Fraser Island is the largest island made of sand on earth. It is 123km long and 15 km wide on average (22km at its widest point). With about 200 lakes and a stunning rainforest, with creeks and a beach you can drive a car on it is truly a world heritage site worth preserving.

[Fraser Island ]

We were picked up at the hotel and taken to the ferry to Fraser Island. On the island we got on a bus with four wheel drive. As the whole island is sand only the “roads” are sand tracks and driving is adventerous.

[Lake McKenzie]

First stop we made was inland at the stunning Lake McKenzie with its crystal clear blue water and crisp white beaches. It’s fairly cold but we just had to jump right in. The sharp color change is due to a sudden drop of the lake bottom. It goes from shallow to deep really quickly.

Lake McKenzie is a ‘purged sand dune’ lake of which there are only a few in this world. It is situated high up on a sand dune. Wind piles sand up on the side, then vegetation takes root on the dunes. Once leaves fall and trees rot away their remains are washed to the bottom of the dune where they form an impermeable layer that holds falling rainwater in the basin instead of allowing the sand to soak it all up. Lake McKenzie does not have any rivers or creeks flowing into it. Therefore the water stays absolutely pure. Together with the white silicone sand it has a stunning effect.

All around the island there are warning signs making people aware of dingos in the area. They look like dogs but are wild and dangerous. We were therefore asked not to take any food to the lake and you are only allowed to eat in fenced of areas. This is to prevent from teaching the dingos that humans mean food. Attacks on people and the killing of a boy a few years ago led to this measure which is imposed strictly.

From Lake McKenzie the bus took us to ‘Central Station’, the former main base of the timber harvesting business that was operating on Fraser Island until 1992. In order to promote tourism in the area the government decided to apply for world heritage status of the island. This would only be granted without the harvesting industry,  however. The business therefore was terminated.

From Central Station we went on a hike through the luscious rainforest on the island. Along the way rhe girls used lianas on the path as swings feeling like Tarzan.

After buffet lunch at the beach resort the tour guide took the bus directly to the beach. At low tide you can drive carsand buses on the sand. Apparently there are only two places in the world where you can do this. Even small airplanes can take off and land on the beach.
All over the beach you can see a sheet of water percolating through the sand. That’s rain water filtering through the island’s sand dunes that at sea level mixes with the salt water for a few kilometers sea inwards.

At some places on the beach you can see black formations that appear to be rock. However, it is soft, formed by the remains of vegetation mixed with sand. It’s called “black coffee rock” as it has a coffee grind feel to it.

Another attractions on the Eastern beach is the wreck of the once fancy passenger ship S.S. Maheno. In WW I it acted as hospital ship.

It was then sold off for its metals. In the attempt to tow it to Japan the Maheno came into a cyclone and the tows broke. Any attempts to reattach the Maheno to the towing ship failed. As by itself the Maheno was not able to steer (the propellers had been taken off in order to reduce weight) the ship stranded on Fraser Island where it is now staring in many tourist photographs.

Last stop of the day before heading back to the ferry was Eli Creek, a natural flow of fresh water from the islands top towards the ocean. The current was strong enough that you could use a rubber tube to ride it which quite a few people did.

Driving back along beach the bus made about 100km/h. I was riding up front with the tour guide on this part of the journey so I heard why he all of a sudden slowed down to 40km/h. He’d spotted a police car in the distance. You can even get a speeding ticket at the beach  (or even lose your license for this matter), I learned.

The ferry back to the mainland was leaving later than usual due to the tide being very low. So low that leaving and then entering the harbor the cars on the ferry haf to be rearranged in order to get the weight adjusted properly.

The ferry leaving late was our gain, however, as we were able to enjoy not only a wonderful day at Fraser Island but a sunset criuse as well making it onto mainland with the last bit of light for the day.

(2.9.16)