F - Fraser Island

Welcome to our tour of Australia. During the month of April we are going to visit our favourite spots in Australia. Come join us on our walkabout through the land down under.

Yesterday we checked out some of our favourite eateries. Click here if you missed that post. Today we head up the east coast to visit Fraser Island which is the world's largest sand island.

Fraser Island is over 120km/70 miles long and 22km/14 miles wide which is pretty impressive for an island made from sand. It has miles of uncrowded beaches, rainforests and some of the clearest freshwater creeks and lakes that you will ever see. The island is just off the coast of Queensland but it is only accessible by ferry and you need a 4WD vehicle to get to many of the island's attractions as the beaches serve as the main highways.
What I loved:
 We took a guided bus tour and this was a great way to see a lot of the island in one day. Like any tour the stops are a little rushed at times but there is so much to see and the beaches are inaccessible for the two hours either side of high tide. This is important to note as they serve as the main highways on the island. It was almost like visiting a continent on one island with the beaches, rainforests, freshwater creeks, lakes etc and it was easy to forget that this island is built entirely on sand. It was a long day out but one I will never forget.
Cost: (All prices are in Australian Dollars)
1 day tour with Fraser Island Tours. Tours start at $170 per person ($130 USD)
Drive yourself (4WD vehicle needed). You will need a Vehicle Access Permit which is $45.10 ($34.50 USD) and the ferry fee to get you to and from the island. The Ferry costs round trip $175 ($134 USD) for a vehicle and 4 occupants and $15 ($11.50 USD) for each additional passenger. Off peak prices are slightly cheaper.
 
More Info:  
Fraser Island Tourism
Fraser Island Tours
Fraser Island Ferries
Fraser Island Resorts

 There are miles and miles of pristine beach facing the Pacific Ocean.

For an extra fee you can take a short flight over the island. The plane uses the beach as the runway.

Even though it is within sight of the Pacific this is a freshwater creek.

Rainbow Sands. This are sand dunes that are different colours.

The Mahano shipwreck. It was an ocean liner that wrecked on the island as it was being towed in the 1930's. It is slowly sinking into the sand.

The interior of the island is covered in a rainforest.

It is hard to tell but there is water flowing above the sand. It is so clear you can only tell there is water when you notice the ripples.

Getting There.
Car: Fraser Island is accessible by ferry from either Hervey Bay or Rainbow Beach. It is about a 4 hour drive north of Brisbane.  
Air: Hervey Bay is the closest airport and is a short distance to the ferry to the island.
Train: Hervey Bay is the closest station and is about 4-5 hours from Brisbane.

What is your favourite national park or natural attraction? What did you post about today?