It was midwinter and not yet quite daylight. The bus was early. It was due to collect us at 6.50am. Just as well we had set the alarm. Our overnight spot was a free camping area behind the visitor information centre at Hervey Bay, in Queensland. We were met by our extrovert driver and introduced to fellow passengers. The destination for the day: Fraser Island.
From our collection point, we had a grand tour of Hervey Bay, picking up passengers from various resorts and caravan parks, then a short drive to the barge at River Heads for the crossing to the island. The sea was calm, and the crossing made for a glorious start to the day. Loading the barge looked like a complicated procedure, with 4WDs, utes, and buses boarding.
Fraser Island is World Heritage listed. At 184,000 hectares, it is the world’s largest sand island, stretching north/south for over 123km and about 22 km at its widest point. It is all sand – the beaches, the roads, everything. Not a desert island though, the vegetation is amazing, from tall trees to low scrub to sand dunes and mangrove swamps.
The eastern side of the island faces the Pacific Ocean and has one long, beautiful wide sandy beach. On the western side, the Great Sandy Strait divide Fraser Island from the mainland in the south and opens out to the relatively sheltered waters of Hervey Bay towards the north. Being all sand roads, it was obvious that only 4WD vehicles were acceptable. The bus was 4WD and our driver had definitely done it before.
Shipwreck of Maheno
We crossed the heavily forested island to a constant commentary from our driver; actually he talked non-stop all day, only slowing down his commentary a little through the most difficult driving situations. He told us about the history of the island, the people, the sea life, animals, particularly the dingoes, shipwrecks and industries, past and present.
Our first stop for the day was a comfort stop at Eurong Resort on the ocean side of the island, where we were to return later for lunch. In the meantime, on a receding tide, we were treated to a trip north along the wide flat ocean beach. Normal road rules apply on the beach. It was much smoother than the sandy tracks that criss-cross the island and felt so exhilarating.
We rounded a few rocky outcrops on the ocean beach. On closer inspection they weren’t really rocks but a soft rock-like structure called Coffee Rock, made up of decayed plant matter. A couple of light planes were using the beach as their runway for anyone wishing to go for a joy flight. Also using the beach and winds to their advantage were the beautiful brown and white brahminy kites, and the sea eagles, souring and gliding on the breeze.
The barge at River Heads, early morning
We stopped to view the shipwreck of the Maheno, which was grounded in a cyclone back in 1935 while being towed to Japan for scrap. Little is left of the wreck, just a skeleton of rusty iron and a few bits of rotting timber. Our driver passed round a book of photos showing the majestic ship she once was.
Eli Creek, a crystal clear stream coming out of the bush onto the beach was a popular stop. It was shallow enough to paddle through the crystal clear water downstream to the beach. The coloured sands at The Pinnacles were magnificent with lines of different coloured sand set down in layers, then it was time for lunch back at Eurong Resort. On the way we stopped to see a couple of wild dingoes scrounging on the beach for their next meal.
Back at Eurong Resort for lunch, we were the caged animals. The resort is fully enclosed to keep the dingoes out. We were warned not to fraternise with the dingoes. No friendly patting, feeding, nothing. Lunch for us was a help yourself smorgasbord – a great meal.
4WD bus transportation
The rough tracks through the island to Central Station certainly made sure lunch went down alright. The rough sand road was no better than the tracks we had traversed in the morning, but all was forgiven with the experience of the beautiful Kauri Pines complete with stag horn ferns growing way up their trunks, and the clarity of the river. Without looking closely you would swear there was no water in Wongoolba Creek, just a bed of sand. We heard about the history of settlement on Fraser Island, the timber and mining industries, and saw ancient ferns that live in the stream bed. They require the constant flow of water to survive.
A swim or paddle in Lake McKenzie was last on the list of experiences for the day. Lake McKenzie, as well as other lakes on the island, hold their water all year round with decayed plant matter forming an impervious layer on the lake bed.
The incredible clear waters of Eli Creek
After our paddle in the lake, afternoon tea was served in a dingo proof enclosure. We were constantly warned about the dingoes for very good reason. They are wild animals and are always after their next meal. We had no wish to be part of it.
A beautiful sunset greeted us back at the barge with a crew member spraying copious quantities of insect repellent over herself as the barge came in. It was one of the best day trips we could have wished for. Our driver excelled in his job, kept us safe, and gave us a wealth of information on the island and its history. We were delivered safely back to the camper in the dark at the Hervey Bay Visitor Information Centre at 6.15pm, tired but happy after our excellent day on Fraser Island.
The barge returns to take us home in time for a glorious sunset
