Traveling to Fraser Island with Hiking Gear Packed– Christmas Holidays 2016

Ok, so we may have accidently slept through our alarm, and now our plans to be on Fraser Island for Christmas are in jeopardy! I guess we needed the rest, right? Or maybe it was how comfortable our new camp gear was to sleep on!

I have a new hobby, hiking, except I have never actually been on an overnight hike before. Sure I have been on short day hikes where I'm back at the car for lunch, but never really needed lightweight hiking gear before. Well now I'm ready to start and it turns out that I should have taken shares out in Paddy Pallin!





This is my list of equipment:

1. Cedar Breaks 75L Black Wolf Back Pack
2. Black Wolf standard full lightweight mat
3. Black Wolf lightweight pillow
4. Sea to Summit Tkii Trek, Regular, Left Hand, Black/Orange">Sea to Summit down sleeping bag
5. Trangia 27-3 Ultralight Hard Anodized Stove Kit">Trangia stove HA 27-1
6. Sea to Summit Delta Camp Set (Grey)">Sea to Summit plates, bowls, cutlery etc.
7. Sea to Summit Travelling Light Toiletry Bag (Large/Black)">Sea to Summit lightweight toiletry bag
8. Sea to Summit Kitchen Sink,10-Liters Size: 10 Liters, Model: 194, Tools & Hardware store by Tools Supply">Sea to Summit collapsible kitchen sink
9. Goal Zero 22002 Sherpa 100 Portable Recharger">Goal Zero Sherpa 100
10. Goal Zero 12004 Nomad 20W Solar Panel">Goal Zero Nomad 20 Solar Panels
11. Solomon Hiking Shoes
12. The North Face Talus 4 Tent Castor Grey/Arrowwood Yellow Size One Size">North Face Talus 4 tent
13. Goal Zero 32001 Lighthouse 250 Portable Battery Charger USB Power Hub and Lantern">Goal Zero rechargeable lantern
14. LifeStraw Go Water Bottle 1-Stage with Integrated 1000-Liter LifeStraw Filter, Blue">Lifestraw Bottles

I may have also filled the Patrol's space with a whole lot of other glamping items, a camp fan, normal camping chairs, an extra stove etc!

The drive to Fraser Island was a long and boring one. Normally we drive via the coast, however this time we chose to go through Dubbo which saved some time, ditched the holiday traffic and saved us on petrol money, major towns reasonably close together, major highways the whole way, toilet stops which are not smelly drop toilets and beaches to stop and relax at and most importantly internet for the majority of the trip! It's easy to say, given the choice again, I would choose the coastal route anyday.

Despite the boredom, we made it onto the last barge for the evening, and drove onto the Kingfisher Bay Pier as the sun dissipated!

At last we were on Fraser Island! We saw our first Dingo pup and then using our HEMA map we found a very pretty site at Cromwell's Campground!