Fraser Island

[ian480RR]

Finally got around to riding Fraser Island last week, clocked up 294k's in a day ride. Love riding in the sand had a blast!!!

[Johnno]

Is that the Cherry Venture? Not much of her left!

I took my XR600 up to Double Island Point once. I met some friends who were camping for a week. At 1:00am a mate was on his XT500 and I on my Honda had this ludicrous flat track race at low tide.

The next morning I decided I'd had enough and rode back to where my ute was parked at that pub near where the ferry lands. At high tide.

I was pretty wild for reasons we won't go into, I virtually held it pinned in top gear all the way. there was a strip of wet sand to ride on and I was dodging waves coming in and then tank slapping badly in the dry sand at about 80 mph. Sent a few fishing creels flying to as I roared by surf fishermen.

[ian480RR]

No the boat wreck in the photo is the SS Maheno thats about 60k's up Fraser Island main beach, the Cherry Venture was on Teewah beach but that was removed in 2007.

[hooter]

Great pictures!

Christmas on the beach! I'm envious!

[Johnno]

Goes to show you what I know about the area!

I remember catching the Ferry across from Tewantin on Boxing day of what ever year that was. I parked my ute, got my XR off the back and set off having NFI of what I was doing.

The road leading to the beach was bumper to bumper FWD's and the dust was literally choking me. I was passing dozens of cars at a time, my 600 had a car resonator for a muffler, a 9 inch hot dog and it sounds like an Outlaw MC on a poker run.

I rounded a corner and there was a camel train headed towards me. about 8 or 10 camels with tourists onboard swearing at me in a few different languages.

Then I finally arrived at the beach, I think they call it the Blow? It was deep, dry sand that was just a nightmare. I hit it with as much speed as I could muster to float over it. There coming at me was a hired Landcruiser Wagon full of Arabs. The guy driving was open hand slapping at the steering wheel like he was doing the dog paddle, he was totally out of control and his right sandal was flush with the carpet. I finally made it out on the wet sand and headed up the beach quite a long way to where my friends were camped. To my left and up people were camped absolutely cheek and jowl. It was like a suburb, it just went for ever too, thousands of people.

I had no idea what the speed limit was I was doing about 90 kph. A Mitsubishi Pajero came up fast behind me, I thought it was the cops.. But they blew by me and then I had this sand and grab hitting me, I couldn't see. I overtook them and there after was doing about 120 kph. These guys started flagging me down desperately, I could see a bit of a ditch where the rain water washes down to the ocean. I just jumped it.

I eventually made it to the camp site. I tried riding up the trails like there ones in the OP but the sand was a foot or more deep and hopeless.

I didn't really enjoy the whole experience but I was ill prepared and frankly, arogant and completely anti-social.

[ian480RR]

guezz johnno that sounds like fun times you had, i cant say i every seen any camel trains up teewah area before, roughly what year do think that was? I did see a lot of coppas up the beach over the xmas break and i reakon doing 120k's an hour would have been costly nowdays as there is a 80k speed limit. The best thing about being on a bike up the beach is not having to slow down for the washouts like the 4bys have to just get on the gas and lift the front wheel up!!

[Johnno]

Ian like I said I knew zero about it all and just winged it.

That wasn't probably the best course of action but, hey I had a go.

Not sure if I'd retry, I only have my 300 now if I still had my DRZ as well I might have.

It was probably 1993.