How lucky are we in Queensland to have not only the diverse and rich Great Barrier Reef on our doorstep but as well, the top FOUR largest sand islands in the WORLD! Fraser Island, Stradbroke Island, Moreton Island and Bribie Island. Lying off the coast of Hervey Bay, World Heritage-listed Fraser Island stretches over 123kms long, with an area of 166,000 hectares and is home to an abundance of natural attractions and should be experienced at least once in your lifetime.
For us, Fraser Island would be our favourite sand island in Queensland (it was our first real holiday together as a couple 😛 awwhh). Not just because of this but also due to its easy accessibility from South East Queensland, the rainforest, which is home to towering pines, trees with three metre girths and rare and ancient giant ferns ALL growing in sand. It is home to 100 freshwater lakes including the iconic Lake McKenzie and Lake Wabby, an incredible 120km beach highway, the Maheno shipwreck and coloured cliffs towering the shore lines.
During our Wildoz adventure we decided to spend two nights on Fraser Island but instead of camping we opted for a more luxurious experience at the beautiful Kingfisher Bay Resort. Not that we don’t love camping, I mean we have been living in a camper trailer for about the last 2.5 months. Just for this point in time we didn’t feel like dragging the camper over for only 2 nights, and we also invited our dear friend Mitch to join, so the resort sounded like the best option!
We boarded the barge at Riverheads to Kingfisher Bay Resort at 9:00am ($175 return per vehicle (including driver) plus an additional $5.00 per extra passenger). The travel time across the Great Sandy Straight is approximately 50 minutes. The barge was comfortable and quick with toilets and a small shop on board.
Once arriving at Kingfisher, we disembarked (all 3 of us sitting snug in the single cab) and drove up the iconic esplanade pier to check-in. As we only had 48 hours to explore, we quickly checked-in (we were lucky to get in before 1pm), dropped off our bags and planned where to go first! This is always the hardest as there is so much to see!
Oh, how we missed the excitement of sand driving, we headed out of Kingfisher and followed the sand tracks. This year we found the tracks quiet chewed out and at times there were some very deep which made the trip that little bit longer. First stop, the beautiful Lake McKenzie, boasting crystal clear visibility and pure white silica sand, we spent a few hours here swimming and sunbaking (we travelled in June, so the water temperature was a little brisk) but there is no denying that this small part of the world certainly is paradise.
Up next we headed back towards Central Station. Right in the ‘heart’ of the rainforest, originally a headquarters for Fraser Island’s forestry operations from 1920 until the late 1950’s. Interestingly Central Station was once home to 30 houses and a small school for the children of the loggers. Today the picnic area is a great location to reflect on the island’s forestry past. You’ll notice the mature Kauri Pines, Bunya Pines and Flooded Gums towering above, these trees were planted over 95 years ago! Make sure to take a walk along Wanggoolba Creek, a crystal-clear freshwater creek that runs through the rainforest, it is home to several different species of fish, turtles and eels. Follow the boardwalk and embrace the silence.
It was starting to get late so we headed back to the Resort for the evening just in time for sunset. The Kingfisher Bay Resort ‘Sunset Bar’ is the best place to watch the sun go down and enjoy a delicious cocktail (or 2). After a quick meal at the Sand Bar & Bistro (Pizza and Churros) we called it a night.
Rising early to squeeze as much as we could into one day we stocked up on snacks headed back out along the tracks to our next destination, Lake Wabby.
So, there are two ways to see Lake Wabby (the lazy and the adventurous) we opted for the lazy way which takes you to the Lake Wabby ‘Lookout’ with only a short 600m walk from the carpark otherwise, enter beach side for a 7km round trip to swim at the lake. As a glimpse was just enough for us today, we spent sometime watching as people tobogganed down the sand dunes into the water. Leaving Lake Wabby we headed for the Eastern Seventy-Five Mile Beach. This is the ‘beach highway’ and all the same road rules apply! Keep to 80km/h, pass to the left, indicate your direction and ALWAYS give way to aircraft.
Driving along the beach is always exciting, skimming along the waters edge, watching as the dingoes come out from the vegetation lines and as it was the right time of year, we watch whales splashing and breaching just meters from the shore. We were heading to the much-anticipated Eli Creek. Probably one of our favourite places on Fraser Island. Being the largest creek on the eastern beach, it pours up to four million litres of clear, fresh water into the ocean every HOUR. Eli creek is a popular picnic spot and no matter what time of year there always seems to be another traveller. Make sure to pack your floaty ring because the fast-flowing water is best experienced this way.
Just a short drive north of Eli Creek is the S.S. Maheno Shipwreck. Fraser Island has claimed many ships with 23 wrecks recorded between 1856 and 1935, one being the S.S. Maheno. The Maheno is the most famous wreck on the island and has certainly become a landmark attraction. It’s not hard to miss so make sure to take a look while passing through.
Unfortunately, this called the end of our second day and it was time to head back to Kingfisher Bay Resort to watch another sunset at the beautiful ‘sunset bar’ – cocktail in hand of course! We were on the 07:50am barge the following day back to Riverheads. 48 Hours is just enough time to see all the sights, but we always recommend to stay that little bit longer and enjoy the locations at a slower pace.
Head over to our Instagram page (@wildoztravellers) and check out our highlight ‘Fraser Island’ to see our full adventure!
Amy & Jordan x
