Sand, Dingo’s and Bush Tucker
Trip Start
Jun 03, 2010
1
7
8
Trip End
Jun 13, 2010
Where I stayed
Fraser Island, Queensland, Australia
Friday, June 11, 2010
Viewing the coastline from above again proved to be a spectacular experience! Huge pods of dolphins, manta rays and even the odd shark presented themselves right under our plane as we tracked north along the beach. Being the start of the migration season, we all kept an eye out for humpback whales on their way north but were unable to pick out any of the leaders.
From the air you get a really good perspective on the sheer size of Fraser Island and its rainforests. Though made of sand, the island stretched over 120klms in length and an average of around 15klm in width. There are over 1500klm of tracks carved through the forests for 4x4 access only, with the eastern beach an actual registered highway complete with police highway patrol!
Upon landing at a small airstrip on the southwestern side of the island we were met by our guide for the day Ashton from Fraser Explorer Tours. Parked next to the small hanger was our transport, a long 4X4 bus made specifically for the sandy tracks and beaches which we would encounter on our travels around the island.
The first stop was central station, formally the hub for the small community of timber cutters who logged sections of the island prior to its listing as a world heritage natural attraction. We took a short walk down to a nearby creek running clear and silently over sand surrounded by lush rainforest. The sand acts a filter for a massive aquifer located under the island which is estimated to hold more fresh water than four Sydney Harbours! After 80-100 years the water seeps out in these streams so fresh you could drink directly from them.
After bouncing along the island tracks for around 7klms we hit the beach and headed north to Eli Creek, our lunch stop. A couple of the girls decided to swim in the freshwater outfall, but the main attraction was a friendly native Dingo who had been following the beach and turned inland at the creek. The wild dogs are a definite attraction with Fraser Island being the one of the only places left in Australia they can be seen in their native environment.
After lunch was a visit to the most spectacular of the lakes on Fraser Island, Lake Mackenzie. This crystal clear lake is surrounded by stunning white sandy beaches, the sand so fine that jewelry can be cleaned by rubbing it between your hands. After a swim we hit the track back towards our stop for the night, Fraser Islands award winning eco resort, Kingfisher Bay Resort.
Located on the western side of the island, Kingfisher Bay is the premier resort on Fraser and offers unique luxury wilderness accommodation overlooking the wetlands and beaches. We started the evening with sunset drinks at the resort jetty before being treated to a bush foods tasting and demonstration by one of the descendents of Fraser's native aboriginal peoples who now works as a park ranger at the resort. These sessions run several times a week and are a great way to learn about the native ingredients used by the chefs in many of the dishes prepared at Kingfishers restaurants.
