Queensland Trip - 2
Day 5: Crazy K'gari deserves a post to itself. We can't exactly put a fingure on one fact as to why it's crazy, but we'll put together our download for the reader to figure out.
This World Heritage Site is world's largest sand island - 123 Km long and 22 Km wide, but it's insanely stunning and sprawling beach has no swimmers or divers. There are drivers instead!
Yes, the beach has rightfully earned the appellation "Sand Highway" for the noteworthy 4WD expeditions - shoreline is your lane, sand sets your speed limit, and foamy crests awash 4×4 vehicles' wheels instead of feet! There are more tire tracks criss-crossing than footprints. Apex predators and riptide keep regular beach goers at bay but the firm sand offer spectacular drive with miles of seameeting shore before the windshield and crashing wave crests at the vehicles' wake.
Fringed with sand, the heart holds rainforest and pristine perched lakes - their pellucid colours, sweetness, and purity being unimaginable in the midst of salt water around. Towering satinay trees, whose timber is distinctive due to their durability, clamour for attention as they are native only to this island. Unblemished creeks flow through the rainforests harboring a biome frozen in time. As the laughter of kookaburra eerily rings through the air, pythons slither surreptitiously, poisonous spiders weave imperceptible webs, and dingoes hunt wallabies - crafting an enchanted world alienated from ours.
Back to the shores, the swells deposit a staggering 500 tons of sand everyday, which, considering the colossal size of the island, is of little consequence locally. On a wider scheme of things, this carves a calm corner in its north for the corals 🪸 to spread as the distinguished Great Barrier Reef.
Driving 4×4 on sand requires some dexterity and preparation that we were short of. We trusted our day with Discovery K'gari; needless to mention, they delighted us with their guided tour to SS Maheno, Eli Creek, Lake McKenzie, Central Station (previously a work yard for loggers), and Wanggoolba Creek precincts within the K'gari. Topped with hours of driving by the ocean, they proffered a wholesome experience of the exotic island. The guide, who leads 3-day camping during weekdays, and day tours on weekends, was an aficionado. We couldn't have spotted dingoes lurking in the forests, python napping with its quarry still in its guts like a hump, dolphins playing around a couple of yards from the shore without his trained eyes. But even an adept guide like him admitted that neither the beach nor the drive is ever the same - every high tide alters the familiar route. Even our return route had no beach left for driving, compelling our hardened guide to take a rugged bylane for reaching the southern tip so Manta Ray Barge could transport us to Inskip on mainland.
Here are a few visuals of the day - a feeble attempt of portrayal that K'gari gloats of and why we are enamored of this exotic island!
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Many thanks!!!