Today we had a day at Fraser Island booked. The bus was due to arrive at 7:30 and at exactly 7:50 it arrived. We had a short bus journey to the port, which was tiny. It was actually a boat ramp with a carpark. We jumped on the barge and it took us across to Fraser. Fraser Island is the biggest sand island in the world. So now w have been to the biggest and smallest sand island in the world! We were sorted into our groups and we climbed aboard a rather elaborate coach. There was a seat next to the driver an naturally I asked if I could have it. This later turned out to be not such a good idea. After asking a few questions about it and driving for 2 minutes I understood why it looked like it did.
(Man bit coming up) especially for Mark and Lindsay.
This truck was the same spec as the support trucks used on the Dakar rally.
It had a 6.8L 340hp diesel twin turbo straight 8, however had 1250f/lb of torque. Basically enough to tow the moon.
It had a 12 speed gearbox with paddles behind the wheel, 8 different diff settings, 4 drive settings 2 reverse drive settings (each with 4 gears). She even had launch control for when its stuck. if you were stupid enough to get it stuck!
It was a 33tonne monster.
Anyway my haste to sit in the front was a bad choice. the cab floats on air suspension where as the back is fixed to the chassis. So I was being flown about all over the place where as everyone else was in relative comfort. This being the truck it was it could do 60mph. But it could do it anywhere all of the time. There were points where the front wheels were off the ground. We even had a powerslide at one point. People had land rovers and other 4x4s and the rate at which we caught up to them was astonishing!! I have never been on such a bad road. A normal car wouldent have done 5 meters. Even the 4x4s were getting stuck. After about 30 mins of hell. I got out and sat in the back so someone else could have a go. Nobody offered apart from a little boy, what a mistake that was...
We drove back down the island still on the silky smooth sand with Laura in the front and were greeted with a lovely buffet lunch. After lunch I had recovered from the mornings driving. and we went back inland to see where the spring originated from and a short walk through a rain forest where Laura was eaten alive by mosquitoes. Jumping back in the lovely cool truck we headed for a freshwater lake. We had a quick swim in the crystal clear fresh water Before it was time to go home. Again we had to endure the same road we had on the way in! We eventually arrived back at the barge and had a welcome sit down. Again it was another glorious crossing in bathing sun. we got back with the coach taking us to the door of our hostel. It was an early night for us as tomorrow would be a BIG day with a very early start....
The next leg of the journey was on the beach. like driving on silk compared to what I had to endure. We were taken to a shipwreck that washed up 80 years ago (Australia doesn't really do history).
A little while back down the road we stopped off at "the pinnacles" these were massive sandstone rocks a vivid yellow color.
We jumped back on the truck and drove to a freshwater spring. Its filtered by the sand on the island. When the rain falls it filtrates through the island eventually emerging at the spring that flows into the sea 80 years later. The water is so clean its drinkable. It was amazing.
It had a 6.8L 340hp diesel twin turbo straight 8, however had 1250f/lb of torque. Basically enough to tow the moon.
It had a 12 speed gearbox with paddles behind the wheel, 8 different diff settings, 4 drive settings 2 reverse drive settings (each with 4 gears). She even had launch control for when its stuck. if you were stupid enough to get it stuck!
It was a 33tonne monster.
Anyway my haste to sit in the front was a bad choice. the cab floats on air suspension where as the back is fixed to the chassis. So I was being flown about all over the place where as everyone else was in relative comfort. This being the truck it was it could do 60mph. But it could do it anywhere all of the time. There were points where the front wheels were off the ground. We even had a powerslide at one point. People had land rovers and other 4x4s and the rate at which we caught up to them was astonishing!! I have never been on such a bad road. A normal car wouldent have done 5 meters. Even the 4x4s were getting stuck. After about 30 mins of hell. I got out and sat in the back so someone else could have a go. Nobody offered apart from a little boy, what a mistake that was...
We drove back down the island still on the silky smooth sand with Laura in the front and were greeted with a lovely buffet lunch. After lunch I had recovered from the mornings driving. and we went back inland to see where the spring originated from and a short walk through a rain forest where Laura was eaten alive by mosquitoes. Jumping back in the lovely cool truck we headed for a freshwater lake. We had a quick swim in the crystal clear fresh water Before it was time to go home. Again we had to endure the same road we had on the way in! We eventually arrived back at the barge and had a welcome sit down. Again it was another glorious crossing in bathing sun. we got back with the coach taking us to the door of our hostel. It was an early night for us as tomorrow would be a BIG day with a very early start....
The next leg of the journey was on the beach. like driving on silk compared to what I had to endure. We were taken to a shipwreck that washed up 80 years ago (Australia doesn't really do history).
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