JANUARY 2012: Fraser Island QLD
Marooned on Fraser
When the thought
of visiting a tropical island is contemplated, many think of heading to some
far flung hotel resort surrounded by turquoise blue waters, butter yellow sand
and lush green rainforest. But for those
who have a passion for 4WD, Fraser Island is often the first thing that comes
to mind. Being the largest sand island in the world and covering an area of
163,000 hectares it’s not hard to understand why this place offers so much
adventure.
While
this was our third trip back to the island, there was no less eagerness or
anticipation for what lay ahead. There are several barges that travel to the
island with the one departing Inskip Point being the most popular. For those with trailers this makes a good
option with its easy run along the beach (with the slightly added fun of the
entry and exit on the barge).
These barges are the life blood of the Island
transporting not only 4WD’s and bus loads of tourists, but all manner of goods,
food and supplies. Don’t be surprised when you are charged more than double for
a case of beer or when the price of fuel is more than that last good bottle of
red you drank
For
something different we decided to base ourselves in the middle of the Island at
Central Station so the barge leaving River Heads was the start to our journey. The
barge exit at Kingfisher Bay is a walk in the park compared to Inskip Point as
you drive straight on to a sealed road that is part of the Kingfisher Bay
Resort. However it doesn’t take long for the fun to begin.
The track
that travels west to east over the island starts just outside the resort. Once
you get catapulted over the first dune pitted with potholes and timber slats to
prevent you getting bogged, you then make a run along the track that slices itself
through the banksia and low forest. The
track is made even more fun as there are very few places to either pass an
oncoming vehicle or turn around (especially a challenge with a trailer behind
you). Then there is the possibility of
meeting an oncoming tourist 4WD bus who will drive over you before having to
back up to allow you to pass.
Recent
fires that had passed over the track made the already fine soft sand take on
the consistency of black talcum powder.
Despite some strong right foot, the island grasped at the car and
trailer and before we knew it we were going nowhere fast. Now we have all heard of the stories of
German tourists who are running tyres at 50psi, the new Mercedes 4WD with no
recovery gear or the first timer who misjudged the tides and ended up with a
free car wash. While we all laugh at
these mistakes (that I am sure none of us would dare dream of), you have not
truly visited Fraser Island unless you can say you have buried your fourby down
to its axels, had the joy of digging the soft white crystal sands away from
your tyres or unravelled the snatch strap to pull your mate from the clutches
of the island. With this in mind, we got
the maxtrax into action to get us on our way to Central Station to set up camp
for the week.
Central Station was once the centre of the forestry industry when there was logging on the Island, but it is now a unique place to camp and explore the adjacent rainforest. The satinay and brush box forest here contains ancient trees growing in nothing more than sand and decaying leaf matter.
Having
set up camp we wasted no time heading out to explore. There are many parts of
Fraser Island, particularly in the north and eastern sides, where you can get
away from the crowds and truly feel like you are a castaway on a remote
island.
One place
where you are unlikely to experience this isolation is Eli Creek. On a typical day the creek bank is lined with
4WDs with men casually standing around, beer in hand, comparing tyre pressures
or debating the value of LED vs HID lights. There is music drifting over the umbrellas,
marques and deck chairs that surround the vehicles, competing with the laughter
of children as they float down the creek. It’s a feeling of a permanent
Australia Day Party. Having taken the
walk upstream on the well-constructed board walk and gracefully floated down
towards the beach you can see why this place is so popular.
Another
popular destination is the fresh water wonder of Lake Mackenzie, perched in a
sand dune high above sea level. While it is one of the most visited parts of
the island we were fortunate enough to miraculously have it to ourselves on a
picture postcard perfect day where the beautiful blue waters lapped at the
white sands. There are another 39
perched lakes to explore including the crystal green Lake Birrabeen, Lake Waby (that
is slowly being consumed by a vast sandblow) or the tea stained Lake Boomanjin,
which at 200 hectares is the world’s largest perched lake. In total, there are
over 100 fresh water lakes and streams to discover.
The most popular run is the western side from Euron up to Waddy Point, and for those with more time a further run up to the light house at Sandy Cape. The beach in parts can be as smooth as a highway. But don’t let that fool you as a washout can have you with four wheels pointing to the sky quicker than you know it. It is also important to be aware of the tides, as a miss-timed run can leave you with a wet and very dead vehicle.
If you are lucky enough to go early in the morning, after the tide has washed away all traces of the 4WD tracks, you can dream of being the only explorer who has this whole island to themselves.
While there were no sighting of humpbacks, you are sure to see a Canis lupus, better known as the dingo, considered one of the purest strains left in Australia. These sandy coloured Asian wolves sit in the shadows waiting to ransack any unsuspecting camper the minute they leave their site unattended. While there is news of the dingos becoming more aggressive and less afraid of humans, I sometimes wonder what to think when it is us who is privileged enough to be visiting their home.
Our week was coming to an end just as our senses were getting use to the dazzling colours. While Fraser is a very popular destination, you may just be lucky enough to find yourself looking out to the turquoise blue waters of Lake Makenzie, or exploring the columns of butter yellow sands of the Cathedrals, or trekking through the lush green rainforest of the Pile Valley, and for a fleeting moment thinking you are marooned on Fraser. Who needs a hotel resort when you have all of this.
0 comments: