I’ve had a truly amazing week, made some amazing friends and even seen a bit of sunshine (at last) – hurray! This week was probably my favourite yet with a trip to Fraser Island, which has to be one of the most magical places I’ve ever been.

WHERE: NOOSA + FRASER ISLAND, AUSTRALIA (20 – 26 March)

Whilst I write this post on my unplanned flight to Sydney and reflect on the past week I’ve just had I realise what an important personal lesson I’ve learnt. As someone who usually has every detail of a trip planned from the outset, this Australia trip included, when news of cyclone Debbie and her treacherous approach towards the Whitsundays (my next destination) reached us, I surprised even myself with my laid-back attitude and genuine content with going with the flow and seeing what further updates were available the next day. Having made some really wonderful friends on the Fraser Island trip that were all in the same boat as me since travelling north up the east coast is the most common direction to go in, we ended up booking another night at the hostel that we were staying at and being blessed with the best day’s weather I’ve experienced to date in Aus.

Brought together by pure misfortune, that sunny Sunday spent on the beach with the BEST sunset was one of the absolute highlights of my trip so far and, by the afternoon, with Debbie looking her worst yet and my upcoming Whitsundays boat trip cancelled I sat on the beach and booked a flight to Sydney together with one of my newly made friends for the following morning. I can assure you that I have never done anything like that before. It actually pains me to write that. And the most hilarious part is that my new fond acquaintances all think that I’m super chilled out, probably because I believe everything will always be OK and therefore am rather relaxed in situations of lateness and trusting with my belongings and so forth, but still, hilarious. Anyway, the takeaway point for me was that things not going to plan can sometimes be the best plan, and to just sit back and enjoy the ride when you have no control over it.

Is anyone else a control freak? I feel my personality both welcoming and battling this spontaneous shift.

FAVOURITE PHOTOS

TEN FAVOURITE MOMENTS

1. The Fraser Island Nomads tour: Meeting the many legends that I did; bagging Car 4 and doing myself proud as the fantastic driver that I am (it’s not as if I got stuck in the sand the moment we came off the ferry}; Tony the tour guide; briefing #103834384; seeing a dingo; seeing a shark!
2. Fraser Island itself: What a stunning little space of the earth – the incredible “puddle” that is Lake Mckenzie, the fish-nibbling exfoliating Lake Wabbie, the Champagne Pools with its squirting rocks and the hangover-curing freezing Eli Creek.
3. Going for a solo walk with my thoughts along the coastal path in Noosa National Park and really, truly appreciating my surroundings.
4. When we got Gina to say “seatbelts copy”.
5. Telling Gina she shouldn’t react when the horse fly landed on her and losing my absolute sh*t 2 seconds later when it tried to land on me. #rich.
6. Turning a crappy situation into a good one: Thank you cyclone Debbie for one of the most memorable days of my trip – perfect weather + beach + feast at Betty’s Burgers followed by Ben & Jerry’s + an incredible sunset enjoyed with my fave Somersby’s and people + free hostel BBQ + confessions of embarrassing tales in the park. An absolute winner of a day.
7. It will forever be time for a bevvie and a biccie.
8. The smooth vs. crunchy PB conversation that lasted at least an hour.
9. Making friends that I will genuinely keep in touch with.
10. Most importantly, “THE DINGO ATE MY BABY”.

“Spontaneity is being present in the present”
– Wei Wu Wei