Fraser Island – 7 Hours In Heaven

Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world, sits just 10km off the Queensland coast. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and you only have to step one foot on its golden sands to understand why. Here, the beaches are the highways. It was winter when I visited the island (although from an Irish perspective, it might as well be summer), so the 125km long island wasn’t crowded, as it can be during the holiday seasons. The entire eastern side of Fraser is one long beach, er, road, and it’s along here we spent the first half of the day trip I booked.

You can spend multiple days on the island, camping and really exploring every nook and cranny, but if you’re short on time or money, then a day trip is still enough to let you experience this wonderful place.

After taking a short barge trip from near Rainbow Beach to the southern edge of Fraser, the specially-designed, bright orange 4×4 tour bus speeds on up the eastern coast of the island. The tour group, of which there are about 30, plus our driver and guide, Andrew, has an average age of about 65. I’m feeling distinctly junior here. But they’re a good crowd. I’ve snagged the prime retail that is one of the front seats.

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Dingo Spotting

After about 20 minutes, Andrew hits the brakes. He’s spotted a dingo. My first (wild) dingo! The young male is scavenging along the beach, and lopes alongside us for a few minutes before losing interest in our big orange bus. Another unique Australian species ticked off the list – a great start to the day. And it’s only another five minutes or so before a cry from the back of the bus stops us again. This time it’s whales, about 100 meters out from shore. A leaping giant elicits gasps from the group. And it’s not the only time we see the humpbacks. Several times during that first hour up the beach the whales are spotted through the windows.

Eli Creek

Our first main stop is Eli Creek, one of the largest freshwater streams that run from Fraser’s interior to the ocean. This is a narrow, fast-flowing stream that is crystal clear, and very popular with the backpackers staying on the island as it’s great for floating down, a natural lazy river. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the time for that on this tour, although I did wade down it – and was the only one from the group to do so. Morning tea is served, then it’s a short drive further up to the next stops.

SS Maheno Shipwreck

After viewing the striped, colourful sands of The Pinnacles, we explore the SS Maheno shipwreck. Easily the coolest thing so far on the island (dingo excluded, of course). Explorable only because we arrive at low tide, the rusted skeleton of the ship has been sitting half-buried in the sand for 80 years. Caught in a hurricane in 1935, the eight-man crew all survived the shipwreck, and camped on the beach until help arrived. The Maheno has been left as a permanent attraction on Fraser. Well, permanent until the continual erosion of the ship leaves no trace of it behind.

Lake McKenzie

From here we head inland, into the center of the island. Lake McKenzie is our stop for lunch, and is probably the most famous place on Fraser. As I lost my place in the front of the bus, I didn’t particularly enjoy the bumpy ride inland, due to my stomach’s decision to be uncooperative. Motion sickness – the bane of my life. But what better way to settle your stomach than a cool dip in one of the most beautiful lakes in the world? My thoughts exactly.

Approximately five of our group braved the clear waters (‘but it’s winter!’ the others cry, aghast. ‘Nonsense,’ my pale-skinned self cries back, ‘you should see what Ireland’s winter is like!’). The white sands of Lake McKenzie are almost pure silica, so of course I sit, bikini-clad, in the shallows and polish my jewellery. Sure, what else would you be doing on a Monday afternoon?

Wanggoolba Creek

After a wonderful bbq lunch (veggie options available) provided by Andrew himself, it’s back onto the rough tracks of the forest. My stomach seems to have settled after a swim and a feed, so it’s much more enjoyable this time. Our last main stop for the day is for a lovely short stroll along the Wanggoolba Creek, a silent, crystal-clear (notice a pattern here?) stream that meanders through the rare fern carpet of the forest. It’s beautiful, peaceful, and the historic place of Central Station nearby offers some wonderful insights into what life on Fraser Island used to be like. There are only about 200 people living permanently on the island, but hundreds, even thousands, depending on the time of year, come to visit every day.

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An Island of Sand

The incredible thing about Fraser is that it is made up entirely of sand (it’s actually the largest sand island in the world). There is no soil here. So how can so much vegetation – ranging from rough grass on the dunes to massive, meters-wide trees that are decades old – grow here? The reason, as Andrew explains, is that when the first plants found their way onto the island, their subsequent decay created a layer of nutrients (called humus) that allowed the next layer of plants to grow. Then that layer died, broke down and created their own humus, and so on and so on. It’s an incredible system. No wonder UNESCO decided it was worth protecting.

Our journey back to the barge as the sun lowers in the sky isn’t quite so picturesque, as the rising tide cuts off most of the beach to us. An internal road (the bumpiest yet) brings us back to the southern end of the island, but not before two more dingoes (one of them with a GPS collar) cross our path. I’ve reclaimed my seat at the front of our big-ass bus and have prime views of these wonderful, lean animals as they trot down the road in front of us. From a great start to a great finish. Back on the barge, we have time for a quick afternoon tea (Australia’s national food – Lamingtons), before we’re dropped back into Rainbow Beach.

Fraser Island Dingoes are Wild Animals

Dingoes may look like dogs, but they are not. They are wild animals and should be treated as such. In areas where they are found, interactions between dingoes and humans are becoming a problem. Because tourists often feed the dingoes, the animals are learning that us humans are a source of food, making them more likely to approach, and more aggressive and bold when they do. One of the main reasons people feed the dingoes is because they think they’re skinny and starving. This is not the case! Dingoes are very lean animals, so even a perfectly healthy one may look underfed – it’s not. So don’t feed dingoes! Or any other wildlife, for that matter.

I absolutely loved my time on Fraser Island. Yes, another few days would have allowed me to explore even more of this amazing island, but I’m still so happy I chose to do a tour. It is possible to self-drive Fraser, but as 4WD vehicles are a necessity, as well as the barge fees, the camping permits, the possibility of getting stranded, or bogged down if you don’t know what you’re doing…I definitely feel that for the first time on Fraser, at least, a guided tour is definitely the way to go. Plus, the amazing knowledge that Andrew was able to share with us on the tour really added to the experience.

So if you get the chance to visit Fraser, for the love of god, DO NOT pass up on the opportunity! You won’t regret it. Even in winter, it’s the most beautiful place, a real paradise. Honestly, it’s probably better in winter as there are less crowds and the weather is still great (if you’re like me and anything above 20 degrees is shorts weather).

Staying in Rainbow Beach? Here are some accommodation options for you: hostels in Rainbow Beach.

Have you ever been to Fraser Island?

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