Tag 54 - Discovery Tour on Fraser Island

As Fraser Island is only accessible by four-wheel drive, we had to leave our rental car on the mainland and booked a tour on Fraser Island. Our converted bus picks us up at 8 am and zooms through the sand with us.

Our first stop is at Lake McKenzie, a beautiful blue freshwater lake on Fraser Island. The lake is up to nine meters deep and is situated in the middle of the jungle.

Then we continue through the rainforest to Central Station. Originally, Central Station was a sacred site for the indigenous Butchulla tribe. It was a refuge for the indigenous women to give birth to their babies under the rainforest canopy on the banks of Wanggoolba Creek. We walk through the rainforest to the clear stream of Wanggoolba Creek, which meanders through the sand in the jungle. After lunch at the K'gari Beach Resort, we drive to 75 Mile Beach. Here, some jeeps and pickups pass us by, as 75 Mile Beach is known as a highway on Fraser Island.

We stop at the Maheno Shipwreck. In 1935, the S.S. Maheno was sold to Japan and was being towed to Japan by a tugboat when a cyclone in Queensland Waters destroyed the tow chain and left the S.S. Maheno stranded helplessly on the shore of Fraser Island. Fortunately, no one was injured at that time.

We continue to The Pinnacles, a fantastic colorful rock formation right by the sea. The famous cliffs were formed by the immersion of clay, minerals, and sand, with the color spots on the cliffs attributed to the iron-rich minerals in the sand. The sculptures of the cliff were shaped by the weather, with wind and rain shaping the outer sand until the old core was exposed.

Then we stop at Eli Creek, the largest freshwater creek on the east coast of Fraser Island, which flows into the sea. With an inflatable tube, you can float down the river to the sea. We walk through the river and discover small snails and eels in the clear water.

In the afternoon, we take a short hike through the Pile Valley, which is known for satinay trees, giant king ferns, Kauri pines, and other rare flora and fauna. In the late afternoon, we return to our resort with great impressions of the island.