I am chomping at the bit to share this week’s Fraser Island posts.

This was my favorite destination on Australia’s east coast, and a place I almost skipped entirely because the idea of camping and driving a 4WD vehicle didn’t hold tremendous appeal to me. Thank goodness I pursued it, because Fraser Island is paradise — which, not coincidentally, is the translation of its Aboriginal name, K’gari.

It’s essentially a giant sand bar just off the coast of Oz. And at 75 miles long and 15 miles wide, it’s the largest sand island in the world. Here’s a view from space:

(image via)

Our journey begins in Noosa, which is on the mainland just below the very southern point of Fraser Island. Over the course of three days we will visit highlights along the east coast of the island and eventually ferry back to Hervey Bay on the mainland.

I am thrilled to travel with Dropbear Adventures — they are the highest-rated tour company on Fraser Island.

And our tour guide Troy is top-notch:

On the way to Fraser we pass through Rainbow Beach, named for its colorful sand streaks.

The next two group shots are courtesy of Troy:

We luck out with a small group: only five of us, plus Troy. There’s a couple from Ireland, a couple from Germany, and me. We all get along swimmingly… both in and out of the water.

Here’s the shore access point along the township of Rainbow Beach:

The tide is low enough for us to navigate along the beach from Noosa almost all the way to the Fraser Island ferry.

A short ferry crossing later and we’re there! Troy is at the wheel for now but we’ll all have an opportunity to drive over the next few days.

[… Except for me because I’ve never driven a standard vehicle before. Bummer. Learning to drive stick shift is actually on my non-travel bucket list.]

Here’s a video of our 4WD experience on Fraser Island… all the good bits and pieces cut together:

Driving along the coast is so peaceful. The occasional bumps and dips just add a little excitement.

We pause briefly at Red Canyon to admire its crimson sand walls.

Not totally sure what this jelly blob is… perhaps it was once a jellyfish? Some other odd sea creature?

Dingo paw prints!

We find out there have been recent reports of an aggressive dingo in the area so we move our campsite further away from the sighting.

Troy shows us how to spot mussels burrowing in the sand and we dig up a bunch for dinner.

And store them in an unlikely place. It gets the job done!

As Troy finishes setting up camp, we hike about 30 minutes to Lake Wabby.

This freshwater lake is slowly disappearing thanks to a sandblow, which is a slow-moving sand dune making its way across the island.

There’s something about climbing through heaps of sand — sliding sloppily forward, feeling the grains between your toes — that awakens the inner child in all of us. Visitors gleefully ride boards down the dune, plunging into chilly water below.

I take a refreshing swim across the lake, which feels swell after that 30 minute uphill walk in the heat.

One last glimpse at Lake Wabby. It’s absolutely worth a visit if you come to Fraser.

Many thanks to Dropbear Adventures for sponsoring my tour in exchange for photography services. Opinions are my own.