FRASER ISLAND in Queensland Australia is the largest sand island on earth at 184,000 hectares.
You can only access Fraser with a 4x4 and you need to obtain a permit before you go.
These are readily available at the various Ferry points. We obtained ours at Hervey Bay.
The first inhabitants of Fraser were the Aboriginal people who called it K'gari which means paradise and evidence suggests that the island was heavily populated by these people for more than 5,000 years.
Sadly there are no Aboriginal people living on the Island today but we felt their spirit as we explored this pristine wilderness.
Our first stop was to one of the forty perched dune lakes, Lake McKenzie, covering 150 hectares it is over five metres deep and situated on a sand dune 100 metres above sea level. It is worth spending time here and having a swim in the turquoise waters. You can also walk around the Lake and find quiet coves and places to sit and contemplate the wonders of this captivating place.
The Pile valley near Lake Mckenzie is home to 60 metre tall Satinay trees which were once harvested for wharf piles to build part of the Suez canal and London docks. These giants dwarf the palms and rain forest plants and thankfully now that this is a National Park these giants will be preserved for all time.
Beach driving is a major draw card on Fraser and most of it's 123 kilometre coastline is accessible in a 4x4.
Seventy five mile beach runs along the surf side of the Island and offers endless miles of flat sand driving and interesting places to stop off. Like the coloured sands, champagne pools and the photogenic Maheno shipwreck.
But at all times you must be aware of the tides as it is dangerous to drive as the tide is rising and many a vehicle has come to grief in the rising tides.
We stayed at Sailfish in Happy Valley which is a small block of 10 very well equipped two bed roomed apartments with wide open balcony's and a few metres to the beach.
We found the main resort of Eurong which has all resort facilities a little too commercial for the environment but a good source for grocery shopping and re-fuelling.
Useful websites:
http://www.fraserisland.net/
http://www.ozhorizons.com.au/ For Sailfish resort.
www.qld.gov.au/camping For permit information
