Dreamz Turning Dreams Into Reality
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For all its conveniences, modern living leaves tons to be desired. We spend our days enduring the ever-increasing pressures of labor , the city’s oppressive unfriendliness, the daily commuter grind and therefore the aggressive reality of impatient road-ragers.
Is something missing?
Unfortunately, work may be a reality for many folks . So too is city and suburban living, dreary weather, pollution, traffic… But it doesn’t need to be all there’s to life. Try something that puts you in-tuned with who you actually are. Try something elemental. Try something that soothes your soul.
Try Fraser Island.
Fraser Island isn’t just an island paradise. It’s a singular and opulent combination of Australia’s rich natural heritage, its earthy roots, its wholesome majesty, and its refreshingly simple essentials. It’s an opportunity to the touch the fine sands, to drift within the temperate water, to enjoys the sun that seems all yours… It’s your chance to partake of a life that the majority Australians have forgotten.
Spend every week on and in turquoise waters, every week without shoes with the sand between your toes, every week fishing and maybe living off your catch. Your perspective can’t help but change.
It’s not a mere fleeting appreciation. It’s something you’re taking with you.
Fraser can help remind you that you’re not your job. How important are the forms and therefore the filing, the meetings and memorandums? you’ll learn tons about yourself once you deduct all the items that don’t matter.
And really… is there any better thanks to experience this epiphany than in paradise?
Fraser Island certainly may be a paradise, regardless of which way you check out it. At the southern end of the good coral reef , and a brief boat ride from Hervey Bay in South-East Queensland, Fraser is 124 km from tip to toe and 16 km across the center . At 163,000 hectares, it’s the world’s biggest sand island.
Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s all just sand. Not by an extended shot! the entire island is laced with crystal clear water streams, and deep midnight blue water lakes. In fact, with over 40 water lakes – it’s home to half the world’s known ‘perched’ lakes. It also boasts a stunning diversity of plants and animals (including Australia’s purest strain of dingo), and a tremendous sort of spectacular landscapes, from 120 km of non-stop tropical beach to dense and towering rainforest, weathered headland to ochre gorge, inspiring cliffs to wandering dunes, eerie mangroves to wind-blown salt pans.
What’s more, you’ve got your choice of accommodation, so you’ll choose your own level of ‘communion with nature’. From 4½ star luxury resorts to rental retreats to motels and units, throughout to the great ‘ole campsite. Whether you’re a sucker for a touch of pampering, or you’re perfectly reception with a tent and a campfire on the beach, Fraser may be a great provider.
And great accommodation is simply the start… The island boasts average temperatures of 29°c in summer and 22°c in winter, so it’s no surprise that outdoor activities feature prominently on the agenda. Adrenalin addicts and dedicated sunbathers alike will appreciate the vast range available. From sunrise to sunset (and beyond), there’s always something for everybody . the sole problem is choosing! Fishing, 4-wheel-driving, eating, sailing, bird-watching, bush-walking, swimming, eating, whale & dolphin-watching, shipwreck exploration, eating, beauty therapy, massage, lazing within the sun, eating, beach volleyball, tennis, cricket, eating, canoeing, sailboarding, snorkelling, eating… And needless to mention , a couple of quiet drinks might make their way onto the agenda as well…
With such a lot to supply , it’s no surprise that the Fraser Island was originally referred to as K’gari – or ‘Paradise’ – by local Aboriginal peoples.
Fraser Island certainly is “paradise for everyone”!
Four Wheel Driving
Being a sand island, the sole mode of land transport is 4WD. Of course, for several visitors, that’s the most attraction. 4WD enthusiasts from all round the world visit Fraser Island to pit themselves and their vehicles against the rugged terrain found everywhere the island. From the hard-packed seashore to the shifting dune to the forests of the inside , Fraser Island is that the ideal 4WD location.
Don’t be scared though – it’s not all about extreme driving for experts! Whether you’re an novice, otherwise you just prefer a more leisured pace of life, you’ll find a way more sedate satisfaction in one among the various organised 4WD tours offered round the island. Or if you only want to urge out on your own, you’ll hire a 4WD for each day , and enjoys a touch of quiet exploring.
No matter which option you select , though, there are a couple of ‘ground rules’ you ought to observe. Remember the risks of driving on the beach. The further you adventure from the shoreline, the softer the sand. The softer the sand, the more likely you’re to urge into trouble. Generally speaking, keep your speed down, and remember you’re during a World Heritage listed environment… so take care .
Fishing
No island holiday would be complete without a lazy day or two spent fishing. Beach fishing is that the big drawcard for Fraser Island. And with 150 km of ocean beach to settle on from, why wouldn’t it be? Middle Rocks, Sandy Cape, Waddy Point, and Seventy Five Mile Beach are just a couple of of the selection locations available for you to finally get the higher of ‘the one that got away’.
The famed ‘tailor run’ occurs on the eastern (ocean) side of the island between July and October annually . within the angling world, this point – referred to as ‘tailor season’ – may be a much anticipated event, with huge schools of massive fish working the beaches. But if you can’t make it between late winter and early spring, rest assured, tailor season is simply one date to mark in your calendar. The western side of Fraser has been known to reward the odd angler with a fine bag of bream, whiting and flathead.
Angler’s Advice
Pick the fish you’re after, and the foremost “> cash in of the handy hints below to form the most of your fishing trip.
Fish: Tailor
Bait: Pilchard, 3 hook gang, lure
Timing: Late July to October
Location: Eastern Beaches
Fish: Dart
Bait: Pippies or worms
Timing: All year
Location: Eastern Beaches
Fish: Bream
Bait: Flesh strips, mullet gut, fowl gut, pippies
Timing: May to September
Location: Rocky outcrops on East Coast or creeks on the
west
Fish: Whiting
Bait: Worms, yabbies, pippies, prawns
Timing: All year
Location: low water on the east, creeks on the west
Fish: Flathead
Bait: Live baits, pilchards, lures
Timing: All year
Location: Rocky outcrops on East Coast or creeks on the
west
Fish: Jewfish
Bait: Whole mullet, tailor fillets, beach worms
Timing: May to September in the dark on the complete moon, low or
high tide
Location: Deep gutters and rocky outcrops
Of course, more varieties are there for the taking, including mackerel, tuna, and reef fish. And if you’re not indisposed to a touch of sea fishing, you’ll book a berth on one among the larger boats launched to require advantage of the red emperor, coral trout, maori cod and parrot to be found off the ocean floor and native reefs.
Water Sports
As you’d expect, Fraser Island plays host to a huge array of water sports. Whether you’re after a lazy drifting afternoon – cocktail in hand, or an invigorating workout, there’s a aquatics for you. All fitness levels (and energy levels!) are catered for.
Ease yourself into the aqua-life with a refreshing dip at one among the foremost beautiful beaches within the world. Surrounded by pure white sandy beaches, the clear blue waters of Lake McKenzie are doubtless amongst the foremost idyllic to be found. Alternatively, exercise your imagination with a visit to the ghostly shipwreck of the “Maheno”, then submerge yourself within the crystal clear waters of Eli Creek.
Fraser Island sits on an enormous reservoir of water , and is home to numerous spectacular water lakes, including some perched high above water level . you’ve got your choice of over 40 lakes… Lake Wabby, Champagne Pools, Basin Lake… to call but a couple of . Clearly, Fraser Island is abundantly equipped to pamper even the fussiest water connoisseur.
For something a touch more strenuous, why not hire paddle ski or canoe and paddle yourself up Dundonga Creek. It’s generally a 1 hour trip , so by the time you come back , you’ll be able to settle back to some more relaxed pastimes.
Whale and Dolphin Watching
Every year from August to October, you’ll book a berth on a whale watch cruise. Enjoy an incredible half day of sun, salt, and ocean breezes while keeping your eyes peeled for Fraser’s famous migrating humpbacks.
The annual humpback migration is actually an awesome spectacle. Family pods take a well earned rest within the waters west of Fraser Island after travelling 5000 km from the icy waters of the Antarctic. The sight of a 15 tonne (that’s the load of 11 elephants!) woman humpback rearing out of the ocean is completely awe-inspiring.
And don’t worry… if your holiday doesn’t coincide with the migration, you’ll still catch a cruise questing for dolphins, dugongs, turtles and therefore the odd Indo Pacific Humpback.
Speak to your hotel or resort for information about organising a whale or dolphin watching cruise. Alternatively, contact Kingfisher Bay Resort and ask about their tours.
Tips & Reminders
– Access to Fraser Island is via vehicular barge or catamaran
– 4WDs only on Fraser Island (there are not any paved roads except in resorts)
– Don’t feed or pet the dingoes (or the other animals)
– No livestock allowed
– Most activities on the island are often enjoyed individually or as a part of a booked tour group
– You’ll need permits to 4WD or camp
– 4WDs are often hired on the mainland or on the island
– Don’t leave food unattended
– about the toughest sand are often unpredictable and threatening for a 4WD
– High and low water gutters around dawn or dusk are best for fishing
– If four wheel driving, take an honest map and a tyre pressure gage
For further information about all aspects of Fraser Island, including accommodation, hire guides, and barge booking details and timetables, see http://www.boxatrix.com/.
How Much?
– Accommodation – Prices vary from approximately $4 per night if you’re camping right up to $850 per night for the VIP room at the 4½ star luxury of Kingfisher Bay Resort.
– Permits – A 4WD vehicle permit will cost you $31.85. Camping permits are $4 per person per night or $16 per family per night. Children under 5 are free. to get a permit or obtain detailed information, call the Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service at Rainbow Beach on (07) 5486 3160.
– Vehicular Barge Access – Barges operate daily from Hervey Bay and Rainbow Beach. Tickets start at $82.20 return per vehicle per driver. Extra vehicle passengers will cost $5.50 each. Several barges operate with different destinations on the island. Most require bookings.
– 4WD Hire – Rates start at around $90 per day for a Suzuki Sierra, up to $130 per day for a Landrover Defender (depending on the duration of hire).
– Flights to Queensland – Qantas offers return flights to Hervey Bay via Brisbane from $407 departing Sydney, and from $527 departing Melbourne.
