My friend flew to Australia to come visit me - and some of the most spectacular beaches in the world. To kick off our island adventure in style we waited for our first flight while sipping champagne...

Once we landed in Hervey Bay we switched from champagne to fresh fruit juice and hit the beach (only a five minute walk from our hostel).

The following day we boarded the ferry to Fraser Island! Our two day tour of the island was full of surprises and excitement - from a 4WD bus carrying 40 people and driving chaotically through the sand (and, a few times, I thought surely to our death) to naturally formed swimming pools containing water so clear you could always keep an eye on your toes.

Lake McKenzie was my favourite part of the entire trip at Fraser Island. This is a fresh water lake and is a bit too acidic for many species to live in. But, with its pure silica white sand and clear blue water it sure is a beautiful sight.

There are no roads on Fraser Island so everyone drives right on the sand! There is a large stretch along the coast that is referred to as the "highway".

The bus couldn't take us everywhere on the island though. To get to this swimming hole (below) we had to trek a mile uphill in the sand. 

On the second day of our tour we saw a few of the tourist must-dos such as the shipwrecked boat, the Pinnacles, and the Red Canyon.

But the far more exciting part of the day was Indian Head. After a short five minute scramble up some rocks you get this amazing lookout. From both sides as far as the eyes can see is white sand and soft teal waves coming into shore.

After playing around a bit in the sand we drove to the Champagne Pools, naturally formed pools along the coastline. The waves come crashing in and the foam from the water is how the pools got their name.

Our Fraser Island tour ended with a short trek through a creek and a relaxing afternoon sunbathing. Come to think of it, I should have been terrified walking through the jungle creek water, as there are 19 species of snakes on Fraser Island - 15 being very poisonous and the other 4 deadly. I suppose I'll just be thankful I survived and lived to experience the next part of our trip...the Whitsundays!