Travel Itinerary - Fraser Island Queensland - Simply paradise

Hop on a ferry, skip onto Fraser Island and Jump into Lake Mckenzie on Fraser Island and you will find yourself surrounded by mostly untouched paradise.

Location: Fraser Island - Great Sandy National Park Queensland

20 things to do and experience on Fraser Island

1. You must, must, must see and experience Lake McKenzie.

2.Drive the length of the 75 mile beach, simply amazing!

3. Watch glittery red, orange, pink and yellow rocks of Rainbow Gorge

4. Brave the cold and float down Eli creek, it's worth it!

5. Imagine the end of the world when Kirra Sand blow smothers all vegetation.

6. Find the remnants of Maheno Wreck.

7. Stop over at the Pinnacles

8. Grab some supplies at Cathedral Beach or sneak in a dingo and tent free night in one of the hotels!

9. Watch the waves crash over Champagne Pools creating a contrasting back drop as you sit in the calm shallows.

10. Brave the beach drive at low tide to the Sandy Cape and see both crashing waves and calm waters on the same beach!

11. Definitely experience the tranquil waters of Platypus Bay on the North side of the island.

12. Walk up to Sandy Cape Lighthouse to see the views over the island.

13. See wild dingos but make sure you stick to the rangers advise!

14. Spot freshwater turtles swimming in the inland lakes.

15. Drive out to Wathumba Swamp and watch out for the deep potholes!

16. Enjoy the ride over on the Ferry.

17. Don't get bogged on Rainbow Beach, let your tyres down!

18. Quickly learn how to read a tide chart or you are guaranteed to get stuck between a high sand wall and the South Pacific Ocean swell!

19.Catch fish off the beach (or if you are like us, the only fish you will catch are puffer fish! We caught 8!)

20. Relax and enjoy your holiday!

My experience

Rainbow beach was the first glimpse of paradise with the multi coloured sands literally showing us rainbows. We hopped onto the ferry and approx 10min later we arrived at Inskip Point, Fraser Island. We knew we were losing sunlight however the tide was out which meant at least we were not losing the beach!

We saw something digging in the sand up ahead and came to a holt, our first dingo sighting. Fascinated, we watched him for quite a while. While he seemed happy in our company shredding the skin off his fresh kill, we questioned what we were thinking camping for free outside the dingo fences with a 12 month old.

We found a camping spot just off the beach and gingerly got out of the car at the free camp site at Dilli Village. Leaving the headlights on, we set up the tent in record breaking speed and climbed in. Seriously, what were we thinking? Dingo's steal babies and we had one!

After a relatively sleepless night, we packed up camp and set off to discover the beauty of Fraser Island. The sights were truly amazing, the Patrol’s health was not! Spluttering all over the place, farting like a trooper, backfiring and losing power when we needed it the most, usually while traversing sand dunes or trying to get through a creek crossing.

We groaned, spluttered, backfired, groaned, spluttered, backfired across the white beach sands, crashing blue waves, yet in true Patrol style, we made it to Lake McKenzie. Every holiday, every remote location we go to, the Patrol tests our endurance, yet before every trip it’s fine, in perfect health and just as ready for the trip as we are. Why??????

We flicked the beast over to gas and it was fine. We flicked it back to Petrol and it would backfire. It wouldn’t have been a problem except there was no gas available on the island and we had a long way to go! We gave into the fact that we had to put up with the embarrassing farting noises coming from the Patrol for the majority of the trip!

Despite the Patrol testing our limits, we got to see the majority of the island and if you get to go to Fraser Island, you simply cannot miss Lake McKenzie. It is beautiful. Pure white silica sands turn to light blue shallows, then navy blue deep fresh water before your eyes. There are no worries about fish biting your ankles in the perched lake as the water is so pure, made only from raindrops, no creek inlets or beach outlet and many species do not survive.

With kookaburra's above, we found our next camp behind a sand dune sheltered from the wind of the beach. While cooking dinner, we left Princess playing in the tent. There was no way I was leaving her unattended with the smell of meat cooking in the air and dingos lurking!

The next morning I woke up to scratching sounds next to the tent. To my alarm I looked straight at a Dingo directly outside the tent door. I had made the stupid mistake of leaving a bag of rubbish hanging on the tent pole and now the Dingo was trying to jump up and get it. I freaked! Waking up everyone in the tent with my scream, it was also enough to scare the dingo away. This dingo business was freaky!

Watching history about to drown around Maheno Wreck lessened the experience of shock I had experienced with the dingo and then a day relaxing at Champagne Pools, before heading to the cape made me forget the dingoes altogether.

Sandy Cape was amazing, standing on the one beach you could visibly notice the stark contrast of the east ocean side roughness, compared to the west  bayside calm.

Driving inland to the west side of the island, we were devastated to find out that this was the side of the island that was truly paradise. There was no swirling wind of the South Pacific Ocean with shark warnings and we were the only ones in sight. The eastern side of the island may have had the scenic highlights however the calm bays of Hervey Bay Marine Park and Platypus Bay were what I want to come back to.

Fraser Island on Hema's map looked like a 4wd playground and it was. Driving on the beach, dodging the waves of an incoming tide, creek crossings, swampy inland tracks and amazing sights, gave us a wonderful experience however if you don't have a 4wd, tour groups do frequent the areas and you won’t have to worry about dingos in your secure chalets!

Before you go, prepare your trip notes, work out where you are filling up with fuel and buy a Hema map. The map certainly showed its use by the end of the trip and showed us other hidden gems in the area.

Before you go, please share this post so others can find out how wonderful Fraser Island is and click on the video below to see amazing photos and video footage of our trip. 

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