A 4WD tour and sightseeing flight of Fraser Island showed us the many wonders of the island, from sand bluffs, to rainwater lakes, to a WWI shipwreck. The evening involved a return to the Dingo Bar for some amateur karaoke.

Fraser Island is the world's largest sand island, and also holds some of the world's cleanest and purest water. When rain reaches the island, water seeps through the sand in a 100-year circuit before emerging in one of the island's crystal clear creeks.

The drive to our farm stay in Adora Downs included stops in the posh town of Noosa, and the Forest Glen Wildlife Sanctuary to cuddle a koala and feed the kangaroos. At Adora Downs, we were treated to a lovely homecooked meal and taught to bushdance.

Cuddling koalas is legal only in Queensland. It is forbidden in New South Wales because it is thought that cuddling stresses the animal out.

We got the opportunity to go horseback riding in the morning, and then head off to Brisbane for an afternoon of shopping. We then continued on to Surfers' Paradise by evening for dinner and a night at a local bar.

Day 15 provided a host of activities like surfing lessons and a kayaking safari, which included a beach lunch and fish-feeding while snorkeling. The day finished off with a late night at a rowdy bar.

Surfers' Paradise was at one point a small town where surfers would congregate. Since the 1970s, however, is has become a trendy commercial hot spot full of surfing enthusiasts and amateurs alike, and nubiles with mobiles on school holidays.

A stop in lovely Byron Bay for wandering and whale watching preceded our arrival in New South Wales and Coff's Harbour. The rest of the day was spent enjoying the resort facilities and belting out tunes at another karaoke night.

Day 17 brought us into Sydney and the end of the Contiki tour. After a final group photo and dinner, we headed to a harbourside bar where we said our good byes and finished with a late night wander of the city streets.