Fraser Island and sand dunes. Fraser Island and sand dunes of Fraser Island. Botany, ecology, etc.
Fraser Island is located in Queensland, north of Brisbane, and is 123 kilometers long. sand spit, separated from the mainland wide strait. You can get there only by a double-decker ferry, from the upper deck of which you can enjoy an unforgettable view of the world's largest sand island. To preserve the nature of the island, it was created here, covering its entire territory. There are no permanent settlements on the island. In 1992 it was inscribed on the World Natural Heritage List.
The island got its name from the captain of the British cargo ship Mobile Castle, which was wrecked at the northern tip of the island in 1836. Local aborigines from the Badtjala tribe rescued the captain and tried to do everything possible to cure him. But, despite their efforts, the captain soon died. His wife lived with her rescuers for about six months, after which she was found in good health by the British and taken home.
And the island owes its formation to the ocean waves and their tidal regime. By the way, it is the last factor that is felt first when you drive along ocean coast. Under the wheels it is absolutely smooth, without the slightest potholes or ruts, but not an asphalt road, but a sandy road. Or rather, not even a road, but simply a wide, several tens of meters long shore. Closer to the ocean there is sand with water, and closer to the center of the island it is dry and crumbling. Tidal fluctuations in the ocean, as is known, occur twice a day -. And most importantly, every day has its own schedule. And to make it easier, tourists are given special leaflets indicating the time and height of the maximum and minimum sea level marks.
Another wealth of the Fraser, unique not only in shape and color, but also in composition and animal population, are the freshwater lakes lying among the dunes. There are more than 40 of them, which is half of all inland lakes on the planet! Among them are the world's largest lake of this type in size - Bumanyin (200 hectares) and the highest - Boomerang (120 m above sea level). All lakes are completely different. Some are surrounded by dense forests with rich undergrowth, for example a lake, where tourists especially like to come around Christmas. On the shores of other lakes, on the contrary, there are areas of bare dune sand. However, both are poor in nutrients, hence life.
A lot of surprising things can be found, if desired, right next to the path on seemingly bare ground. From time to time you notice small green circles, two centimeters in diameter. If you carefully pick up one of them with a knife, it will rise and turn out to be... a lid that hinges back, as if on a good “hinge,” and closes the entrance to the house of a hunting spider with smooth inner walls. Most likely, you won’t find the spider in the house: sensing that the “prey” is too large, it will quickly crawl through the “back door” into the hole, further into the ground, before prudently slamming the “door”.
King parrots and yellow-tailed black cockatoos can be found in the treetops. An emerald pigeon feeds on fallen fruit on the ground. The brush-tailed glider and sugar glider also live here (although you can only see them on a specially organized night excursion).
Dingoes, these amazingly beautiful lean dogs of red color, with white paws and a narrow “fox” muzzle, are found everywhere. These dogs are very attractive, and their puppies, like any puppies, are also very touching. Therefore, the simple human desire of tourists to give the dingo something from their supplies in response to their pleading look is understandable. Some dogs constantly live in the vicinity of tourist sites and have already forgotten how to get their own food. Such dingoes, if they are denied a handout, become aggressive and can even bite. They become especially demanding during the period of feeding puppies, i.e. in winter (in Australia this is June - August). It is for this reason that they cause concern to the rangers. The most aggressive dogs have to be caught and destroyed.
In this regard, at all tourist stops (and several thousand of them come here every year - mainly in the Australian summer) special posters are hung: “Bt§oe8”. They inform visitors about the importance of conserving the dingo population on Fraser Island. After all, in all of this, this is practically the only absolutely pure community of dingoes that have no contact with domestic dogs. It also explains why feeding dingoes is so dangerous: dangerous for visitors.
Catching aggressive dogs is part of the rangers' job national park. They are also responsible for all information and environmental services. In addition, they must be able to provide first medical care and, if necessary, quickly evacuate the victim. Rangers regularly monitor the condition of the sites and ensure that tourists comply with the established rules of conduct. They are engaged in supplying campsites with firewood, showing slide films in the evenings, holding various holidays, etc., etc. In short, the Fraser Island rangers are as wonderful a landmark of this corner of Australia’s nature as its yellow dunes and coffee rocks, tree ferns and blooming orchids, emerald doves and the wild dingo.
A charming island lost in warm waters Pacific Ocean at eastern shores Australia, got its name thanks to the married couple James and Eliza Fraser. Before European colonization, several thousand Aborigines lived on the island, who called it K'gari, which translated from the Butchulla language means "paradise" or "heavenly." In 1836, the ship "Stirling Castle", captained by James Fraser, was wrecked off the shores of the island, and the surviving sailors landed on the shore. The local residents were quite hostile towards the strangers. The relationship between the natives and Europeans was very aggressive.
Fraser is the largest in the world sandy island. Its length is just over 110 km, and its width is from 7 to 23 km. Administratively, the island belongs to the Australian state of Queensland. At the end of the last century, in 1992, Fraser received the status nature reserve, and has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today the island is very popular among tourists.
One of geographical features Fraser has many fresh lakes, which is quite unusual for a sandy island, which is washed on all sides by ocean waters. The most large lake covers an area of about 200 hectares, its name is Lake Boemingen. Its cool, blue-blue water is refreshing and makes it possible to forget about the hot Australian sun for a while, which is why tourists often relax on the shores of the lake. In addition, the Fraser has famous majestic sand dunes, whose height reaches 240 meters. The island attracts tourists with its beauty, mild climate, excellent developed infrastructure and many archaeological artifacts having cult significance for the local population.
Open in the northern part of the island national park Great Sandy National Park, West Coast covered with swamps and dense mangrove forests. The eastern coast is more than a hundred kilometers of beautiful sandy beaches, somewhat reminiscent of the famous Brazilian Copacabana.
The island's flora and fauna are diverse: evergreen jungles grow on sandy soils, and several species of turtles live in warm fresh lakes. In the forest there are bats, including flying foxes, opossums, wallabies, kangaroos, echidnas, and dingoes. For those who love watching animals in their natural environment habitats, canoe trips will be of interest, during which tourists will see dolphins, sharks, and electric stingrays. From late summer until October, you can watch the migration of humpback whales swimming in South Antarctica. Ornithologists and those who love birds will be interested in local rare birds: the spiny owl, the ground parrot. Currently, the island is home to 354 bird species, 18 of which are raptors.
Lovers extreme sports can try their hand at surfing or choose unusual entertainment– bodyboarding on sand dunes, from which you can immediately jump into the lake, exploding water surface thousands of refreshing sprays.
Local residents are making every effort to promote green tourism. To preserve the island’s ecosystem, “wild” tourism is actively promoted here. Of course, adherents comfortable rest can stay in one of the cozy hotels with excellent service. But most tourists still want to get to Fraser to challenge wildlife: pitch a tent in the dense jungle, swim in lakes, travel exclusively in an off-road jeep and watch the natural, untouched beauty nature of one of the most mysterious and amazing islands on the planet.
Fraser Island
I'm posting photos from Fraser Island, where we went at the end of December. This is the largest sand island in the world - its dimensions are 120 km long, 24 km wide. There are no roads on the island, so the most popular way to get around here is by jeep.
— homo-ludenus, 23 Jan 2014, 08:00
Fraser Island
The next day we took a ferry to Fraser Island, where we had ordered two day tour. The island itself is sand dunes; there are no usual roads there (especially asphalt ones), so movement is only possible in all-wheel drive vehicles specially prepared for sand.
— happy-yozhik, 15 Apr 2013, 23:41
The largest sand island in the world
Fraser Island is entirely given over to the island of the same name. natural Park- a unique combination of dunes, tropical rainforest, crystal clear cries (please, without bad associations - hereinafter the cry is from the Australian “creek” - river, stream, etc.) and the habitat of an isolated population of red dingoes.
— kaihopara, 22 Apr 2012, 01:01
Fraser Island, day three
So, in the morning we found the sun shining in all its subtropical glory and were terribly happy, because that day we had to swim in the Champagne Pool and walk along the stone booms protruding into the ocean, from which you can see how the latter “breathes”.
— raevskaya-o, 17 Apr 2011, 04:00
Fraser Island, day two
On the second day a visit to the green Lake Wabby was planned. We thought for a long time about how to get there without getting too shaken up. Deep sand, ditches and ruts, knee-deep mud, tree roots and stones - on the first day we got a real forest 4WD track.
— raevskaya-o, 14 Apr 2011, 00:53
Fraser Island, day one
Every trip to Fraser Island is a holiday for me, I don’t even know why. Staying on this island gives you a feeling of complete isolation from reality, even though there are usually tons of people there. In general, relaxing there is simply magical! What exactly do I like?
— raevskaya-o, 6 Apr 2011, 21:56
Trip to Fraser Island
Fraser Island is one of the must-see places in Australia. This is the world's largest sand island. Located near east coast Australia, 300 km from the city of Brisbane. Listed world heritage UNESCO as unique natural monument.
— whiskeymaker, 2 Nov 2010, 11:00
Australian paradise
Australia is a grateful island, as if created for a person to relax, immerse himself in meditation and thank the heavens for their generosity. My report about how great it is to relax as a civilized savage on the diverse Fraser Island.
— rothaarige-live , 22 Sep 2010, 21:35
Fraser Island: SS Maheno
Just a little text and pictures about the motor ship Maheno, the remains of which have been lying there on 75 Mile Beach for 75 years. As it turned out, there is no romantic story connected with the wreck of this ship, but he lived a rather long and eventful life.
— raevskaya-o, 6 Feb 2010, 00:56
Fraser Island: Lakes
Everything that I wrote about earlier about Fraser Island is an integral part of it, but this is not the main thing. Why you need to go there is to swim in the fresh lakes, of which there are great amount. They are all different and very warm, in general, it’s a pleasure to lie in them for hours, which is what we did throughout our trip.
— raevskaya-o, 2 Feb 2010, 00:19
Fraser Island: 4WD
You can get to Fraser Island only with an SUV - by renting it or purchasing a tour, again on a variety of 4WD wonder cars. Now I will show you why this is so...
— raevskaya-o, 30 Jan 2010, 23:30
Fraser Island: Dingo
Today I’ll tell you about the wild dogs dingoes, to whom humanity has given a huge gift, bringing from South-East Asia to Australia around 4,000 BC. The dogs were so happy about this that they settled almost throughout the entire continent, including islands except Tasmania.
— raevskaya-o, 29 Jan 2010, 04:37
Fraser Island (also known as Great Sandy Island) is an island off the east coast of Australia in the state of Queensland. The island is mainly covered with sand, with dunes up to 260 meters high. In addition to the sands, there are more than 40 fresh lakes, as well as mangrove forests and swamps.
— australia-best , 25 Sep 2009, 10:04
Lakes in Fraser Island
The lakes on the island are absolutely amazing. Firstly, they are fresh and there are a lot of them. Actually a lot, more than fifty pieces. Not so much big island. Right next to Australia. Given that in Melbourne people are not allowed to water their small areas near their houses with tap water, there is no point in wasting such a valuable resource.
— tas-s , 18 Sep 2009, 14:55
Fraser Island: Sequel
The first coastal dune protects the island from the constant wind carrying salty fog, and immediately behind it the nature of the vegetation changes dramatically. Eucalyptus and acacia trees appear, not very tall yet, but this is already a real forest.
— tas-s , 18 Sep 2009, 08:43
Fraser Island. Botany, ecology, etc.
Fraser Island is located off the east coast of Australia and is separated from the continent by a not very wide strait. It was formed from sand that ocean currents moved along the Australian coast, which is why its shape is elongated from north to south.
— tas-s, 17 Sep 2009, 07:24
Dingo
The theme of wild dingoes runs through all sources of information about Fraser Island. Every brochure, every guidebook, and numerous warning signs at campsites will feature dingoes. They even came up with a special term - to be dingo-safe.
Rare drops of rain hammer on the roof of our rusty Land Rover, where at night I searched the entire collapsing front panel with a flashlight and discovered a completely rotten cigarette lighter socket.
Well, naturally, connecting the plug of the voltage converter from 12V to 220V gave a negative result: I will not be able to recharge the camera battery.
In the accessible walking distance, the lights of a public toilet are shining (perhaps there are electrical sockets there), but I can imagine the picture that will open up to a respectable Australian tourist who goes there at 3 a.m. to take a leak (instead of doing it like a normal person - on the nearest tree - it’s still raining ) - he will be embarrassed to see the lonely Vinsky, sitting on the toilet with a laptop on his lap and entangled in black snakes of wires of all sorts of electrical devices that need to be charged...
Rent a Jeep for a trip to Fraser
The company where we received our Land Rover is located in a group of several other similar sharks of imperialism, who take quite a lot of money: renting jeeps for a trip to Fraser Island in search of adventure is a very profitable enterprise for them. And for us, the tourist consumers, it’s expensive...
Jeeps are equipped with equipment both for overnight stays in equipped campsites and in field, wild conditions.
The day before the appointed date, Borracho and I drove up to this office to look at our car, which had been ordered in advance via the Internet...
Having parked at the entrance, we walked into the backyard of the office and saw a Defender hanging on a lift.
“Apparently this is our device,” said Borracho
Several people in overalls were flashing welds from under the bottom of the car...
-Okay, if I'm wrong...
But Valera was not mistaken.
On the morning of the day scheduled for the start on Fraser Island, we arrived half an hour earlier than the start of the briefing, where they promised to give us very important and interesting information.
There was a lot of information.
I had to watch three videos:
— how not to spoil nature and poop in pre-dug holes
- how to behave when meeting wild dingoes,
— how to behave when meeting whales and sharks
- How to generally behave in life...
All this time, the office worker was writing something, calling somewhere, and simply scratching the back of his head with concern.
Our time was limited, since before the ferry left for the island, we had to
- return the car we rented from the airport rental car
— buy ice for the refrigerator box
— somehow catch the eleven o'clock ferry to Fraser Island.
Having finally finished with the films, we went out into the fresh air of a wonderful and sunny Australian morning and discovered a standing car that was to become ours:
- means of transportation
- family home on the island
Two metal boxes were found in the trunk of this wreck. And that's all...
Looking into one, we found a set from a nearby trash heap: a crumpled tin mug, several different-sized plates, rusty forks, a Made in China battery of unknown purpose packed in yellowed plastic with traces of leaked electrolyte, a can opener, a frying pan with a broken handle and signs of beating from the face ( or heads) and a couple of pans with the remains of rancid fat.
Another box contained a gas stove that could have been used in the Auschwitz concentration camp to dispose of human corpses.
“No shit,” was all we could say...
I forgot about the rusty sapper's shovel and Raskolnikov's ax, which had been lying on the floor of the jeep since those times.
- Where is the promised table, folding chairs, sleeping bags and a tent for 3 people?
“I almost forgot,” said the office worker and threw two double tents and two neoprene mats...
- Listen, dear! We ordered 3 chairs, a table, a refrigerator... We listed a lot of things... And a gas cylinder for your miracle stove won’t hurt..
On Fraser Island you cannot have an open fire and all cooking is done on gas stoves or bbq: be it kebab or smoked kangaroo tail.
The Australian muttered something, handed over a cylinder and a small plastic box that could fit several bottles of wine and a bag of grapes...
— You will have to pay extra for chairs, a table and sleeping bags...
- You will not get anything from me! We need to move - time is running out...
Borracho got behind the wheel of the car, and I crawled into the seat of the Defender, immediately scratching my leg with some rusty piece of iron sticking out from under the seat.
Cursing and releasing a cloud of black smoke from the exhaust pipe into the atmosphere and at the same time trying not to crash into the sedan in front, I crawled out of the parking lot onto the road.
In the end, we still successfully manage to do everything: return the car, buy ice and catch the barge...
Ferry to Fraser Island
The journey and adventure have begun.
The sun is shining.
Life is getting better.
And it doesn’t matter that the handbrake doesn’t hold and the car almost falls over the side of the ferry, resting against its fence, after it starts moving.
This is all bullshit...
Travel time to the island is about 40 minutes.
Borracho and I are on upper deck We discuss the route by laying out a map on the bench. The map is pressed against a bottle of wine, which we touch from time to time, catching disapproving glances from those present. Upon arrival on Fraser Island, I release almost all the air in the tires of our rusty monster (up to 1 atmosphere) so that it can ride well on the sand: there are no paved roads on Fraser Island.
All movement around the island is possible only by jeep along the directions (not roads) made by timber trucks back in the days when logging was carried out on the island. As main road Fraser Island uses 75 miles of beach. But you can only drive on it at low tide, so the most important paper that you are given when renting a jeep is the low tide schedule for the next 5 days.
We decided to spend the first day on the island exploring forest lakes and moving around inside the island, without going to the beach, since the tide schedule was such that there was no point in doing anything else: the rising ocean cuts off the open and hard section of the beach for moving by car and there is a chance to sail away in a jeep to Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean.
What to see on Fraser Island
I described the Fraser Lakes in some detail in my report on my first trip to Australia four years ago.
Lake Mackenzie still popular and crowded.
This is not only due to the snow-white sand of the beach and the blue water.
This lake is the most accessible, which is why there are so many day tourists.
Next was Lake Wabby, so by me favorite lake with greenish water with the smell of eucalyptus tincture pressed by a huge sand dune to the opposite wooded shore.
While posing for Borracho on one of the dunes, I rolled off it and fell backwards, landing my ear on the hard sandy cover. Tapping with the pads of my fingers, arms spread out in a cross, I felt clear ringing as if a huge crystal ball was hidden under the thickness of sand...
This place is amazing. I highly recommend it and add it to my top beaches
When tens of kilometers domestic destinations was passed.
When it was jumped over hundreds of roots and holes...
….it began to get dark….
Accommodation on Fraser Island
It was necessary to decide on an overnight stay.
For some reason I didn’t want to put up tents and we went to Eurong, where there were several civilized places like a hotel-resort.
After haggling and getting a room for $126 (Australian), we tied up our iron horse in the parking lot and carried the most expensive thing we had from Borracho to our room: the red box.
In the red box, under a layer of purchased ice, there was meat. Mutton…
Freshest Australian lamb
I really wanted to eat.
Not far from our house there was a barbecue area: a cube made of brick, the top was a metal cavity with a hole in the middle for draining melted fat, heated from below by the flame of a gas burner, launched in three minutes by pressing a button.
First dinner on Fraser Island
For dinner there was:
— tomato and onion salad, dressed with Italian sauce based on balsamic, olive oil and aromatic herbs
- squid rings marinated in sweet and sour sauce
- iceberg lettuce leaves
- pieces of lamb on the bone marinated with onions and garlic (pistolettes)
Dinner took place under the stars burning in the sky (the night sky of Australia is a black blanket on the head, through which a charge of small shot was once fired) and conversations about Parallel Worlds and the afterlife. With this we went to bed.
I had nightmares and I think I swore in my sleep.
The morning was no less joyful: the reflections reflected from the water surface of the pool shimmered on the ceiling of the balcony; the taste of sweet Australian yoghurt could not spoil the aroma of tea with lime.
A quick scrambled egg with bacon and sautéed onions set us up for a day of adventure that began as soon as we hit the beach.
For me, driving along the long beach of Fraser Island was not new, but nevertheless, I was amazed again by driving over the stone tongues.
At this moment, it seems that the car is either going to overturn or, at best, part of the rocky rock from the bottom of the props will end up in the car's interior, right between the legs...
Photos, photographs, ocean dust from the surf.
The tide has just begun, so part of the path passes through loose sand spewing salty spray.
rusty skeleton Moheno- a cargo ship washed ashore by a storm somewhere in the late thirties - became even more broken down.
Since the first time I was on Fraser (5 years ago), the salty ocean water, wind, and sun have done their job.
Training bombing missions by the Australian Air Force completed the picture:
At the northern end of the beach it is cut off by a large Indian Head rock.
It is quite difficult to drive through this place - the detour is on loose sand and many cars sit on the bottom.
Therefore, this place was chosen by those for whom this is a kind of finish line and just a platform for landscape photography.
From here they open beautiful views on the ocean surf and the sandy path of cars.
But those who passed the test with honor and won quicksand- they receive as a reward - Champagne baths.
In the place where the rocks come close to the ocean, natural baths have formed - large depressions in the rock with a smooth bottom. Size - you can bathe a truck.
And when an ocean wave hits the wall of the bathtub, it turns into foam, which overflows into the bathtub.
Feeling. when you bathe in it, it’s like bathing in champagne: water with bubbles...
I fell there in flip-flops and swam to the edge, where the ocean surf beat and the strongest waves rolled, creating a foamy, effervescent effect, took on the streams of foam and shouted:
- More champagne! More champagne!
Robinsons on Fraser Island
After three hours the question arose: Where will we spend the night?
We decided to put up tents on the ocean shore and pack our boots.
There are places along the entire 75-mile beach where you can stop for a wild night.
You cannot stop in places that are flooded by the tide, where there are natural attractions: Red Canyon, Ely Creek.
We drove back from Indian Head and peered at the coastline.
I wanted to find a place with a view of the ocean and fresh water to wash after bathing in champagne baths.
After 4-5 attempts, such a place was found: when you have a choice, there is always room for doubt and you find fault with an ugly bush or dry grass...
In a pine grove on the ocean shore, surrounded by strange palm trees with pineapples growing on them, we parked. I positioned the car so that one side protected us from side winds and did not block the view of the raging ocean - the tide had begun. At this time, the sky, which had been gloomy for a couple of hours, burst into rain. What to do? Don't sit in the car...
For non-camping professionals, everything was done correctly: one end of the tent was tied to the windows of the car, and on the other side we attached it to the trees.
It turned out like a visor stretching from the roof of the car to the side. This created a temporary protection of 3 square meters from the water pouring from the sky.
Streams of water flowed down his face from his head, his shorts were completely wet, as if they had just come from the pool.
I didn’t think about comfort at all at that moment. Or rather, I thought of it as a goal, as a perspective. Therefore, not paying attention to the downpour, to periodic waterfalls from our temporary canopy, Valera and I continued to harmoniously secure various options for our protection from water and wind:
— we used the awning of one tent as frontal protection, tying it to the canopy visor from above, and pressing it down with stakes from below.
— we set up one tent, having difficulty understanding its design and spending some time arguing about where to attach what.
They took it outside so as not to interfere with the main process: the process of preparing dinner.
They took everything out of the trunk: a box of wine, a box of food. And finally, the queen of the fields - the gas stove.
We began to attach a gas cylinder to it and discovered that we were not given an adapter... Hello ass New Year!
Everything for which this overnight stay was started - this romance of a wild camp and spending the night - it was all in vain. You can’t light a fire on the island, and even if it were possible: where can you get dry firewood during a tropical downpour? There is nothing to eat except raw lamb. What to do?
The answer was obvious - go to a nearby civilized campsite and it was nearby, a few kilometers away along the beach. Visual memory even reproduced its name - Dundubara
High tide on Fraser Island
Everything was fine: it was a pity for the time spent on installing rain protection, storing things... And we were already ready to admire the ocean at night and fight with wild dingoes...
But the main thing was that the rising ocean was every minute devouring the solid expanse of beach sand, which serves as dear life here.
A few more minutes and we may remain cut off from the civilized world. Without electricity cellular communications and gas...
Getting ready took 5-10 minutes. They worked silently, harmoniously and without unnecessary conversations - the specificity of the situation affected.
Throwing everything into luggage compartment, we drove in downshift to the beach, where the ocean waves were already in full control, rolling to the sand dune behind which we stood. There was no turning back. We were sandwiched on one side by the roaring ocean surf, and on the other by a steep shore... The road back caused me to have multiple gray hairs on my head and more.
When the waves hit the side of the car, and the reverse flow of water washed away the wheels of our Conqueror of the Dunes, it tilted and it seemed that it was about to fall on its side along with us.
Just in case, we put our money and passports in a waterproof bag. The rest... Well, if it happens, the kids on the islands of Micronesia will take it as souvenirs...
And then the engine of our Land Rover stalls... Damn, we said in unison. But we were probably lucky. A few more seconds and we would have been washed away into the open ocean...
The car started up and, pressing the gas pedal to the floor, I drove towards the receding water. Having picked up speed, he began to turn the wheels towards the shore.
The water receded and made it possible to gain additional speed, which allowed us to drive into the bed of a stream, which by chance and luckily happened to be on our way...
After driving along the hard bottom of the stream for several tens of meters, I stopped.
The waves were hitting us here too, but at least we weren’t standing sideways and were quite far from the watershed line.
Over the hill we could see a waving flag - this was the campsite where we were going.
I turned around carefully - it was good that the bottom of the stream was slightly rocky. And began to wait for the arrival big wave. As soon as she hit the front bumper, I turned on second gear and
in low gear with all the blockages rushed towards the sea. Having already reached the beach, I turned left and after 50 meters I saw the desired goal: a path among two dunes leading
up to the campsite...
Yessss..... I could take a breath...
We entered here illegally, but we didn't give a damn. We experienced the elements... Although it rather tested us...
Camping on Fraser Island
The campground gate was closed, but not locked.
We stopped in front of a booth that had a sign explaining that we were on the campsite illegally because we didn't have a reservation.
And for everything to be done according to the law, you need to call and make a reservation. There was also a prehistoric telephone set that ate 50-cent coins.
We had one of these (mostly the money was in 20 and 50 dollar bills.
So, as soon as we waited for an answer at the other end of the line, the person asked to dictate the number to him credit card to withdraw 15 dollars for our legal stay here - the payphone ate the coin and turned off.
We did not grieve and leave here. We parked the car. We set up a wet tent and went to fry meat at a public barbecue.
The lamb was magical as always. After experiencing the elements, wine and a delicious dinner, we fell into our wet sleeping bags like dead men.
The next morning, when we were about to leave - the ocean began to recede and we could go to the beach - a ranger passed us (I was just sitting and watching the 11th episode of Lost, which I downloaded on mainland) and waved his hand welcomingly.
I also saluted him with a bottle of Shiraz. He showed his thumb - like everything is fine and left, without even looking at our permit to Fraser’s campsites, which was tied to the tent...
The whole next day we drove through holes, ruts and tree roots in the depths of the island, getting back to the lakes.
Well, in the afternoon we stopped at a place called Eurong Village where we stopped in advance, without waiting until it got dark.
For overnight accommodation there were already set up tents in the army style, in which there were fixed beds with normal bed linen, a table and chairs.
There was also a toilet and a hot shower, which was very useful. All the fun cost $25 per person.
The next morning we had breakfast with leftover bacon and cheese, melting it all in a frying pan in the public kitchen (the kitchen, refrigerators, cutlery and other utensils are public and are included in the price of the stay).
All other products (sausages, chicken, etc.) looked unappetizing when mixed with melted ice in a large coolbox and were thrown out in the evening.
We took all our junk out of the trunk. They washed it with a hose and stuffed it back into its original place.
Dumps on Fraser Island
The bag of garbage was taken to a specially designated place. It’s worth telling more about this place:
The dump on Fraser Island is a large clearing fenced off by wild Dingo dogs.
To prevent dogs from entering the territory of the garbage dump and, God forbid, from eating something, the only gate is equipped with a system of conductive plates on the ground through which a small, but noticeable current for dogs passes (nothing is done to the machine, but Dingo gives an electric shock, so they don't climb there).
There are a lot of garbage containers in the clearing and literally everyone comes and carefully puts them away: metal in one group, glass in another, organics in a third group of containers.
All that remains is to applaud the people who do not litter the place where they rest. I respect local tourists for this, remembering my dacha in Zhostovo, where savages come in cars for the weekend and we, local residents, then you have to collect garbage for them in the forest.
Dingo dogs
After that, as the sun began to appear, we went to sunbathe on Lake Mackenzie.
And there I saw a curious picture: I have Dingo dogs Free access to the beach - it is not fenced.
And then one of the young dogs busily ran along the beach past us. Of course, everyone began to grab their cameras, mothers lined up their children next to them...
But Dingo, not paying attention to the movements of the tourists, began to busily sniff the bags standing on the sand.
She smelled something in one pile and stuck her muzzle into the bag. A woman sitting on a blanket nearby jumped to her feet and began waving a towel at the dog, but Dingo, not paying attention to her, pulled breakfast out of the bag and swallowed it. Then she grabbed a leather handbag lying nearby and ran away with it in her teeth. The woman ran after her along the beach and disappeared from view. About 10 minutes later she arrived upset and without her purse. From which I concluded that everything was gone (as I understood the money and documents) completely.
Australian Diary:
Traveling around Australia:
Fraser is one of the resort islands of Australia; it consists entirely of sand, and this is its uniqueness.
Located along the east coast across the channel from Hervey Bay.
In the Aboriginal language Fraser is called "Kgari-rai".
This is true - wide and clean sandy beaches, rainforests and flowering heather meadows under a clear blue sky suggest just such a comparison.
Fraser is considered the world's largest sand island. It stretches for more than 110 km in length, up to 23 km in width, and the sand dunes of the island are its attraction. The height of these natural structures reach almost 250 meters. In addition, they are absolutely white and against the green background of the forests covering the island they look almost like snow.
Fraser got its name thanks to a couple of Europeans who were shipwrecked off the coast of this island lost in the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean. It must be said that in those days - 1836 - relations between the aborigines and Europeans were quite aggressive, so local tribes were not too happy about such a neighborhood. As a result, the Fraser couple were held captive by the Aborigines for some time. In 1992, Fraser became part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site and received the status of a nature reserve. Despite this, it is very popular among tourists and travelers.
Surprisingly, this island, washed on all sides by the salty ocean, has quite a lot of fresh lakes. They are called “hanging” because they seem to hang between the salty waters of the Pacific Ocean. There are more than 100 of them. One of them is Lake Mackenzie, located in the forests 100 meters above sea level. This is the most beautiful fresh lake. The water in it is formed only from precipitation. It is almost distilled, so no freshwater organisms can live in it. But around the lake snow-white beach from the purest quartz sand.
And the largest of them is Boemingen, which is approximately 200 hectares in size. The water in the lake is cool and fresh, which is in sharp contrast to the Australian climate - for the most part hot. This is why Boemingen is so popular among tourists.
Palm trees, mangroves and bamboo, and tropical rain forest also grow on the shore of the lake.
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Today, the indigenous population of the island is only 400 people, 11 of whom are descendants of the very tribes that held the Fraser couple captive. It should be noted that a few years after the captivity of the shipwrecked Europeans, colonialists from European countries came to Fraser and formed many new settlements. Of course, the natives were against such intervention, and a war broke out. The unequal enemy forces simply destroyed the small and weakly armed army of the Australian tribes. Almost everything local population was destroyed. Now Fraser is just a place of entertainment for tourists, where tourist complex: hotel, motel, swimming pool, bar, shop and cafe. You can get to the island by small plane, but it is better to rent a car on the mainland and cross on a barge. Having your own wheels, you can get to know the island much better.
Fraser differs from the rest of Australia in its milder climate, the island's nature is rich and varied thanks to a large number moisture. The western part of the island is home to mangroves and swamps, the east is a string of beautiful sandy beaches, and the northern part of Fraser is home to Great Sandy National Park.
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Because the vegetable world Fraser is quite diverse, and the animals live there are very different. For example, several species of turtles are found in fresh lakes. In the forest you can see bats and foxes, as well as representatives of classic Australian fauna: possums and wallabies, echidnas and dingoes. In order to observe animals in their natural habitat, tourists are offered canoe trips. In addition to the wildlife, it is not difficult to spot electric rays, sharks and dolphins in the waters surrounding the boat. The migration routes of humpback whales swimming in the island also pass by Fraser Island - these animals can be observed from August to October.
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The world of birds will also not disappoint ornithology lovers. The Fraser is home to approximately 354 species of birds, 18 of which are considered raptors. You can also see birds that are rare species— a needle-footed owl and a ground parrot.
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Since the tourism infrastructure of Fraser is quite developed, tourists, in addition to comfortable beach holiday, a variety of sports entertainment is offered, some of which are extreme. For example, surfing or bodyboarding along sand dunes followed by a noisy dive into the lake. To the program active entertainment also includes a 4WD ride along the coast, where you can admire the Cathedral Rocks - amazing and majestic piles multi-colored sand. Mini-planes fly over miles of beaches, and small boats float tourists down the rushing Ely Creek straight to the ocean. Many travelers come to Fraser Island just to go sailing and observe marine life in their natural environment.
Sightseeing tours on the island usually include Happy Valley, where the wreck of the Makhino ship is located. This hulk was built in 1905 and served first as a transatlantic liner and later, during the First World War, as a floating hospital. The ship was later washed ashore on Fraser Beach during a cyclone.
To preserve the island's ecosystem, the population of Fraser actively promotes wild or green tourism, which involves overnight stays and living under open air or in a tent and moving around the island in an off-road jeep. This method of travel allows you to admire the untouched beauty of Fraser's nature without harming the ecology of one of the the most amazing islands in the world.