Fraser Island. I have spent a lot of time there over the years. I think my first visit was a week long camping trip to the island when I was about 9 years old. A couple of nights ago I was watching the series 'Coast' on the BBC which is all about Australia's coasts at the moment. Featured on this episode was my stomping ground between Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast (about 80km south of Brisbane) up to Fraser Island. All this area is where I lived or vacationed up until I was 33 and moved over here to Europe. Fraser Island has always held a really special place in my heart. Watching the show the other night, it did start making me very homesick.
Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world and it is World Heritage listed. In total, the island is 122km long and covers an area of almost 182,000 hectares. Fraser Island is a nature lover's paradise. There is an array of mammals that live on the island such as dingoes, swamp wallabies, echidnas, possums, gliders, potoroos, bandicoots, and over 19 species of bats. Apart from the mammals, there are 74 species of reptiles plus marine life such dugongs, turtles, humpback whales, dolphins, sharks, and much more. There are over 350 species of birds on Fraser Island. Some of the common species include peregrine falcon, sea eagles, pelicans, kookaburras, kingfishers, owls, gulls, honeyeaters, ducks, terns, thornbills, and a variety of parrots such as cockatoos. Fraser Island is most known for its dingo colonies which are among the purest strains in Australia. There have been a number of dingo attacks on tourists and people are discouraged from feeding them and to dispose of their waste thoughtfully in order to prevent the dingoes from becoming too familiar with humans.
While Fraser Island contains a wide range of animal species, it is the flora that is most unique and special. It is the only place in the entire world, where a tall rainforest grows in sand. These rainforests are a specialised ecosystem and contains plants such as ferns, cyprus pine trees, hoop pine, strangler figs, and piccabeen palms. The king ferns here date back to the days of the dinosaurs. Also on Fraser Island, you will find 1000 year old satinays. There is more than 865 species of plants on Fraser Island that thrive in the sand. A rare species of fern that has the largest fronds in the world, also thrives on Fraser Island. The island has mangrove swamps, rainforests, eucalyptus woodlands, peat swamps, coastal heaths, and sand dunes.
But it is the sand that is most amazing on Fraser Island. It has been building up for approximately 750,000 years on volcanic bedrock. The island is home to 40 pure, crystal clear, freshwater lakes which make up half of all the world's perched freshwater dune lakes. Boomanjin Lake on Fraser Island is the world's largest perched lake. The world's highest perched lake is also found on the island, Boomerang Lake. The water in these lakes if of a special quality. They are some of the chemically freshest water to occur in any natural water body in the world. However, some of the lakes become stained due to decaying plant matter in the water. Other lakes on the island are window lakes which occur when the water table rises higher than the surrounding land. Pictured here is Lake McKenzie, one of the perched lakes on the island and a popular tourist destination. The sand around Lake McKenzie is almost pure silica.
All along the coast, crystal clear, freshwater creeks and streams flow into the ocean. One of the most well-known is Eli Creek. Every day, 80 million liters of pure, freshwater, flows through Eli Creek and into the ocean.
All the hills on Fraser Island have been created by sandblowing. These dunes move across the island via the wind and are devoid of vegetation. They move at a rate of around 2 meters per year. There is an estimated 36 sandblows on the island.
There is much more to see on Fraser Island than the nature, lakes, creeks, dunes, and rainforest. The champagne pools with their foaming water that comes from the ocean crashing over the rocks, is a popular swimming hole. Indian Head is the most easterly point of the island and was named by Captain Cook when he sailed past in 1770. At Rainbow Gorge, the Pinnacles, the Cathedrals, and Red Canyon, you will find the coloured sands of Fraser Island. Another major landmark is the shipwreck of the Maheno. On her way to Japan to be turned into scrap in 1935, she was caught in a cyclone and was beached on Fraser Island.
There are a couple of resort areas on the island. Kingfisher Bay Resort was voted Australia's best beach resort by the Discovery Travel channel and has won several Australian tourism awards. Eurong Beach Resort offers a wonderful beachfront position. Fraser Island Retreat in the small township of Happy Valley offers cabin accommodation. Yidney Rocks has beachfront unit accommodation with spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean. There is also beach house rental and camping. Central Station is the remnants of when logging was allowed on the island. Here you will find a camping ground, picnic facilities, and toilet facilities. Although there is such a variety of places to stay on the island, the resident human population is only 360 (as of 2006).
All visitors planning on camping or taking their vehicle to the island MUST have a special permit before travelling to the island. There are three places that provide vehicle access to the island. You can only reach it via Rainbow Beach, Hervey Bay, or River Heads (just outside Hervey Bay). 4WD is the only method by which you can travel around the island. There is no sealed roads on Fraser Island and the tracks are comprised of soft sand. The main road of the island is the beach, which is also used as the runway for small planes. It is advised to only travel during low tides as, during heavy rains or high tides, there are many hazards. Such as washouts and dangerous rocks. The beach may be the road but there is still rules to observe including speed limits, keeping to the left of oncoming vehicles, and using indicators. And it is advised to always wear your seatbelt. Alternatively, there are many tours available where you don't need your own vehicle.
If you want a truly memorable vacation, in tune with nature, then Fraser Island is definitely the place to visit. You will never forget it!!!!!!
