Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
FRASER ISLAND
The local Butchulla people call it K'Gari or 'paradise', and not for no reason. Sculpted
from wind, sand and surf, the striking blue freshwater lakes, crystalline creeks, giant dunes
and lush rainforests of this gigantic sandbar form an enigmatic island paradise unlike any
other in the world. Created over hundreds of thousands of years from sand drifting off the
East Coast of mainland Australia, Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world
(measuring 120km by 15km), and the only place where rainforest grows on sand.
Inland, the vegetation varies from dense tropical rainforest and wild heath to wetlands
and wallum scrub, with 'sandblows' (giant dunes over 200m high), mineral streams and
freshwater lakes opening on to long sandy beaches fringed with pounding surf. The island
is home to a profusion of bird life and wildlife including the famous dingo, while offshore
waters teem with dugong, dolphins, sharks and migrating humpback whales.
Once exploited for its natural resources, sand and timber, Fraser Island joined the World
Heritage list in 1992. The majority of the island is protected as part of the Great Sandy Na-
tional Park.
This island utopia, however, is marred by an ever-increasing volume of 4WD traffic tear-
ing down the beach and along sandy inland tracks. With over 360,000 people visiting the
island each year, Fraser can sometimes feel like a giant sandpit with its own peak hour and
congested beach highway.
Before crossing via ferry from either Rainbow Beach or Hervey Bay, ensure that your
vehicle has suitably high clearance and, if camping, that you have adequate food, water and
fuel. Driving on Fraser looks pretty relaxed in the brochures, but a sudden tide change or an
unseen pothole can set your wheels spinning perilously.
