Fraser Island

Are you looking for unspoilt beauty, unique scenery and close encounters with Australian wildlife? Fraser Island, Australia is the largest sand island in the world, and is World Heritage listed for its unique ecosystem and environment.

Fraser Island has almost as many lakes as Tasmania - with colours ranging from the intense blue of Lake McKenzie to billy tea brown of Lake Boomanjin. The Rainforest near Central Station (not Brisbane's main railway station but an old forestry site on Fraser Island) is full of Satinay, Brushbox and Kauri forests. Sand blows dot the island and reach a mountainous 240 metres above sea level.

Migrating humpback whales from August to October boost the Fraser Island tourism population, as people watch the whales and their calves play. Dugongs graze on the sea grass in the Great Sandy Straits between Fraser Island and the mainland. Dingoes, Australia's wild native dog roam the island and hundreds of different bird species fill the air with song.

Situated about 3½ hours drive north of Brisbane, Fraser Island forms the southern-most end of the Great Barrier Reef. The reef is another Australian World Heritage wonder that spans from the tip of Queensland, past Cairns, Townsville and Mackay through hundreds of beautiful Australian Islands until finally reaching Fraser Island.

You won't find many roads listed on a Fraser Island Map. The main highway is Seventy Five Mile beach at low tide, with a myriad of sandy tracks leading off the beach to connect the lakes, rainforests and communities on the island. Fraser Island is 4WD territory only.