I really can’t stand when I end up hating something that everyone else loved. It’s like being the only person who didn’t love Titanic. But Fraser Island may have been doomed to disappoint from the start. I already knew that Fraser was the largest sand island in the world, full of dingoes ready to eat your babies.
I signed up for this tour with the other people I was traveling with, without doing very much research. So please excuse me, but this is why I am the only person who hated Fraser Island.
The weather
Once we crossed over into Queensland, the weather had been nothing but beautiful. But of course, for these three days’ worth, it was overcast, cold, and rainy. And what’s worse than camping? Camping in the rain. In a place known for its beaches. While everyone has great pictures of the white sand and blue water of Lake Mackenzie, mine are grayish and dark blue.
The camping
You should know by now that I’m not very outdoorsy. Sure, I survived a trip to the Outback where I slept on the ground, but that was different. This time, I was covered in sand, awake all night to the rustling of the tent, which I mistook for dingoes sniffing at me, and the goon-fueled rants of my fellow campers. It’s next to impossible to get a good night’s sleep under these conditions.
And someone failed to mention that when you go to the bathroom in the woods, you have to, ahem, bury it. And then there were the sand flies, who like to bite every surface of bare skin. Not to mention that when you’re using camp stoves on the beach, you get sand in your food. Not tasty.
The drama
I got to Rainbow Beach already with a chip on my shoulder. There was undeniable tension with my travel mates, but we all chose to ignore it, if only for the sake of this few weeks of tours we had left. Fraser Island is where it all exploded.
Without getting into it too much, I knew I should have gone my own way weeks earlier but I didn’t. Maybe I’m not as good of a solo traveler as I thought I was. I got too comfortable.
So sue me. I didn’t love Fraser Island. I was overjoyed to get back into a real bed, wash all the sand out of my clothes and hair and enjoy a full night’s sleep. Maybe I will go back one day and stay at one of the hotels instead. And by then I should be able to drive manual transmission so I can see what all the fuss is about. Until then, I will not really remember Fraser fondly.
I didn’t love Fraser Island either. It was rainy and sandy and I didn’t even get to see a Dingo! The only part I did enjoy was that giant freshwater lake, but that was cute short by rain as well.
I don’t like that feeling of disliking something everyone else loves either, but I think it’s a natural part of travel- if we all liked the same stuff how boring would that be?!
So true! This just happened to be mine. Luckily, I’ve liked most of the places I went on my trip. Fraser just didn’t make the list :).
It seems like you made the best of the situation on all fronts. Kudos for sticking it out. And you’re still OK, because you liked Brisbane, and everybody else seems to hate it. Opposite day :)
Thanks mate! Yeah as long as I had some places I liked I figure I’m okay.
Thats a shame you didn’t enjoy it. We were thinking of going at some stage but maybe we won’t stay for 3 nights.
Most people have the complete opposite experience, so I think it’s worth seeing if not just to decide for yourself. Can’t wait to hear about your travels!
It’s funny how your experience of a place can have so much to do with who you’re with and what mood you’re in… and quite often very little to do with the actual location. I reckon travel is about much more than just a place – it’s a complete package.
Sucks that Frasier was ruined for you! All I heard up and down The Coast was, you had to do a self-drive tour, it’s awesome! But knowing me, I didn’t listen to anyone and did a backpackers fully guided tour and loved it. The moment I saw those self-drive cars, I knew I made the right decision. Sitting sideways, banging into people I didn’t know? Sounds like the WORST! TIME! EVER!
I am so good at leaving people and saying no, I never thought of that as a good solo traveler tool, but I guess it is!
I left my package tour down the East Coast in 2001 when we reached Hervey Bay, before they went to Fraiser Island. From what I heard later, they had a rainy miserable time. I had been traveling solo around Australia for 35 days before i joined the group and wasn’t looking to party EVERY night, like the rest of the group did. So many of them slept on the bus all day and didn’t see much, but they had fun drinking the nights away. I was there for something else. I though I would feel guilty about walking away when I did, but it was the right decision for me.
BTW, I hated Titanic.
I just don’t see the point of camping? Where’s the attraction in sleeping on the ground and digging your own toilet? Sand flies…ew! ;-)
I am currently toying with the idea of taking a short tour to Fraser Island, but am kind of convinced I will hate it. Maybe the boring British name? The thought of British trust fund tourists on their “gap year”? I dunno, but this blog has all but convinced me that Fraser Island is not for me.
Hey Robert, I don’t want to completely discourage people from going to Fraser. While my experience wasn’t great, it really all depends on your personality, interests, and most of all, the weather. I could give you plenty of accounts of people who had a great time there, but ultimately it’s up to you in terms of what you have time and money for. And there is also the non-backpacker route of hotels and rental homes out there. Thanks for reading!
I LOVED Fraser Island, but I had perfect weather. I think I would have felt the same as you if I’d had to camp in the rain!
So you didn’t like the island because it rained and you had a bad sleep?
Fraser island is overcrowded and overrated. Lake Makenzie was more crowded than Bondi Beach and the backpackers language so foul that we had to leave with our kids. Stay in a hotel and swim in the pool is the most enjoyable and relaxing to do there.