Megan, Baby Gloria, and I, sans Gail, set out on our latest adventure. We headed north again, but this time it was Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world. It is made purely of sand, water, and the rainforest it supports. If that's not enough, a large portion of the island is migrating and referred to as the Sand Blow. As part of the World Heritage National Parks, it is a unique ecosystem that attracts travelers from all over the world. On our trip we met some nice people from Austria, Canada, and Brazil.
You can arrive by air or by sea, but once there, it's nothing but 4 wheel drives. Seventy-five mile beach runs along the eastern coast and is considered both a Queensland highway with a speed limit of 80 kilometers per hour and an air strip. During the high season, it's even patrolled for drinking & driving. Just north of Happy Valley (go State!) keep an eye out for the Maheno Shipwreck. Once a trans-Tasman sea cruise liner, she was blown ashore in 1935 on her way to Japan when an off season cyclone hit the Pacific near Fraser. Also along 70 Mile Beach, be sure to admire the Pinnacles, multi-coloured sands sculpted into towering cliffs by the harsh ocean winds.
The highest dune reaches 240 meters above sea level. Peanuts in comparison to some of the fourteeners I've done in Colorado, but amazing to think its all sand. Many types of trees and bushes make up the sub-tropical raingorest including the Setinay, Scribble Gum Tree (see Only in Oz), and the Strangling Fig. The island also boasts over 100 fresh water creeks and lakes. Eli Creek pumps more than 80 million liters of fresh water into the Pacific Ocean every day! Finally, there is beautiful Lake Mackenzie with its crystal clear blue water surrounded by white sandy beaches made of pure silica. It's no wonder why the aborginals call it K'Gari or paradise. But beware of the dingo, an Asian wolf, who will take everything you own.
Unfortunately, we only had a weekend to explore. But Fraser has much more to offer, maybe next time. Take a look at Sand & Water so you can see just how amazing this island is.
