After a year in Australia, people invariably ask me which place I liked best and whilst it’s not easy to settle on a definite favourite, Fraser Island is at the very least a strong contender for “Personal Happy Place 2013.” After our first visit to Fraser Island, I was sad to leave, but when the travel gods close a backpacker tour, they open a job opportunity, so a few months later I was back, this time to work as a Drop Bear Adventures volunteer, helping out around the camp and office, updating the website and blog.
I have written about the awesome beauty of Fraser Island elsewhere, but as always, it was the people as much as the place that made my 3 weeks on and off the island magical.
Mark and Hana, the dream team behind Drop Bear, could teach some Hindu deities a thing or two about multitasking, but still found the time to make me feel welcome and almost at home, whether it was at their island digs, their mainland abode or at camp. Tour guide Troy, a ball of pure energy and adrenaline held together by seemingly indestructible (and snake-proof) skin, was never not charming and considerate, even in the midst of what most people would consider insufferable stress. Simon, I’ve been told, is good at fixing things, but must mainly be commended for his endless patience with that bossy German who took over his kitchen to bake a Fraser Island shaped birthday cake (totally worth it). DanNsuzi aren’t really famous enough for a uni-name, but deserve one anyway, because they are legends, that’s why.
Thanks to all of Team Drop Bear for making Fraser Island awesome! More than a year down the road, a random happy memory from that time still crosses my mind every now and again – and never fails to make me think “is it Happy Hour in Happy Valley yet?”
Other stories I have written about Fraser Island:
The 2015 Trend Destination Hot List (Fraser Island is Number 11)