Fraser Island - 13 Must See/Do's
Fraser Island - 13 Must See/Do's ☠
Our home and place of work for 2 months, we managed to explore in great detail the surrounding area. We didn't have a 4x4 during this time, but we managed to hitch-hike up and down the beach and hop on a few tours when they had spare seats. We loved spending our free time watching the wildlife around us and keeping an eye out for all the deadly creatures too :P
If you plan on visiting Fraser Island, this page will give you all the info you need plus some insider tips on secret spots to explore!
Visit the SS Maheno, a shipwreck about half way up the famous 75 mile on Fraser's east coast. It was washed ashore in 1935 by a cyclone, and has been slowly rusting away with the relentless forces from the south pacific ocean, be sure to check it out before its gone!
Go bird watching, the camp sites are frequently visited by many kookaburra's, most of them eyeing up the tour groups lunch's.. There are many different bird species on the island and a few eagles to spot if your lucky!
Go sand-boarding ✌ the island is full of sand blows, and some of them contain some insanely high dunes! Just remember to take some water with you or you'll end up like some of the dry sun bleached bones that scatter the empty dunes.
Look up. We ended lots of our nights down on the beach in the dark looking at the stars, here's a glimpse of what the sky looked like.. Of course you can never capture the true beauty of the night sky, it has to been seen with your own eyes! I can only imagine how amazing it would be during the time of year when the Milky Way is visible...
Spot the Fraser Island Dingo! Interesting fact - Its genetically unique because of its isolation from the mainland. But the sad fact is that increased tourism is also increasing the death rate for these endangered dogs, if you do see one, try your hardest to keep your distance and not to feed them.
Go surfing! Despite what they say, you can actually swim in the waters, just be sure not to go out too far... Yes there are sharks commonly spotted in these waters but they have no reason to come into the rough shallows and for that same reason the jellyfish are usually not on the east side of the island either. Just keep your wits about you, and have fun!
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Take a scenic flight! Air Fraser run a daily service that picks people up along the beach and gives them a 15 min flight over the island for around $80, if you've never been on a plane this small before then its worth it just for that!
Relax at Lake Mckenzie, arguable Fraser Islands best lake, and for good reason! The waters are crystal clear and the sand is silica white.
Get a wild fish pedicure at lake Wabby! This lake is only accessible via a 20/30 minute walk, but once you get out onto the sand dunes where the lake is located the views will blow you away! The dark emerald green lake is home to some quite big catfish and loads of little fish that will come over and eat up your dead skin if you sit still.
Spot some monitor lizards! Or as Australians call them, 'goannas'. These guys live all around the camp sites, you can easily spot 3/4 a day!! For people not used to them they are fascinating, but to the locals they are pests.
Explore the beautiful west coast of Fraser, there are no waves and no endless stream of vans driving on the beach.. It's about an hour drive through rough terrain and soft sand to get across the the other side, but if you manage it, its really worth the drive!
Spot a python! If your camping on the island you might be lucky enough to spot one, this dude was sat on a picnic bench for days just chilling.
Drive the 75 mile beach, the extremely popular drive up and down the which is often refered to as a highway because of the number of cars driving on it gives people a chance to stop at some amazing spots and also test their off-roading skills on the sand!
Read more about our time on Fraser or check out some more awesome photography!
Getting to Fraser Island
From Hervey Bay:
- You can hop on the the Kingfisher Bay ferry, return tickets cost $58 on foot or $175 for a vehicle. Try hitching a ride at the ferry terminal in a car with spare seats, or gather a group of friends and a car to lower the cost of the ticket.
- Feeling luxurious? Check out Air Fraser, a small family run air charter service that will take you on a breath-taking flight over the island and land you on the beach! Prices start at $150.
From Rainbow Beach:
- Gather some friends, hire a 4x4 from one of the many local hire companies and hop on the Manta Ray Barge which leaves from Inskip point every 30 minutes from 6am till 5.15pm. Return tickets are $120 for a car and this based on the car, not the amount of people inside it!
- Hitch-hike your way onto the island, this is a great way to see the island and pay nothing! Just be sure to grab a dingo stick while your exploring the island (just incase).
- Hop on one of the many tour groups that explore the many highlights of the island over 2/3 days! Depending on what your style is there are different tours for everyone, Pippies and RBAC host crazy drunken nights (just remember to respect the island) and company's like Drop Bear and Cool Dingo have a more relaxed vibe.
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, one half of NomaderHowFar. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, forcing Hannah to do crazy things, and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know us here!
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