At about 75 miles long, Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world. In spite of…read moresubstantial logging operations in the past, it remains pretty well as it was when James Cook passed by it, and called it the Great Sandy Peninsula, thinking it was part of the mainland.
You cross to it by a ferry, locally called a barge, and only 4 wheel drive vehicles are allowed. You can hire one, or arrange a tour on a four-wheel drive bus, which was the option we took, signing up with a company called Fraser Island Tours.
The island's main highway ... which also serves as the airstrip ... is the magnificent beach which runs the length of the eastern coast. But, it's not all beach. Inland, there's dense, lush forest and inland lakes and creeks containing the purest water. The water was so clear, it was difficult to photograph, and all that could be seen was the bottom, which looked more like a path through the woods. And, because of that sandy bottom, the creek couldn't be heard, either.
We only visited one of the lakes, Lake McKenzie. At the time of our visit, only organised tours were allowed in that area due to work in progress on the vehicle parks and approach roads. Unfortunately, the weather was less than perfect, so we didn't see it at its best. But, nevertheless, its clarity can be easily seen, and its sand, the whitest in the world, admired whatever the weather.
A call at the rusting hulk of the cruise ship Maheno is on most itineraries, and, after it's been explained that it was on its way to be broken up when it was blown ashore in a tropical storm, it doesn't seem quite so forlorn.
If you're staying for longer, but don't want to camp, there's accommodation on the island at Eurong; if you're only here for the day, there's a shop and a pretty good restaurant here, too.
