Sandy Fraser Island. Open left menu Fraser Island. Vacation ideas

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 the upper deck discussing the route, having laid 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, my 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 with fresh water to wash myself after swimming in the 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 by car for the weekend and we, local residents, then 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:

When translated from the local language, Fraser is translated as "Kgari-rai". Indeed, there are not many places in the world with sandy beaches, clear water, flower meadows and blue skies above. Why isn't it heaven?

More recently, Fraser Island was recognized as the largest sandy place in the world. The coastline extends over a distance of 110 kilometers. The main highlight of the island is its sand dunes. Some of them reach a height of up to 250 meters. Combined with emerald forests, they look very much like snow.

The name of the island was given by a family of Europeans who were shipwrecked off its shores. It cannot be said that at that time relations between the population of the island and civilized Europeans were hostile. And of course, few people were happy about this addition. For a long time, the Frasers were even held captive by local residents.

In 1992, the island was added to the World Heritage List and a nature reserve was created on its territory. But regardless of such important events in Fraser’s life, the island has always been popular with tourists.

What is surprising is that, despite the ocean surrounding it on all sides, the island abounds in fresh water bodies. Scientists nicknamed them “hanging” because they seem to hang between the salty ocean water. In total, there were 100 such reservoirs on the island. The most famous was Lake Mackenzie. It's all because of his extraordinary beauty and fresh waters. The lake is fed only by moisture from precipitation, and the water in it is practically distilled, which affects its animal composition. It is completely devoid of organisms, even germs and bacteria. But most importantly, it is surrounded by a snow-white sandy beach.

The biggest freshwater lake called Boemingen, and it extends over 200 hectares. Despite the tropical hot climate, the water here is always pleasantly cool. This is what made the lake famous among tourists. The numerous eucalyptus trees growing on the coast give a special highlight. There is also a small rain forest nearby.

Throughout the history of the island, the population has constantly changed. There are currently just over 400 people living on the Fraser, of whom only 11 are descendants of the Aborigines who held the Fraser family captive. After that crash, some time passed and colonialists poured onto the island to establish settlements here. Naturally local residents opposed this, and the war began. There were much more Europeans, so the aborigines were almost completely exterminated. These days the island is tourist place with numerous parks, hotels, entertainment programs etc. You can get here by plane, but the best option There will be a barge crossing with your own car.

Fraser Island is very different from the continent of Australia primarily due to its comfortable warm climate. That is why it has such rich flora and fauna. Due to the wide variety of vegetation, the island is rich in animals. In fresh water bodies you can find turtles, in the forest - bats, as well as endemics - kangaroos, opossums, etc. To get closer to the animals, tourists are invited to take a canoe excursion. Well, how can you do without birds? The island is simply a paradise for bird watchers. More than 350 species live here, including rare specimens.

Since Fraser Island is considered entirely tourist center In addition to excursions and relaxing on the beach, there is a wide selection of sports and extreme entertainment: surfing, bodyboarding and many others. Some people even come here just to ride around the island on a yacht and look at the marine life.

Well, of course, if you don’t want to think through the route yourself, you have the opportunity to use different sightseeing tours. Each of them necessarily includes a visit to Happy Valley, where the remains of a liner washed ashore during the First World War are located.

Since there are a lot of tourists, the population is very worried about the environmental situation on the island. Therefore, nowadays there is active promotion of tourism under open air in tents or campsites. It is assumed that in this way it will be possible to preserve the well-being of the environment.

Last minute tours to Australia

Fraser - sandy island east coast Australia, separated from the mainland by vast swampy areas. The Aborigines who inhabited this island before the arrival of Europeans called it Kgari, which means “paradise”. And they can be understood - the place is truly heavenly: snow-white sands, mangroves, lakes and exotic flora and fauna.

The island received its modern name from the surname of Captain Fraser, who was shipwrecked off these shores and, together with his wife, was forced to settle there.

Fraser is the world's largest sand island. It is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as a unique natural site.

How to get there

Closest to Fraser Island international Airport is located in Brisbane. There are no direct flights from Russia; a round trip flight with one transfer costs from 1017 USD per person. Next from Brisbane - to the small town of Hervey Bay on the coast. There are many ways: plane, several trains, buses or a rented car.

The fastest way is by plane. The journey will take just over 2 hours, the ticket price starts from 110 USD per person one way. You'll spend about the same amount on a train ticket that takes 4.5 hours. A slower train (6.5 hours one way) will cost half as much. Most a budget option- this is a bus, one-way ticket costs from 30 USD per person.

There are piers in Hervey Bay from which barges depart several times a day for the Fraser (approx. 6:00 a.m. to 6:45 p.m.). Tickets cost about 60 USD per person and can be purchased at the pier.

A barge ticket alone is not enough to get to Fraser Island. A special permit is also required. It is issued by default if you rent a jeep at the Hervey Bay resort, or if you have a reservation at any of the hotels on the island.

Search for flights to Fraser Island

Hotels

The island has several hotels and guest houses for tourists. The average cost of a night in a hotel is about 100 USD per day for a double room. Hotels are usually located in picturesque place, the territory has a swimming pool, garden, gazebos and other amenities. Guest houses a little cheaper: from 70 USD per night for a double room, the location is also excellent, but there may not be a swimming pool or an area with a garden.

Beaches of Fraser Island

The Fraser Coast is over 100 km sandy beaches. Most of them are wild, but even on popular beaches there is practically no tourist infrastructure. Swimming in completely deserted places is not recommended, since they are deserted for a reason: there may be sand dunes, dangerous currents, jellyfish, dingoes and other not very pleasant neighborhoods. The most popular beaches among tourists are Orchid, Indian Head (so called for its intricately rugged coastline), Cathedral, quartz sand beach and Happy Valley beaches.

It is much safer to relax on the shores of freshwater lakes. There are more than 40 of them on the island, the most famous of which is the bright blue Lake Mackenzie. Nobody lives in it - the water in the lake is distilled. There are always a lot of people here (a lot by local standards - in any European beach resort the beaches are much more crowded), and if you want to enjoy absolute silence, you should arrive before 16:00, when buses with tourists are already heading back.

Entertainment and excursions

People come to Fraser primarily to relax on the snow-white beaches and observe wildlife. In the west there are mangroves and swamps, in the east there is sand, and in the north there are rugged equatorial forests (this is also where national park Great Sandy National Park).

Not only is the vegetation diverse, but also animal world. Sea turtles live in local freshwater lakes, and on land in large quantities The wild dog dingo lives. She is not wild in the full sense of the word: she was already domesticated once, but after that she went wild again. Dingoes can be found almost anywhere on the island, they live peacefully in their packs and are never the first to attack people. But it’s better not to bother them: they will certainly defend their territory. The local forests are home to about 350 species of birds, many of which are protected, such as the ground parrot and the spiny owl.

Day and night excursions can be booked directly at the hotel to get a closer look at the nature of the island. Another option is to go to boat trip and get up close and personal with sharks, dolphins, humpback whales and other marine life. At night you can see bats, foxes and many colorful frogs.

Humpback whale migrations can be seen on Fraser Island from August to October.

There are no cultural or historical attractions on the island, but tourists are usually impressed by the huge pyramids of household waste, consisting mainly of fishing gear and boat wrecks. In Happy Valley you can still see the wreckage of the ship Makhino, which sank off the coast of the island during the First World War, and visit the abandoned MacKenzie pier, where the Zed assault force was based during the Second World War. Preserved on the Moon Cape sacred place, where Aboriginal women gave birth to children.

Most of the entertainment offered on the island is active. You can ride in jeeps along the sandy Cathedral Rocks or fly over them in a mini-plane, raft down the Ely Creek River and go out into the open ocean, ride a yacht and go fishing. You'll probably have to dig for the worms yourself, but it's very easy: after low tide they lie right on the shore.

Traveling around Fraser Island

Where is Fraser Island located?

Fraser Island it is the largest and most famous sand island in the world. This Paradise Island located in Eastern Australia approximately 300 kilometers north of Brisbane (approximately 3 hours by car). Fraser Island extends over 124 kilometers with a width ranging from 7 to 25 kilometers. Its area is 163,000 hectares. Fraser Island is a unique, luxurious, rich Australian natural heritage.

Fraser Island climate

Fraser Island is a natural paradise, it has a maritime subtropical climate with precipitation of 1800 mm per year, mainly from December to May. In summer, temperatures reach up to 30 °C. However, winter temperatures range from 14 to 21 °C and July is the coldest period of the year.

Beaches and recreation of Fraser Island

Most big beach The Fraser Islands are located approximately 120 kilometers along its east coast. This beach is one of the most magnificent beaches in the world. This amazing place features an amazing variety of scenery: long surfing beaches, dramatic cliffs, lush rainforests, beautiful lakes with fresh water, huge basalt capes and salt lakes with creepy mangrove forests. Fraser Island also has many amazing sights, such as the Maheno Wreck, beautiful pools, Ely Creek or Indian Head ( a good place, where you can see sharks in the surf).

Fauna of Fraser Island

The beaches and forests of Fraser Island are home to a wide variety of wildlife, including 230 bird species (Australia's largest and most diverse bird community), such as sea eagles, ospreys, kites, falcons, gulls, cockatoos, terns, or honeyeaters. parrots are endangered. Fraser Island is also home to the wild dog Dingo. Unfortunately, due to the threat of people on the island, the number of Dingo dogs is decreasing from year to year. People have killed many dogs believing that these animals could pose a danger to people. There are also other mammals such as possums, swamp wallabies, sugar gliders, flying foxes, echidnas and kangaroos.

Lake on Fraser Island

In addition, Fraser Island is home to more than 100 lakes. Which are among the cleanest freshwater lakes in the world. Perhaps the most famous of these lakes is Lake. The lake is located on top of a sand dune. This perfect place, which extends over 150 hectares. There is beautiful beach, consisting of almost pure quartz sand. This place, along with the largest creek on the east coast of the island, are two main symbols and places. beautiful island Fraser.

History of Fraser Island

Scientists believe Fraser Island has been inhabited for 800,000 years. Previously, this amazing island was called the “Great Sand Island” and was occupied by the aborigines. They, in turn, named this island “Kigari”, which means “paradise” in their native language. Aboriginal Australians occupied this island starting 5,000 years ago. The island had between 400 and 600 inhabitants before the arrival of Europeans in the 18th century.

Unfortunately, like many other parts of the world, the arrival of Europeans on Fraser Island in 1836 led to the death of the local population. Captain James Cook and Matthew Flinders sailed around this island at the end of the 18th century. However, the first British to officially arrive on this island were Captain James Fraser and his wife Eliza Fraser. They arrived on the island because they were shipwrecked. Captain Fraser died on the island, however, his wife survived and was rescued. She returned to England and told about this story, so the island is now called Eliza and James Fraser.

The British took advantage of the island's wealth of timber. They cut down forests, which was started in 1863 by American Jack Pigotty and continued until 1991. Fraser Island has several high-grade deposits such as rutile, zircon, monazite and ilmenite. These developments began to be used in 1950. However, due to environmental action, mining activity on Fraser Island lasted only until 1977.

Fraser Island was listed in 1992 World Heritage UNESCO. And it is part of the natural and cultural heritage Australia. Therefore, Fraser Island is currently the most visited place in Australia. The island can be reached by ferry from Hervey Bay or by plane from Maroochydore Airport from the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. Fraser Island currently, is for recreation, one of best places in 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 fair - wide and clean sandy beaches, tropical forests and flowering heather meadows under clear blue skies suggest just such a comparison.

Fraser is considered the largest in the world sandy 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 shores of this lost in warm waters Pacific Ocean islands. 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 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.

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.

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. To observe animals in natural environment habitats, 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.

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.

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 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 in the open air or in a tent and moving around the island in an off-road jeep. This way of traveling allows you to admire untouched beauty nature of Fraser, without harming the ecology of one of the most amazing islands in the world.