Seymour Big Red Oz Tour: Four Wheel Driving on Fraser

Well...ladies, you probably all understand me when I say that sometimes our men seem to think that when we ask them to do something or ask them a question we are just there to simply look good...and it's an option as to whether they respond or listen...

Well today started like that...

We had bought our tickets for the Barge to Fraser Island and the Permit to be on the Island...We then finally found our way to where the barge was leaving, not for any help of Rainbow, there were no directional signs or anything...

When we got to the part of the beach where the barge was leaving, which was confusing in itself, as there wasn't a sign to even tell us what time it left, or from where to be picked up...just an entrance through the bushes straight onto the 'deep', 'soft' sand!!

This is where the first part about just looking pretty comes in...I had told Phil the night before that we had to take some air out of our tyres so that we sat on about 20psi. I now reminded him, just as he started to edge forward onto the sand. I also asked quite firmly if he had put the car in 4WD...I actually repeated myself a number of times in the very short time it took him to travel about 10 metres into the soft sinking sand...by this time we had lodged ourselves quite firmly with no hope of getting out before the barge arrived or took the number of passengers that had passed us quite easily in their 4WD with oh so smart deflated tyres...HOW EMBARRASING AND OH SO FRUSTRATING!!

Even the signs where a good warning but NOOOO!!

And do you think we had tools to dig us out??

Fraser Island Information wasn't to helpful either...this is what greeted us, after the above sign, being the only one we saw the whole trip...We had no clue where to even drive to...only the tracks in front... which after getting bogged just metres in, was going to be a short trip

This might be the only glimpse of Fraser Island we were going to see

God must have heard my heart's cry and sent a lovely couple to dig us out just in time to catch the barge

Some spectators that probably figured we weren't from these parts...how embarrassing!

Nearly there, but not holding my breath...anything could happen!

Phew! at least we've made it this far.

Poor Esther, has had a cold and not been very well for a couple of days and she's not looking too good and after eating two boiled eggs on the barge trip I don't think it'll end well.

Nawwh he's a lovely brother...just don't let him know we know

Too late!

Those buses left like rockets.

Our friends who rescued us invited us to follow them and they would keep their watchful eye on us...I think they felt sorry for us...I would too!!

I was glad for the company but it meant that we didn't get to do as we wanted, but that is the price you pay if you aren't confident to go it alone...compromise

These little creeks are the tannins flowing from inland out to the sea at a rapid pace. You had to be careful you didn't hit them too fast or you could end up nose down in a deep crevice.

Here he is...MR 4WD!!

You can see how deep these creeks can become..

It had been raining lightly when we arrived which was good because it meant the sand was firm and easier to drive on.

First stop was Dilli Village, which was not covered by our permit so we weren't actually allowed to use their facilities...on to the next stop I guess.

Benjamin using a stick as a spear

Gorgeous Eliza girl

Down to the first inland lake with our new friends and guardians...hehehe

Although the water was clean, it looked dark and dirty but it was the tannins from the gum trees that leach into it.

Just a beautiful stump...

This is also where we said goodbye to our friends Alan and Brigit, as walkers, they needed to stretch their legs and we were happy to keep charging through the bush in our bush basher!