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PARADISE, BRIEFLY

Fraser Island, Queensland, Australia

Look, Mom! A dolphin, my daughter shouted. And there it was, glistening as the sunlight caught the water droplets on its skin. The excitement on the ferry was palpable at this first hint of the paradise that is Fraser Island. Waves plopped against the side of the ferry chugging across the Great Sandy Straits from Hervey Bay to Fraser Island. To Australians and foreigners it's Fraser Island, but to the Aborigines it's Kigari, Island of Paradise. We wanted a peek at this paradise.

We were allowed many peeks that day. Australia is a land of superlatives-almost unbelievable landscapes, amazing animals and plants, the largest coral reef in the world, world-famous Ayers Rock, and unique sand islands, such as Fraser Island, 162 miles north of Brisbane on the east coast of Australia.

We decided on an organized day trip, which only gives a sample of what the island has to offer, but is good for the first time. We decided on Top Tours, as it appears to be a genuine eco-tourism operator.

The January day we chose was a little windy and overcast at times, which tempered the blazing sun. Remember, it's summer in January in Australia! The ferry docks at Moon Point, the widest part of the island at 25 miles. The gangway drops down literally onto the sandy beach, and we stepped onto thick, soft sand and walked up to a sandy clearing to a 4WD bus. Our driver-guide was PJ, short, dark and affable. Very knowlegeable, he succeeded in making it a pleasant day for us all.

There are many arguments against using those huge buses, spewing diesel fumes, on such fragile sand roads, which are really just one-lane sandy tracks. However, a 4WD vehicle is essential for getting around, and it's probably better to be driven around by people from the National Parks Board who are committed to trying to preserve the ecological balance. Also, the sand is often so thick and soft it's easy to slip or get stuck, so a driver who knows the roads is in a better position to prevent being stranded. Even PJ almost got stuck a couple of times, but with a reverse-forward motion we rocked out.

Fraser Island, at 77 miles long and still growing, is the world's largest sand island. It is also the only place in the world where tall rain forests grow on sand dunes at elevations over 600 feet.

In the 1970's a schoolteacher, John Sinclair, led a band of conservationists, who strongly opposed a mining company excavating out the island's mineral sands. Amazingly,

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