Lake Mackenzie

Saturday 19th May

Our friend Simon drives a Land Rover. He calls it "the beast" but we rib him about this because for years, the closest it got to off-roading was when he left it all summer on his mum's drive in Worsley. Sometimes he comes to visit and stays overnight, then he parks it on the grass verge outside our house, leaving great tyre marks in the mud and all the neighbours twitch their curtains. We once climbed Fairfield Horseshoe in the lake district with him. He gazed lovingly at all the Land Rovers in the same way I gaze at Caramel Apple Betties. Each to their own, I suppose.

Anyway, I've never really seen the point of having a big four wheel drive, especially not in Warrrington. And then we came to Fraser Island, which is 4WD only, and now I see the point. I know all about letting the tyre pressure down and engaging the four wheel bit. I also know about getting thrown about, especially once you leave the tarmac road in Kingfisher Bay and you hit the initial slopes, which look and feel like the mad mouse ride at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Perhaps it would have been better if I'd been driving, but I didn't much fancy the stick I'd get if I got us stuck and we had to phone them to get us out.

Darren laughed at my obvious discomfort as I tried to jolly Ella along by shouting "whee! Wow! Bumpitty-bump!". "What did you expect it to be like?" he asked.

"Well, like driving on a beach, only with little hills" I replied.

By the time we got to Lake Mackenzie I was looking at my watch and wondering whether Darren ought to take us girls back to the resort. I was beginning to see him driving alone across the sand dunes (or sand blows as they call them) while Ella and I ate cheesy nik-naks by the jacuzzi. It looked attractive. Then I remembered we are tough outback cookies and decided we'd stick it out. You honestly can't see what a bumpy, difficult drive it is from this picture.

Lake Mackenzie alone was worth the ride. It's a freshwater lake and the sand is the finest and whitest I've ever seen; if you pick up a handful from the bottom of the water it slips like fine clay through your fingers. The bottom shelves off steeply, an arresting sight if you put your head under and have a look.