Fraser Island quickly became one of our favourite locations for this entire trip after spending one week exploring the island. Here is a breakdown of everything you need to know before you go, where we camped and where we explored.
Starting with the fun stuff - where to go and what to do
LAKE MCKENZIE (Boorangoora)
One of Fraser Island's most picturesque attractions - this freshwater lake is a very popular spot. We went early in the morning as it gets very busy during the day. After 9am it's pretty hard to get a car park or even your own spot on the small stretch of beach - so the earlier you go the better.
This was also our favourite spot to stand up paddle-board as the water was completely flat and crystal clear. We visited the lake almost every day, and we also found it was a great place to clean off as we were camping with no showers or facilities for the entire week. So an ideal spot to freshen up.
To get here isn’t the easiest, It's in the centre of the island on a one-way track, so a trip there and back will be a minimum of 1 hour. However, don't let this deter you, the drive is incredibly scenic and takes you through the rainforest including Pile Valley (More at that later) .
ELI CREEK
Another incredibly popular picnic and swimming hotspot, pumping approximately 80 million liters of freshwater into the ocean every day is truly something to see. A boardwalk leads you along the creek inland through a lush forest of banksia and pandanus to a staircase where you can jump into the water and slowly float down the stream back to the beach. Make sure you bring a floaty with you to truly enjoy the experience.
This was one of the busiest places on Fraser Island, so I would recommend going early in the morning before 8am. Otherwise you’ll be sharing the place with a couple hundred people.
WESTERN BEACHES
The Western beaches have by far the most beautiful ocean on the island - think crystal clear, bright blue water. When we got there the western side was mostly empty so we had the place to ourselves.
It was a bit difficult to get there from where we were camping as it was about a two hour drive and we had to go through some sketchy driving spots. However, we had no issues and didn’t get bogged, but we did see a few others having issues, so go prepared.
What's there to do here? Swim, relax, enjoy the sun and drive 30+kms down the beach with no interruption.
SHIPWRECK S.S. MAHENO
One of the most iconic features of Fraser Island is the S.S. Maheno Shipwreck. Located on the Eastern side of the Island between Eli Creek and the Pinnacles, you can drive and walk right up to it from the beach.
We recommend going at low tide so you can see more of the exposed ship. Sunrise is also a great time to avoid crowds and get the best light hitting the shipwreck.
PILE VALLEY
As mentioned before, you can access this through the pathway to Lake McKenzie. It is a one-way system so you have to head all the way to the lake to see it and unfortunately will not pass it on your return. Pile Valley is a lot shorter than I thought it would be as it’s only a small section of the drive, however you will see a sign on the approach and there are usually a lot of people stopping to take photos so hopefully you won't miss it.
LAKE WABBY
Another freshwater lake you can find on Fraser Island. This lake is a bit harder to get to as you can’t drive directly to it. The Lookout is approximately an hour's walk from the car park or you can walk to the lake itself by parking along the eastern beaches and making your way to the lake. This walk will take you approx. 2 hours each way to complete (4.1kms one way)
Now for the stuff you need to know ….
GETTING THERE
We caught the barge from Rainbow Beach, which was a far shorter process instead of catching it from Hervey Bay. This also meant that we entered a different point of the island, which was from the very bottom tip on the eastern side. Alternatively, you can catch it from Hervey Bay which takes you to the Western side of the Island right next to the main resort.
We paid $230 for the barge return trip. Hot tip is to make sure you let your tires down before you get to the end of the car park as it turns into the beach. We were quite confused when we got there as there was no directional signage, or any signage for that matter. We simply lined up behind a few other cars and drove straight onto the barge. Once we were on, they came around and checked our tickets. If you haven’t pre-booked a ticket you can pay on the barge.
CAMPING
The camping was probably the roughest we have done so far on this trip, but it was well worth it as it is truly an incredible place. We camped in ‘Beach Camping Zone 1’ which is on the eastern side of the Island. There are no designated camping areas, so you just book a zone and can find the spot that suits you best.
The campground had no amenities at all so it was completely off grid. However there are toilets around the island in the main town area and in cafes etc. Camping in allocated zones will set you back approx. $15 per night and a vehicle permit will cost you $89.99 for a month pass.
If you're not interested in roughing it, there are a few campgrounds around the island that have amenities but of course they come at a higher cost.
A few things we recommend bringing are plenty of water, portable toilet and solar panels. We managed without a shower and instead opted to bathe in the multiple freshwater lakes around the island - Lake Mckenzie was our personal favourite.
OFF ROADING
While the island is so close to the mainland, most of the tracks are sand with only a few gravel and paved roads. These are only in very close proximity to the resorts and the majority of the Island requires beach and off-road driving. So make sure you come prepared with all of your recovery gear as it is very easy to get bogged all over the island.
FOOD
Another thing to note is that there are very few places to buy food with only a few general stores scattered around the Island. It's also very expensive to purchase food products so we recommend coming prepared with all of the food you are planning to eat while you are there.
PETROL
Petrol was not cheap! We went with a full double tank, however, still needed to fill up after a few days exploring. Just another thing to be cautious about before you travel. We recommend investing in a jerry can or two.
DINGOS AND WILDLIFE
Fraser Island is possibly the best known for its dingo population, which can be dangerous at times so make sure you are wary of where you’re camping, if you have food out in the open and also if you’re traveling with young children.
We encountered dingos every day and saw over 10+ in the week that we were there, however, we never had any issues with them. So please don’t let them deter you from visiting K’gari as it is truly an incredible location.
EATING OUT
There are quite a few places to eat on the island, especially around the resorts. However, we didn’t check these places out and instead opted for the small cafés around the Eurong Town centre. We ate at the café/pub at Happy Valley for lunch one day, which was a great place to get a pub meal and have a bevy. We also ate at the Eurong Bakery, It was a great to grab a quick bite to eat as well as good coffee.
Our overall experience - we absolutely loved it. As mentioned it is one of our top three locations around Australia, and we would go back in a heartbeat.
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