Great Barrier Reef - Fraser Island

When I think of Fraser Island, I associate it with three things: sand dunes, four-wheel driving, and the wreck of SS Maheno. This easily accessible UNESCO site was home to the Butchulla people, indigenous Australians who called the island K'gari, meaning paradise. They occupied the island for at least 5,000 years before Europeans arrived in the mid-1800s and removed and resettled them.

Separated from the mainland by the Great Sandy Strait, the island is the largest sand island in the world, measuring 76mi (123km) long and 14mi (22km) wide. It has some incredible sand dunes, the highest at 800ft (244m) tall. The sand is primarily grains of quartz (silica), creating a squeaky sound between the toes when walking on it. Millions of years ago, the area which is now Fraser Island had a low, hilly terrain created by volcanic activity. Winds, waves, and ocean currents from the southeast regions of Australia and even Antarctica, when it was a green and lush environment, carried sands across the continental shelf towards the mainland, creating several sand islands, of which Fraser Island is the largest. Year-round winds on the island cause the sand to keep moving, sometimes burying forests and other plant life. One example is the Hammerstone dune, located next to Lake Wabby. Initially, the lake was a stream that flowed to the sea, but the wind kept blowing the sand dune until it blocked the flow. As the sand dune continues to drift into the lake, it is predicted that the lake will cease to exist within a century.

One of Fraser Island's unique features is its tall rainforests growing in its sand. A most unusual combination since sand is sparse in nutrients. It is a fascinating chain of events where the nutrients from sea spray are captured in the air and then deposited on the sand. The fungi in the sand then transfer the nutrients to the plants. I cannot help but recall the iconic line from Jurassic Park, "Life finds a way."

The island has a fantastic array of plants with species including eucalyptus trees, kauri pines, mangroves, coastal heaths, and the king fern, which is known to have the world's longest fronds (up to 30ft/9m).

Amongst all this, there are over 100 freshwater lakes. It is Australia's second-largest concentration of lakes, with the most pristine, clear blue waters, including Lake McKenzie and its beautiful white sandy shores.

While the island has nearly 50 species of mammals, the most intriguing one is the dingo. A native wild dog of Australia, the dingoes on Fraser Island are one of the purest strains surviving today. They are very cunning and have medium-sized bodies designed for speed and agility. Who brought them to Australia is unknown, but they have been here for more than 8,000 years. Dingoes love to travel and swim and are often seen wandering along the beaches. As apex predators, they play an essential role in maintaining the island's natural balance by preying on feral animals and fostering the survival of native species.

Fraser Island is a magnificent place full of dunes for sandboarding, rainforests for hiking, lakes for swimming, and the "75-mile beach" for exciting 4WD expeditions. A beautiful video of Fraser Island



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