Fraser island australia on the map. On the Fraser Island in a jeep. Jeep rental for a trip to the Fraser
Where is Fraser Island located?
Fraser Island it is the largest and most famous sand island in the world. This Paradise Island located in Eastern Australia about 300 kilometers north of Brisbane (approximately 3 hours by car). Fraser Island stretches for 124 kilometers with a width of 7 to 25 km. Its area is 163,000 hectares. Fraser Island is a unique, luxurious, rich Australian natural heritage.
Climate of Fraser Island
Fraser Island is a natural paradise and has a maritime subtropical climate with rainfall of 1800 mm per year, mainly from December to May. In summer temperatures reach up to 30 ° C, however, winter temperatures range from 14 to 21 ° C and July is the coldest period of the year.
Beaches and recreation of Fraser Island
Most big beach to the Fraser Islands is about 120 kilometers along its east coast. This beach is one of the most magnificent beaches in the world. This amazing place includes an amazing variety of scenery: long surf beaches, pleasing cliffs, dense rainforests, beautiful lakes with fresh water, huge basalt capes and salt lakes with creepy mangrove forests. Fraser Island also has many amazing sights such as the Maheno Wreck, beautiful pools, the Ely Creek Zone or the Indian Head ( a good place where you can see sharks in the surf).
Fauna of Fraser Island
The beaches and forests of Fraser Island are home to a wide variety of wildlife, including 230 bird species (Australia's largest and most diverse bird communities), such as sea eagles, ospreys, kites, falcons, gulls, cockatoos, terns, honeyeaters or endangered parrots. In addition, Fraser Island is home to the wild dog Dingo. Unfortunately, due to the threat of people on the island, the number of Dingo dogs is declining from year to year. People killed many dogs believing that these animals could be a danger to people. There are also other mammals such as opossums, swamp wallabies, sugar gliders, flying foxes, echidnas and kangaroos.
Lake on Fraser Island
In addition, there are over 100 lakes on Fraser Island. Which are one of the cleanest freshwater lakes in the world. Perhaps the most famous of these lakes is Lake. The lake is located on top of a sand dune. This perfect place which extends over 150 hectares. There is a beautiful beach, consisting of almost pure quartz sand. This location, along with the largest creek on the island's east coast, are two of the main symbols and site of beautiful Fraser Island.
History of Fraser Island
Scientists believe Fraser Island has been inhabited for 800,000 years. Previously, this amazing island was called the "Great Sandy Island" and was occupied by the natives. They, in turn, called this island "Kigari", which means "paradise" in their native language. Aboriginal Australians have occupied this island since 5,000 years ago. On the island before the arrival of Europeans in the XVIII century, there were from 400 to 600 inhabitants.
Unfortunately, like many other parts of the world, the arrival of Europeans in Fraser Island in 1836 resulted in the death of the local population. Captain James Cook and Matthew Flinders sailed around this island in the late 18th century. However, the first British to officially arrive on the island were Captain James Fraser and his wife, Eliza Fraser. They arrived on the island because they were shipwrecked. Captain Fraser died on the island, however, his wife survived and was rescued. She returned to England and told the story, so the island is now called Eliza and James Fraser.
The British took advantage of the island's wealth, timber. They cut down forests, which was started in 1863 by the American Jack Pigotty and continued until 1991. Fraser Island has several rich deposits such as rutile, zircon, monazite and ilmenite. These developments began to be operated in 1950. However, due to environmental action, mining activity on Fraser Island only lasted until 1977.
Fraser Island was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. And it is part of Australia's natural and cultural heritage. Therefore, Fraser Island is currently the most visited place in Australia. The island can be reached by ferry from Hervey Bay or by plane from Maroochydore Airport from the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. Fraser Island currently, is for recreation, one of the best places in Australia.
Fraser Island is located in Queensland, north of Brisbane, and is a 123-kilometer long sandy spit separated from the mainland by a wide strait. You can only get there on a double-decker ferry, from the top deck of which you can enjoy an unforgettable view of the world's largest sandy island. To preserve the nature of the island, it was created here, covering its entire territory. There are no permanent settlements on the island. In 1992, it was included in the World Natural Heritage List.
The island got its name from the name of the captain of the British cargo ship "Mobile Castle", which was wrecked off the northern tip of the island in 1836. Local aborigines from the Badtjala tribe rescued the captain and tried to do everything possible to cure him. But, despite their efforts, the captain soon died. His wife lived with her rescuers for about six months, after which she was found in good health by the British and taken home.
And the island owes its formation to ocean waves and their tidal regime. By the way, it is the last factor that is felt in the first place when you drive along the ocean coast. Under the wheels is absolutely smooth, without the slightest potholes and potholes, but not an asphalt, but a sandy road. Or rather, not even a road, but simply a wide, several tens of meters shore. Closer to the ocean, sand with water, and closer to the center of the island - dry and crumbling. Tidal oscillations of the ocean, as you know, occur twice a day -. And most importantly, every day has its own schedule. And to make it easier in it, tourists are handed out special leaflets indicating the time and height of the maximum and minimum ocean levels.
Another wealth of the Fraser, unique not only in shape and color, but also in composition and animal population, are freshwater lakes lying among the dunes. There are more than 40 of them, which is half of all intra-dune lakes on the planet! Among them - the largest lake of this type in the world - Bumanin (200 hectares) and the highest - Boomerang (120 m above sea level). All lakes are completely different. Some are surrounded by dense forests with rich undergrowth, such as a lake, Kutsa are especially fond of tourists around Christmas. On the shores of other lakes, on the contrary, there are areas of exposed dune sands. However, both of them are poor in nutrients, and therefore life.
A lot of amazing, if desired, can be found right next to the path on seemingly bare ground. From time to time you notice small, two centimeters in diameter, green circles. If you carefully pick up one of them with a knife, it will rise and turn out to be ... a lid that leans back, like on a good "loop", and closes the entrance to the hunter's house with smooth inner walls. The spider itself is most likely not to be found in the house: sensing that the “prey” is too large, it will quickly crawl through the “back door” into the hole, further into the ground, before prudently slamming the “door”.
In the crowns of trees, you can find king parrots and yellow-tailed black cockatoos. On the ground, an emerald dove feeds on fallen fruit. The brush-tailed possum and the sugar glider also live here (however, you can only see them on a specially organized night tour).
Dingo, these amazingly beautiful lean dogs of a red color, with white paws and a narrow "fox" muzzle, are found everywhere. These dogs are very attractive, and their puppies, as well as any puppies, are also very touching. Therefore, the simple human desire of tourists to give dingoes something from their stocks in response to their pleading look is understandable. Some dogs constantly live in the vicinity of tourist camps and have already forgotten how to get their own food. Such dingoes, if they are denied a handout, become aggressive and are even capable of biting. They become especially demanding during the period of feeding puppies, that is, in winter (in Australia this is June - August). It is for this reason that they cause concern to the Rangers. The most aggressive dogs have to be caught and destroyed.
In this regard, at all campsites of tourists (and several thousand of them come here every year - mainly in the Australian summer) there are special posters: "Btge8". They inform visitors of the importance of preserving the dingo population on Fraser Island. Indeed, in all this is practically the only absolutely pure community of dingoes that do not have contact with domestic dogs. It also tells why it is so dangerous to feed dingoes: it is dangerous for visitors.
Catching aggressive dogs is the task of rangers national park. They are also entrusted with the entire information and environmental service. In addition, they must be able to provide first aid and, if necessary, quickly evacuate the victim. Rangers regularly monitor the state of parking lots and monitor compliance with established rules of behavior by tourists. They are engaged in supplying campsites with firewood, showing slide films in the evenings, holding various holidays, etc., etc. In short, the rangers of Fraser Island are as beautiful a sight in this corner of Australia's nature as its yellow dunes and coffee rocks, tree ferns and orchids in bloom, emerald doves and the wild dog dingo.
Fraser is a sandy island off the east coast of Australia, separated from the mainland by vast swampy areas. The natives who inhabited this island before the arrival of Europeans called it Kgari, which means "paradise". And they can be understood - the place is truly heavenly: snow-white sands, mangroves, lakes and exotic flora and fauna.
The modern name of the island was given by the name of Captain Fraser, who was wrecked off these coasts and, together with his wife, was forced to settle there.
Fraser is the world's largest sand island. It is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as a unique natural site.
How to get there
Closest to Fraser Island international Airport located in Brisbane. There are no direct flights from Russia, a round-trip flight with one transfer costs from 1017 USD per person. Further from Brisbane - to the small town of Harvey Bay on the coast. There are many ways: an airplane, several trains, buses or a rented car.
The fastest way is by plane. The journey will take just over 2 hours, the ticket price is from 110 USD per person one way. You will spend about the same amount on a train ticket, which takes 4.5 hours. A slower train (6.5 hours one way) will cost half as much. Most a budget option- this is a bus, a one-way ticket costs from 30 USD per person.
There are piers in Harvey Bay, from which barges leave for Fraser several times a day (approximately from 6:00 to 18:45). A ticket costs about 60 USD per person, you can buy them at the pier.
A barge ticket alone is not enough to get to Fraser Island. You also need a special permit - "permit". It is issued by default if you rent a jeep at the Harvey Bay resort, or if you have a reservation at any of the hotels on the island.
Find flights to Fraser Island
Hotels
The island has several hotels and guest houses for tourists. The average cost of a night in a hotel is about 100 USD per night for a double room. Hotels are usually located in a picturesque place, on the territory there is a swimming pool, garden, gazebos and other amenities. Guest houses are slightly cheaper: from 70 USD per night for a double room, the location is also excellent, but there may not be a pool and a garden area.
The beaches of Fraser Island
The Fraser Coast is over 100 km of sandy beaches. Most of them are wild, but even on popular beaches there is practically no tourist infrastructure. Swimming in completely deserted places is not recommended, since they are deserted for a reason: there can be sand dunes, dangerous currents, jellyfish, dingo dogs and other not very pleasant neighborhood. The most popular beaches among tourists are Orchideyny, Indian Head (it is so called for its intricately indented coastline), Cathedral, quartz sand beach and Happy Valley beaches.
It is much safer to relax on the shores of freshwater lakes. There are more than 40 of them on the island, the most famous of them is the bright blue Lake Mackenzie. No one lives in it - the water in the lake is distilled. There are always a lot of people here (a lot by local standards - on any European beach resort the beaches are uncommonly crowded), and if you want to enjoy absolute silence, you should arrive before 16:00, when the buses with tourists are already leaving.
Entertainment and excursions
People go to Fraser primarily for relaxing on snow-white beaches and observing wildlife. In the west - mangroves and swamps, in the east - sand, and in the north - impenetrable equatorial forests (there is also located national park Great Sandy National Park.
Diversity is not only found in vegetation, but also in animal world. Sea turtles live in local freshwater lakes, and the wild dingo dog lives in large numbers on land. She is not wild in the full sense of the word: once she was already domesticated, but after that she became wild again. Dingoes can be found almost anywhere on the island, they live peacefully in their flocks and are never the first to attack people. But it’s better not to disturb them: they will certainly defend their territory. About 350 species of birds live in the local forests, many of which are protected, such as the ground parrot and the needle-footed owl.
Directly at the hotel you can book day and night excursions to get to know the nature of the island. Another option is to go to boat trip and look closely at sharks, dolphins, humpback whales and others marine life. At night you can see bats, foxes and many colorful frogs.
From August to October, humpback whale migrations can be seen on Fraser Island.
There are no cultural and historical attractions on the island, but tourists are usually impressed by the huge pyramids of household waste, consisting mainly of fishing tackle and boat wrecks. In the Happy Valley, you can still see the wreckage of the Makhino, which sank off the coast of the island during the First World War, and visit the abandoned McKenzie Wharf, where the Zed Assault Force was based during the Second World War. A sacred place has been preserved on the Lunar Cape, where the women of the Aboriginal tribes gave birth to children.
Most of the entertainment offered on the island is active. You can ride a jeep along the sandy Cathedral Rocks or fly over them in a mini-plane, raft down the Ely Creek and go out into the open ocean, go sailing and fishing. You will probably have to dig the worms yourself, but this is very easy: after low tide, they lie right on the shore.
Traveling on Fraser Island
Fraser is owned by the State of Queensland world's largest sand island which is located off the east coast of Australia. The natives of the island called this piece of land "K'gari", which literally translates as "paradise".
in 1992 included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. This is not surprising, because the dunes of this unique natural monument were formed more than four hundred thousand years ago. There are forty lakes with fresh water on the territory of Fraser, as well as the famous Hanging Lakes.This amazingly beautiful island Australia was named after the married couple Eliza and James Fraser, whose ship was wrecked off the coast of the island in 1836.
Today, the story of a woman named Eliza, who survived the death of a newborn child and husband, and was also captured by the natives, excites the minds of travelers around the world who go to this island for unforgettable experience.
For a long time, the natives and Europeans were at enmity, dividing the Fraser territory. Today, the island is a peaceful place, the main focus of which is conservation of pristine nature and tourism.
Flora and fauna
To the east, the Fraser coast, where the island faces the ocean, its territory is covered white sandy beaches.
A mangrove forest grows in the west of the island, and virgin equatorial forests have been preserved in the northern part.
See all the beauty of flora and fauna islands can be led by a forester. Tourists have the opportunity to watch electric stingrays and predators while walking.
Fauna of Fraser Island especially interesting. So, on land there is a wild dog Dingo, and freshwater turtles live in well-warmed shallow lakes.
Also on Fraser Island lives more than 350 types exotic birds, including 18 species of birds of prey. A great needle-footed owl, ground parrot, sharks, dolphins and other representatives of the fauna of the island can be seen during a walk along Indian Head.
It's important to know! From August to October, humpback whales can be seen migrating on Fraser Island.
Also found on the island:
- sugar flying opossum;
- flying foxes;
- kangaroo;
- wallaby;
- echidnas;
- the bats;
- exotic bright frogs;
- opossums and other animals.
hanging lakes
The Fraser Hanging Lakes is an Australian landmark that really is unique of a kind. Fresh lakes, which are called "hanging" here, surround the waters of the ocean on all sides.
Interestingly, as such, these lakes do not receive nutrition from glaciers or rivers, so they seem to hang above the salty water surrounding them. The Hanging Lakes of Fraser Island today are under significant threat due to pollution caused by a large flow of tourists.
Note to tourists
The peculiarity of Fraser Island is that the history and centuries-old climatic changes of this territory can be traced through wild flowers and huge sand dunes.
Hills, notches and fishing tackle on trees formed by domestic waste of aboriginal people, as well as places where the first people stopped impress everyone who visits this piece of land for the first time.
In the Arched Rocks, tourists have the opportunity to look at a sacred place for women called Lunar Piglet, where they gave birth to children, as well as the location where the ancient ancestors of the natives played the didgeridoo.
The saturation of the history of this island will be enhanced by a visit to an abandoned pier called Mackenzie. Initially, this place connected lumberjacks with the continent, and during the Second World War it was used by the famous Zed assault squad.
Explorers from all over the world in the Happy Valley of Fraser Island are a must will attract the wreckage of the steamer "Makhino", which was built in 1905 and served as a trans Tasmanian passenger ship, and then became a floating hospital and was washed ashore during a cyclone.
After visiting important historical sites islands, you can rent a room in an environmentally friendly boarding house, where tourists are offered wellness massages, cocktails and fine dining local cuisine. You can also spend the night in secluded houses overlooking the coast.
In addition to boarding houses and houses, the island offers tourists a number of cottages, hotels and hotels with ocean views. Some travelers spend the night in tents.
Attention! Not everywhere on Fayser Island you can put up a tent. Permitted locations are the territory of the Cathedral Beach, parking near Lake Mackenzie, Bumanzhin, Waddy Point, Dundubara, Watumba, as well as the territory of the village of Dilli and the tourist camp at the Central parking lot.
Fraser Island is real paradise Australian territory, which offers tourists not only to plunge into the atmosphere of an unusual unique nature and the animal world, but also to trace the history of not only this place, but also evolution in general. There are traces of primitive people living here, which everyone can see with their own eyes.
In addition, Fraser is an island that is popular with travelers who prefer a relaxed holiday. Snow-white beaches, hundreds of freshwater lakes with clear and turquoise water, a tropical forest and protected species of representatives of the Australian fauna attract lovers every year exotic vacation from different parts of the earth.
We are offering to you watch video about the unique sandy island Frazier:
Fraser Island
Fraser Island (Eng. Fraser Island or Great Sandy Island) in itself is one of the attractions of Australia. This is a large island, completely composed of sand, which has no analogues in the world. In 1992 it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The area of the island is 1840 square kilometers, territorially it belongs to the state of Queensland. Fraser Island stretches along the coast of the Coral Sea. Scientists claim that the island was formed by huge sand dunes that formed more than four hundred years ago.
Among the local natives, the name of the island originally sounded like Kagri, which means “Paradise” in Russian. It was renamed in the last century, today its name is consonant with the name of Captain Fraser, who crashed on his ship near the island.
Fraser photo
For several years, Captain Fraser and his wife lived on the island with the rest of the surviving crew members. In 1840, European colonizers came to the island and formed a new settlement. A war broke out between the natives and Europeans, during which almost the entire local population was exterminated. Today, only 400 people live on the island, eleven of them are surviving descendants of the aborigines.
The whole nature of Fraser Island is unusual and attractive. For example, here you can see high sand dunes rising almost 150 meters. One of the main natural attractions of the island is its sandy lakes, there are more than forty of them. Basically, these are small lakes, from which streams flow into the Coral Sea.
There are also several large lakes, for example, Lake Boemingen. By area, this lake occupies more than 200 hectares. A small river also flows through the island, called Eli Creek. Tourists visiting the island always wonder why the lakes and rivers don't soak into the sand? The fact is that at the bottom of these lakes there is a dense “litter” of peat, which makes them stay on the surface. This is truly a unique phenomenon.
Tourists are attracted to Fraser Island, first of all, by its magnificent sandy beaches. They are surrounded by exotic vegetation, which can also be considered a local attraction.
Near the beach there are small groves of palm trees and eucalyptus trees, and if you go inland, you can find an untouched rainforest with thickets of lianas and eucalyptus trees. The record-breaking eucalyptus grows in this forest, its height is 70 meters. This eucalyptus gave reason to declare the forest on the island a protected zone. In this reserve, you can observe more than eight hundred species of tropical plants, as well as animals that inhabit these places.
The island is inhabited wild dogs Dingo, however, their number is decreasing year after year. This comes from the fact that they interbreed with domestic dogs, and the purity of the species disappears. For this reason, the island local residents banned from having dogs.
As for other representatives of the animal world, here you can meet such exotic animals as possums, echidnas, fruit bats, or flying foxes. On the territory of the island there were horses that were once brought here by Europeans, however, they are all feral.
Of the reptiles on the island are found combed crocodiles, many different lizards and snakes. One of the rarest animals here is the marsupial wallaby. This is a type of kangaroo, which is smaller in size.
The coastal waters of the island are inhabited by tiger sharks, humpback whales, dugongs, dolphins and many rare species jellyfish and fish. Of the rare species of birds, it is worth noting the ground parrot, honey plants, kingfishers, gulls, cockatoos.