Fraser Island

 

We took this ferry from River Heads to Fraser Island

Kingfisher Resort on K'gari (Fraser Island)

    Fraser Island is a UNESCO-listed world site based on its unique indigenous culture and biosphere.  Its sand dune systems are still ever-changing and have rare dune lakes and tall rainforests.  Fraser (or K'gari) as the indigenous Butchulla folks call it, is memorable because of these unique differences.

    Named after an officer serving with European explorer, Captain Cook when he discovered the island, the island was home to the Butchulla as a hunting and fishing source and was simply known as K'gari meaning paradise.  The unique feature of the trees growing there led to logging in the 1860s which lasted as a thriving industry until the 1970s when the government woke up to the fact they were destroying something special. It is now a heavily regulated place.

1200 year old Satinay and Brush Box trees

Staghorn Fern Parasite growing on the Pine trees

   We drove northeast and took a forty-five-minute car ferry ride to the Kingfisher Resort before checking into our two-bedroom condo provided to us almost free by Don's Australian family friends.

Our wonderful Kingfisher Resort home thanks to Anna and Mick!

We watched these Kookaburras from our deck

    We spent the first day exploring the eastern shores of the island on a four-wheel drive bus, with our driver/guide for rainforest walks, beach driving, and swimming in Mackenzie Lake.  Since the land is comprised of only sand, a four-wheel vehicle is the only way of negotiating the various trails to access the 75 Mile beach.  The beach is the island's main highway and is patrolled by Queensland's finest.  A highlight was coming face to face (inside a bus) with a wild dingo.  The island's dingos are the genetically pure dingos found in Australia.  They are very cute and look like small dogs but we were warned that if you tried to pet one, they would take your hand for lunch.  We settled for viewing from the bus. We were also fortunate enough to see a Bryde's whale offshore.

Four-wheel-drive bus tour along the beach and over rocks

Tourists float down knee-deep Eli Creek that flows out to the beach

We spotted this purebred Dingo on 75 Mile Beach

There is nothing in Lake Mackenzie that can harm you!

   Since words are a poor way to describe K'gari, we will let Deborah's pictures tell the story.

Fraser Island is entirely sand-based

The Maheno shipwrecked on Fraser Island in 1935 cyclone

An evening walk on the jetty

Another night shot of the jetty

We highly recommend this tour on Fraser Island