Fraser Island, located off the east coast of Australia, is a popular tourist destination for Australians and international visitors alike. As the world's largest sand island, Fraser Island has been listed as a World Heritage Site because of its unique sand dune systems, rainforests on sand, and pristine freshwater lakes.
FRASER ISLAND HISTORY: Captain Cook was the first European to pass Fraser Island by ship. He named Indian head when he saw a group of Aboriginal Australians gathered at the summit. Matthew Flinders later sailed past Fraser Island in 1802, but didn't differentiate the island from the mainland. He dismissed Fraser Island as "barren" and moved on.
The most famous story is the 1836 ship wreck off the coast of Queensland. A few survivors including Eliza Fraser and her husband Captain Fraser washed up on the shore of Fraser Island. Although Eliza Fraser was thought to have embellished the facts, her husband was killed on the island. When Eliza was finally rescued and taken back to England, she caused such a fuss by telling false stories about the Aboriginals. The people of England took pity on her and named the island Fraser Island in her honour.
WILDLIFE: Fraser Island is famous for its dingos, reddish-brown wild dogs native to Australia. The dingos appear to be quite docile, and they may even walk ahead of your 4WD or sit by your campsite. You might even walk directly into one on a bushwalk. Even though the dingos seem friendly, you should not approach them and definitely not offer them food. Dingos are naturally skinny, but that doesn't mean they are starving.
Fraser Island is also the home to over 200 species of birds and a variety of mammals, wallabies, snakes, possums, turtles and flying foxes. You will also find a plethora of large spiders and insects around Fraser Island. Depending on the season, sand flies and marsh flies may be about, so make sure you bring your insect repellent!
TOURIST ACTIVITIES/DESTINATIONS: The Beaches of Fraser Island are vast and plentiful. From Indian Point to Waddy Point, there are many beautiful coves and sandy reserves to explore. When walking along the 75 mile stretch of beach on the eastern side, remember the beach is considered a highway and 4WD's will drive past at a very high speed! It is also not advisable to swim in the waters surrounding Fraser Island. Besides the extremely strong current and pounding waves, the waters are a breeding ground for tiger sharks!
Fraser Island has many freshwater lakes and creeks for you to explore and swim in. LakeMcKenzie is the largest lake on Fraser Island, famous for its pristine blue waters and pure white sand. Lake Birrabeen, Lake Boomanjin, and Coomboo Lake are also popular swimming lakes.
Eli Creek is the largest freshwater creek on Fraser Island known for its exceptional beauty. Eli Creek is the perfect place to have a picnic or to take an afternoon swim.
Fraser Island has some of the most beautiful rainforest in all of Australia. As you walk along the designated paths through the rainforest, you will discover towering trees, huge kauri, rough barked satinay, brush box, hundreds of airy piccabeen palms and many more push upwards towards the sun. There is also a beautiful silent creek that streams through the rainforest. If you're lucky enough to take a rainforest walk on your own, you will savour the beautiful sound of silence!
Indianhead offers unprecedented views of Fraser Island and the ocean surrounding it. From the peak of the summit, you can see sand dunes, rainforest, stretches of beach, and beautiful ocean. If you are lucky, you may even spot a shark or a mantra ray off the coast.
Fishing is a popular pastime for people visiting Fraser Island, especially along the eastern coast of the island. Every year, Fraser Island holds an annual fishing competition.
The Wreck of the Maheno is the remains of the famous Japanese cruise vessel that wrecked off the shores of Fraser Island during a cyclone in 1935. 60 years of water and weathering has reduced the ship to rust. The Wreck of the Maheno is a great place to take pictures, but be sure not to touch it!
The Pinnacles and the Cathedrals are unique colour sand cliffs. You will see four colours of sand'red, brown, orange, and yellow.
WEATHER: Since Fraser Island is off the coast the Queensland, the island enjoys nice weather the majority of the year. Summer (December to February) temperatures usually a high of 30° C (86° F). In the winter, temperatures can drop to 15° C (69° F).
TRANSPORT: If you want to go to Fraser Island, you have two options: get a group of people together and go on a self-guided tour, or book yourself onto an organized tour. Both options can be enjoyable, depending on your taste.
If you decide to do a self-guided tour, you need to rent a 4-Wheel-Drive vehicle, get camping supplies, and buy food and drink for your entire stay on Fraser Island. If you are an amateur camper, make sure your food doesn't attract dingos. Also, be careful when driving on the beach during high tide. Many self-guided 4WD's have gotten stuck in the wet sand!
There are a large number of tour companies that do tours of Fraser Island. There are day-tours available, but it is recommended that you do an overnight or three-day tour.
There are two main gateways to Fraser Island: Hervey Bay and Rainbow Beach. From these towns, you can take a ferry over to the island.
Once you're on the island, the roads are the open beach and the sand dunes. However, there are a few paved roads in some parts of Fraser Island.
ACCOMODATION: If you are going on a self-guided tour of Fraser Island, you'll more than likely be camping. However, there are a few small motels and beach houses available on Fraser Island.
