Springs in the middle of Australia and finally Adelaide before bee lining it eastward back to Canberra. Obviously it will be more detailed than that but you will have to drop in to get all the detail.

How:
By "Camper Trailer" although its more like a caravan to us. Upfront is a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe with 90000 km on the clock. While the camper will be a our main home under the stars we will not be shying away from the odd "break" in a civilised establishment. Once again this is no Bear Grylls adventure so if you are looking for epic tales you may not find them hear.    

Lastly, I am a bit of photography hack and will be doing my best to capture the trip in this way. Blogger is good for the odd shot but if you are keen to see more I will be setting up a "Photo Stream" for all you Apple fans and also on Google+. Just drop me an email at jeff.dau@gmail.com if you would like to subscribe.

Cheers and chat soon.

Jeff