About K'gari
K’gari, formerly known as Fraser Island, has long been home to the Butchulla people, whose name for the island means “paradise.” The island is the largest sand island in the world and holds a deep cultural significance, with stories and traditions tied closely to its lakes, forests and coastline.
Today K’gari is a World Heritage-listed wilderness famous for its freshwater lakes, towering sand dunes and rainforests growing improbably from sand. Visitors explore by four-wheel drive along the beach highways, swim in crystal-clear lakes like Lake McKenzie, and keep a respectful eye out for the island’s resident dingoes. 🌿🌊
Our tour
We had booked this tour back in the UK when we were planning our visit to Oz, and K’gari was highly recommended to us by one of our friends, and it didn’t disappoint. By the way, the ‘K’ is silent, and as Steve likes to say is pronounced the same as the illegal immigrant in Only Fools and Horses.
We were picked up promptly at 7.35am (just goes to show how much earlier Nikki has been awake since we started this trip) and begun the tour with a very serious safety briefing on dingo’s. A Canadian backpacker had been killed by a pack of dingo’s on K’gari only a couple of months before in early January, and by the end of the talk I think some of the participants were maybe regretting their tour choice. He reassured us by suggesting, that if we were worried, we find a big stick on arrival at the Island, and there were two main rules. Do NOT run if approached, and if attacked, defend yourself aggressively.
Nonetheless we set off with 4 others and our guide, Dave. Another 4 were supposed to be on the trip but they didn’t make it to Herve Bay (see previous post about our horrendous Journey).
It was a short ferry ride across to the Island and after a brief stop to put some extra air in the tyres of our four wheel drive we were off ! You have to bear in mind that there is minimal tarmac around the resorts, and the whole tour takes place on sand tracks. Dave said that the tracks across the island were the best they had been in ages due to all the rain, which smooths them out. It was still a bone shaking drive, and we dread to think what it was usually like.
We immediately headed for 75 Mile Beach and Eli Creek (see below), then as our tour included lunch, we stopped near Central Station in the forest for a picnic, after which we went for a walk along a boardwalk by a sand creek where the water is so clear it does not look like it is running. Steve and I do like a boardwalk. We also got a look at the overseers cottage, the last original cottage on the island, from the time logging was the industry there.
After lunch, we went to amazing Mckenzie Lake (see below) and after that headed back to the ferry port for a quick beer, and return to the mainland.
75 mile beach
Once we had successfully negotiated our way across the island, we arrived at 75 mile beach, with Dave quick to point out that this is actually their main highway. We thought he was joking, but he actually wasn’t, and the beach has road signs, speed limits, and has the same ‘road’ laws as any road in Queensland despite the fact that you are driving on a beach ! The main ambulance and fire stations are half way along, just off the beach, affording quicker access, and it’s even a runway for light aircraft to land.
We did see a dingo, but only a young one, all by itself, Nikki thought it looked quite cute; Steve thought it would rip your throat out!!
Our first stop was at the ship wreck on the beach. It was the SS Maheno, which run aground during a cyclone in 1935. Built in 1905 in Scotland, it was originally a luxurious ocean liner. There isn’t much left of it as it rusts away, and you can’t step onto it any longer as it’s now too dangerous, but apparently it used to be a favourite spot for impromptu parties back in the day, and even a wedding or two.
At the northern end of the beach we made a brief stop at the Pinnacles, an outcrop of limestone cliffs, then we turned around to head back.
A 75 mile beach is something to get your head around, especially when it is being used as the M1 for the island. To provide some context, Steve has a cousin Gary who lives just the other side of Fakenham, in North Norfolk. Driving to see Gary takes us 2 hours, and from Saffron Walden is around 75 miles. Imagine if we made that trip on a beach. Where the comparison ends of course is that small planes do not land on the A11.
Eli Creek
Our next stop was a favourite with tourists as there is a very shallow creak that runs alongside the beach, which you can drift down on inflatables. We walked down it as neither of us had an inflatable, apparently Steve’s belly doesn’t count.
Once again, Steve was reminded of Centre Parcs and one of their water flumes. Maybe the founders of Centre Parcs also did a tour to Australia and took in Hamilton Island and Eli Creek.
Lake Mckenzie
Lake McKenzie is a perched lake, meaning it sits above the water table, held in place by layers of sand and organic material.
As no rivers flow in or out of the lake, it’s water is amazingly clear and as a warm as a bath – even Nikki could get in. Known to the Butchulla people as Boorangoora, it has long been an important cultural and spiritual place on K’gari.
Today the lake is one of Australia’s most famous, and most photographed, swimming spots. The 2 trees on the shoreline is an iconic image.
This was our last stop, and I think the most favourite of the tour. The pictures speak for themselves, and we had a very relaxing hour or so including a swim or two in the lake.