I recently went on a spontaneous holiday to Fraser Island with my friend Elise. We decided we needed to take a break from our study so we seized the opportunity and booked a trip which left the next day. Here’s how my trip went and a few tips if you’re interested in taking an unplanned break.
After six hours sitting on bus, we finally arrived Hervey Bay at 10.30 pm. As you’d expect from a small coastal town at that time of night, we were the only ones on the street. Not the fireworks on arrival we were hoping after the long bus trip, but none the less we made our way to our hostel and went to bed ready for our big day tomorrow.
Despite the less than ideal start to the trip, the next two days would be our best this trimester. The minute we set foot on Fraser Island and saw Lake McKenzie, we knew we had made the right decision. We walked through a quiet path to the other side of the lake where we had the lake to ourselves. It made the perfect location for taking photos. My friend Elise loves hiking so after that we went walking through a rainforest and up small mountain called Indian Head. At the end of the day, we had a buffet dinner at our resort. We ate so much delicious food – nothing would be better than that moment. After dinner we went to the resort bar and made friends with other people on our trip.
After the first amazing (and intense) day, Elise and I were too tired to get up to watch the sunrise. As a consequence, we missed the chance to see wild dingos walking along the beach. Oh well, there’s always next time right! After a quick breakfast, we went to Champagne Pools. Which are a collection of rock pools right on the beach. They’re the most magical rock pools I have ever seen. It’s a popular tourist destination in Fraser Island where visitors go to swim or just to soak in the scenery. I would definitely like to go back there one day.
Here is some advice if you are thinking of taking a spontaneous holiday:
- Just do it, don’t hesitate. The only regret you will have is not going.
- Travel agents are great but check what you can book directly. This is the quickest way to get plans sorted as it cuts out the middleman. And most companies offer online booking services too.
- Photo’s are always great to look back on so bring your camera, or better yet, bring a friend who is a photographer!
- Be ready for anything to happen, good or bad. Every experience has value, whether you know it at the time or not.
- If things don’t go as planned remember to stay positive and enjoy every moment.
– Yiping (aka Jackie)
Credits for photos to Elise Strralberg
