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Fraser Island
Whether it is Sunrise or Sunset,
Fraser Island is a unique part of this region. Fraser
Island attained its World Heritage Listing in December 1992 in recognition
of the island's exceptional sand dunes systems, it's rainforests on sand
and it's pristine freshwater lakes. Its unusual formation of sand and
rainforest make it a special source of adventure for visitors to explore.
Fraser joins the ranks of the Great Barrier Reef, Uluru and Kakadu
National Parks as a unique and exceptional environment. As part of
Queensland’s natural and cultural heritage, it is protected for all to
appreciate, enjoy and respect. Fraser Island is the largest Sand Island in
the world. Although well known among fisherman and 4WD enthusiasts, it is
the history and Aboriginal heritage that gives Fraser Island its
individual character, expressed through wonderful coloured sand cliffs,
unique fresh water lakes and diverse flora and wildlife.
Fraser
Island is one of the most rare and mysterious features of the Queensland
coastline. Sand is the key to how the Island was formed but it is the
abundance of fresh water in its many lakes and crystal clear creeks and
streams that has made it so special. Pristine clear mirror lakes and the
peat coloured perched lakes, are some of the largest in the world. Each of
the lakes has its own particular character. Mysterious, moody and
beautiful, they are excellent subjects for photography, great places to
see birds, other fauna and flora and a welcome oasis for hot summer days.
Lake
McKenzie pictured below is set in the middle of a rich Blackbutt forest
(the mainstay of the old logging industry) and is one of the most popular
lakes on Fraser Island. Because it is only a short distance from
Central Station, it is popular with day trippers as well as longer term
tourists. Good camping and picnic facilities are available near the lake. To
ease the congestion, the road past the lake is a one way loop around the
picnic grounds and camping area. Not marked on the map is a road which
closer to the lake, which is used exclusively by the tour operators to
allow elderly or infirmed people easier access to the lake foreshore.
The water in the lake
is crystal blue because the Blackbutt forests, which surround the lake, do
not leach tannin into the lakes like the paperbark trees do. The Blackbutt
trees were the mainstay of the logging while in was in progress on the
island. Lake McKenzie is very popular with swimmers and sunbathers because
of its large beaches and clear waters. It is also the closest lake to the
Kingfisher Bay resort on the western side of the island and so gets a lot
of visitors from there.
Lake Wabby is the deepest lake on the island and is slowly
being filled by a huge sand blow. The lake can be accessed from a road, or
by walking track from the beach. A viewing platform is about a 10-15
minute walking distance from the car park and from here you can see how
close the lake is to the ocean beach. Lake Jennings is the first of
a series of lakes on the road between Central Station and Dilli Village on
the eastern beach of Fraser Island. Unlike many of the other lakes in the
area, Lake Jennings does not have camping or picnic facilities. The
road follows the western edge of the lake but there is only cleared access
point to the lake. The access track runs straight from the road to the
edge of the lake. Lake Jennings is like many of the other lakes in the
area in that the surface of the lake is a deep blue, but the water is
stained a tea colour by the tannin leaching from the trees surrounding the
lake.
Scenic 4WD circuits and walking tracks in the southern half of the
island take you into some of the largest of the lakes including McKenzie,
Birrabeen, Benaroon and Boomanjin. There is even a walking track to Lake
Wabby from the beach. Water has meant the creation of exceptional
rainforests thriving in the nutrient enriched sand of the forest floor.
Towering satiny and Brush box trees are among the forest giants, some over
a thousand years old, and so large they form distinct bands visible from
scenic flights over the island. The island is home to more than 230
species of birds.
Along the coastal landscape you can see dotterels, pied oyster
catchers, pelicans, terns and gulls while overhead the skies are prowled
by magnificent birds of prey
brahminy kites, white-breasted sea eagles, ospreys and peregrine falcons.
Alternatively, wander through the islands heath lands, home to
kingfishers, jabirus and brolgas, and one of Australia's rarest birds the
ground parrot. There are 25 species of mammal present on the
island. Isolation has ensured that Fraser's dingoes are the purest breeds
in eastern Australia and consequently no domestic dogs are permitted on
the island. Other native mammals include wallabies, possums, flying foxes
and echidnas. Dugong feed on the sea grass beds, turtle breed on some
island beaches as well as the mainland, and each year make their annual
migration to Fraser's rocky headlands and protected coastline.
Fraser Island is more than a unique environment for visitors, it
was also home to aboriginal tribes who lived on the island for over 5,500
years. The native flora and fauna providing endless bounty in fish and
seafood's, nuts and fruits and a good supply of fresh water. Their
heritage is evident in archaeological sites on the island, and midden
heaps, ceremonial bora rings, and stone implements can still be seen on
tours throughout the island. By comparison, the European history of the
island is recent, Fraser's discovery being credited to Captain Cook who
named many of the landmark features.
Fraser Island's European name is the result of a dramatic shipwreck
saga and consequent capture by local Aborigines of the captain and his
wife, Eliza Fraser. Her ordeal brought world attention to the island,
renamed in her honour. As beautiful as the coast is, the waters which
fringe the islands coastline have been the site for more than 50
shipwrecks. The most notable wreck is the Maheno (Pictures Below), a
former Trans-Tasman luxury liner and a World War 1 hospital ship. Today
the ships rusted remains lie on the beach north of Happy Valley and are a
popular attraction for visitors to the island.
Access to Fraser Island
can be by vehicular barges, aircraft, passenger launches,
commercial tours or private boats. Air charters operate from Hervey Bay
and Maryborough airports to airstrips on the island or beach landings (all
by prior arrangement). Helicopter services operate to and from Kingfisher
Bay Resort Vehicular barges and ferries operate from: Mary River Heads to
Kingfisher Bay Resort, Urangan to Moon Point and Mary River Heads to
Wangoolba Creek. All vehicles travelling to Fraser Island must first have
an official permit. The permit must be attached to the windscreen these
permits are available for one month or for a yearly permit. Campers other
than those using commercial campsites must have a camping permit, which
should be attached to tent in clear view for inspection by the Park
Ranger.
Eli Creek is a
favourite stop off point for swimmers who travel up the eastern side of
Fraser Island. It is the largest freshwater creek along the eastern side
Fraser Island. There is approximately four mega liters of crystal clear
water that flows into the ocean each hour making Eli Creek a major
attraction and a main stop over place for all tourist operators. There is
a board-walk that starts a wonderful scenic journey along both sides of
the creek, which is joined by bridges that extend across the creek. The
Banksia and pandanus trees, which provide shelter, surround the creek like
a magical paradise. To protect the banks of the creek, swimmers are only
permitted along the area of the creek flanked by the board-walk.
Travelling along the beach at high tide is hazardous for 4WD's as the
running water from the creek leaves high walled trench across the sand.
Eli Creek starts its journey from the middle of the island at Declivity
and Boomerang Lakes and flows down to the ocean through pockets of
rainforest.
Lake
Benaroon is typical of many of the lake in that the surface of the lake is
a dark blue colour. This lake is not easy to access as the access road is
blocked just in front of the lake itself. There are no facilities and
the only parking is on the side of the road towards the lake foreshore.
The edge of the lake consists mainly of reed beds. The right hand side of
the lake is separated from Barga Lagoon by a narrow strip of land. The
left and rear edge of the lake is bounded by a walking track which starts
at Dilli Village on the east coast and travels through to Lake McKenzie
via Central Station.
Central station is located in the area of the old logging camp.
There is a large parking area composed of parking bays on either side of
the road. This area is favourite stop over for the tourist operators as
the facilities are ideal and the attractions range from the open-air
theatre, museum, bush tracks and an abundance of wild life. There are
signs warning visitors of the falling pinecones that fall during some
months of the year. The area also has warning signs about the dingoes,
which also frequent the area. The dingo's can become very aggressive and
destructive and the biggest cause for this is because some tourists feed
them thinking they are cute and friendly. The museum contains a selection
of items left over from the logging days and also has a section on the
natural history of the island.
Waddy Point is one of the main fishing area's on the island because
it provides a good place for launching boats and is very popular with
off-shore fisherman. Most of the fishermen camp along the beach as the
campers are free to run generators to
power freezers and lights. On the headland above the camping
area on the beach is another camping area, which has hot, and cold showers
and flushing toilets. The Waddy Point camping ground is the most northerly
serviced camping ground on Fraser Island. The camping ground consists of
tent sites and drive in-drive out sites for caravans. Scattered around the
camping grounds are picnic tables and cooking campfires. Like most of
these sites, the power to the toilet block is turned off between 11pm and
8am. Unlike the camping area on the beach there is no generators allowed
in these camping grounds. Between the Waddy Point camping ground and Waddy
Point itself is the Binngih Sand blow, which comes down to the beach. The
sand blow extends from the beach around behind Waddy Point to the South.
The Dundubara campsite is the last camping ground before Indian
Head. Because many people "bush camp" along Cathedral Beach and
Corroboree Beach, the facilities can become a bit crowded with the tide
goes out and the campsite can be accessed from along the beach. This is
another favourite site for the fishermen who like to fish the many gutters
along the beach as well as the rocks and cliff's of Indian Heads. The
Dundubara campsite is the stepping off point for the Wangul sand blow and
Lake Bowarrady, which is a naturalist's paradise with marine life in the
lake and many birds in the surrounding trees. Just a few minutes walk
inland from the Dundubara camping ground is the Wungul Sand-blow, which is
very popular with the campers.
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