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Fraser Island is located along south coast Queensland, Australia, approximately 200 kilometers north of Brisbane. Stretching 120 kilometers in length and approximately 24 kilometers at its widest point, it is believed to be the largest sand island in the world.

The island has outstanding natural beauty with rainforests, woodlands, eucalyptus trees, mangrove forests and peat swamps, dunes and coastal heaths. The area has over 250 kilometers of clear sandy beaches with long, uninterrupted stretches of ocean, including more than 40 kilometers of strikingly colored cliffs. Inland are the majestic remains of high tropical forest, growing on high dunes - a phenomenon unique in the world. Half of the world's freshwater dune lakes are found on Fraser Island. The world's largest unconfined sand island aquifer was also found here.


The sand on Fraser Island has accumulated over approximately 750,000 years on a volcanic base that provides natural drainage for sediment. These dunes move across the island, often covering forests and other vegetation. The rate of movement of the dunes each year depends on factors such as wind strength, amount of humidity, and, in fact, the plants themselves in the sand. These dunes gradually stop moving when they reach areas protected from the winds.

The young dunes along the eastern beaches are covered with grass and other coastal plants adapted to harsh salt and wind conditions. In the sheltered central areas of the island, where the dunes are stable and there are more nutrients for growth, diverse plant communities and rainforests thrive.


Unlike many dunes, plant life is abundant here due to the natural fungi that exist in the sand. They release nutrients in a form that can be absorbed by vegetation. Fraser Island is home to a small number of mammal species, as well as a wide range of birds, reptiles and amphibians, including saltwater crocodile. The island is part of the Fraser Coast region of the Great Sandy National Park.


Fraser Island has been inhabited by people for as long as 5,000 years. Explorer James Cook sailed here in May 1770. Matthew Flinders landed near the island's northernmost point in 1802. For a short period the island was known as Great Sandy Island. He became known as Fraser because of the story of shipwreck survivor Eliza Fraser. Today the island is a popular tourism destination, one of the most prominent natural

The largest sand island in the world is Australia's Fraser Island. It stretched along east coast country, and covers an area of ​​about 1840 square kilometers. Translated from the Aboriginal language, “Fraser” means “paradise” and as proof of this, on the island you will find over 40 freshwater lakes, dunes and other natural monuments, many of which are under UNESCO protection.

The western part of Fraser Island in Australia is occupied by mangrove forests and swamps. In the east there is a huge sandy beach, the length of which is about 100 km. Distinctive sign north coast Fraser became untouched equatorial forests.

It is not surprising that in such different natural conditions Various animals live. Shallow lakes are inhabited by turtles, and land areas are favored by wild dog Dingo. Going on a canoe trip you can see electric stingrays, and in the surrounding forests there are about 350 species of birds, some of which are protected (ground parrot, spiny owl and others). A boat trip along the coast of Fraser Island will allow you to see dugongs, turtles, dolphins, sharks, and humpback whales up close. If you decide to explore the territory of the island in dark time day, you can watch the life of bats and foxes, sugar gliders, and frogs. In addition, kangaroos, wallabies, and echidnas are found on the Fraser.

Travelers who find themselves on Fraser Island are unlikely to be bored, because it is literally dotted with interesting and memorable places. The best way to start exploring the island is to observe the herbs and flowers, which will help trace the evolutionary path of plants over 700 years. The sand dunes of Fraser will tell you about the centuries-old climatic features of the region; giant mounds of household waste, fishing nets and gear, notches in trees, and temporary dwellings indicate human presence in these places.

The best place telling about the life of the first settlers is the Arched Rocks, here tourists will see a platform where men gathered and played the ancient instrument of the didgeridoo to attract good luck on the upcoming hunt. Hidden in the depths of the colored rocks is the Moon Patch - a sacred place where new members of the tribe were born. And for history buffs, Happy Valley awaits, storing the wreckage of the Makhino ship, which sank off the coast of the island during the First World War. No less interesting is a walk to the abandoned MacKenzie pier, which served as a stronghold for the Zed assault force during the Second World War.

After long walks and interesting discoveries, it’s worth pampering yourself a little. Unforgettable vacation awaits guests of an environmentally friendly boarding house, where you can enjoy a relaxing massage, try cool cocktails and delicious and healthy food. In addition, there are many hotels and individual guest houses on Fraser Island, which are located in picturesque places, but only daredevils who decide to spend their vacation in a tent camp can feel unity with nature. Best hotels Kingfisher are considered on the island Bay Resort, Cathedrals on Fraser and Orchid House.

You can try authentic dishes at Seabelle Restaurant Kingfisher Bay Resort, Fraser Island Retreat and Maheno Restaurant.

To visit this wonderful corner of the planet, tourists will have to overcome a difficult path. First you need to get to the international airport and buy a ticket for a flight to the town of Hervey Bay. Once in the latter, it is enough to find the sea pier from which ferries depart to Fraser Island. Flights operate daily, with short time intervals.

It's already the second week of our trip to Australia. After exploring Western Australia and then getting to know Sydney and its main attractions, we flew north to the town of Hervey Bay, located almost in the center of the East Coast. From there we took a ferry to famous island Fraser and for the first acquaintance we flew around it in a helicopter.

The island is famous for being the largest sand island in the world. We will spend three days there and see how Australians greet New Year. Tourists arriving on the island spend the night there in different ways. Some of them, who usually rent jeeps on the mainland, prefer to travel in these cars and live in campsites. For those who love comfort, the island has several different hotels. We stayed at one of the largest and most comfortable - Kingfisher Bay Resort. It had two pools which was great as swimming in the ocean is unpleasant due to the poor muddy shoreline.

The hotel administration did everything to ensure that tourists did not get bored and offered tourists several excursions. The most worthless ones are to look at the “night” and “morning” animals. Their cost is 5 AUD, duration is an hour and a half. We bought it on the night ones. The guide walked with us after dinner through the wild territory of the hotel without even leaving its boundaries (the hotel is surrounded by a metal fence to keep out wild Dingo dogs). She showed some spider bugs and with that everyone went to bed.

We didn’t go on the morning excursion (we didn’t get our money back) because we had to get up at 4 am. And what should I watch? Will you surprise us with some spiders? The singing of birds could already be heard in the thick foliage from the window of the room. In general, there are no special animals on the island. So, one little thing - different mice.

True, there are also famous wild dogs Dingo on the island, but we were never able to see them. True, I remember in my youth there was a film of the same name by Yuli Karasik about a pure but bitter first teenage love.

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Dingoes are similar to domestic dogs. Actually, they are re-feralized domestic dogs. But they are not at all tame, and therefore you need to be careful when meeting them. We were advised to follow the basic rules of behavior - do not walk outside the hotel alone and do not feed anyone (for this a fine of 1500 aud!), do not run away and do not turn your back on them, but wait until they leave. In general, they advised not to leave the hotel alone, either day or night.

After the helicopter flight, another most educational excursion offered a trip on an all-wheel drive 4WD bus at the most interesting places islands (70 AUD/person).

Fraser Island Overland Tour

Early in the morning we gather at the four-wheel drive buses and split into cars. Each car is driven by two people - a driver and a guide, who take turns. The guide talks continuously, spouting figures and facts from the history of the island’s development. It turns out that before the European colonization of Australia, several thousand aborigines of the Butchulla tribe lived on the island and in their language it was called K'gari. Which in our translation meant “Paradise”.

And his modern name associated with the surname of Captain Fraser, whose ship “Stirling Castle” was wrecked here in 1836. The captain and his crew were killed and eaten by the natives, and his wife Eliza was captured. After her release by escaped convicts, from whom she also suffered, Eliza ended her life in a psychiatric hospital from everything she had experienced...

This incident gave rise to hostility and aggressiveness in relations between Europeans and aborigines for a long time. This island had such a sad story.

On the issue of the formation of numerous lakes on the sandy island, the guide noted that all lakes are replenished by rainfall, which falls up to 1,500 millimeters per year. Water flowing from lakes or seeping through sand forms streams (here they are called Creeks), which, flowing down, disappear into the ocean.

The bus makes its way along a rutted sandy road, made many years ago by timber trucks. Now this road has sunk more than a meter into the sand. Once upon a time, forest was cut down on the island and the wood was transported to the continent. There is thick forest cover on both sides of the road. And if two cars meet on such a road, then the drivers see who is more comfortable sliding onto specially made spots or backing up even 100 meters. Everyone part ways politely and thank those who gave way. The “steepness” of the cars is not taken into account here.

After half an hour of driving like this, having driven about 10 km, we stop at Lake McKenzie. This is the most famous lake on the island. A large turquoise spot against the backdrop of the green jungle. Crystal clear water! I have only seen such clear water on the famous Shatsk lakes in Ukraine.

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And although it is large, people only hang out on one beach. Everyone is lying in the coastal water area on the white sand and having fun. Almost no one swims. It feels like taking a bath. The lake is deep - this can be seen from the dark blue of the water about 20 meters from the shore, but no one was visible there.

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All the women are in bikinis, and all the men are in long pants, down to the knees and below. Nobody swims in the swimming trunks common in our countries. We also had to put on the same pants, otherwise, they say, they might misperceive us based on our orientation. To be honest, this is an uncomfortable form of clothing for swimming (I completely forgot - they don’t swim!). I'm not even talking about leaving the water in this form in cold or windy weather. Various inflammations are 100% guaranteed. Fortunately, it’s hot here, and the water was +30.

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After an hour of relaxation on the lake and tea and coffee with traditional Australian buns and cookies prepared by our guides, we drive further into the island. After a few kilometers we arrived at the Central station - a former lumberjack base. Now there is a scientific station for studying the flora and fauna of the island.

A short excursion with a story about these places. Wood usually doesn't grow well in sand. But here, thanks to the abundance of moisture, there is a lot of greenery. Fraser Island is one of the few places on earth where lush forests grow among the sand.

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Indeed, the forest was once so dense that loggers lived here for 100 years. Some trees, such as syncarpia, were even harvested for the construction of the Suez Canal.

We pass through dense forest with its prehistoric ferns and huge silk trees along the clear Wangulba Creek.

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Here we saw how much they love tourists in Australia. And not only healthy ones, but also those with the so-called. "limited capabilities". There are no disabled people in Australia - there are simply people whose physical capabilities are limited in some way - some cannot see, some cannot hear, or cannot walk. Just think! Everyone is just happy to see such a person and help him!

Here in the forest there were signs and descriptions of trees everywhere!, written in Braille for the blind! This is how Australians care about people!

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After a few kilometers there is another stop. We crossed the island and arrived on its Pacific side - in Eurong Beach Resort. There is a hotel, a shop, a car repair shop and a small airstrip for small planes connecting with the mainland. By the way, they can also land on the surf.

After lunch, we get back into our cars and drive out to the ocean surf. At the exit there is a barrier, and a grate is laid along the ground with threads of wire stretched over it under the electric power. electric shock - this is from wild dogs Dingo. The entire territory of this hotel, as well as ours, is surrounded by a high mesh fence.

The ocean shore is impressive! Amazing sight! A strong wind raises whirlwinds of sand, and they mix with foam falling from the oncoming waves. The watery dust of the ocean surf hangs in the air. And then - thousands of kilometers Pacific Ocean! Cars leaving are visible along the surf. A real training ground for thrill-seekers! A sandy strip 70-80 meters wide goes in both directions - left and right - and disappears far beyond the horizon.

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However, it is too early to rejoice for fans of high speeds - on the coast, regularly, especially at low tide, police officers with radar pistols stand and catch everyone for exceeding the limit of 80 km/h. Moreover, they measure ppm for alcohol. The fines are the same as on the mainland - for exceeding the limit even by 1 km - a fine of $133 + 1 penalty point! For exceeding 20 km - a fine of $333 + 4 penalty points, for exceeding 40 km - $933 + 8 penalty points. Each fine is entered into the computer and the police officer can clearly see how many times this driver has violated the rules.

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Exceeding 40 km/h is considered “exorbitant” and for this your license (including foreign ones) is taken away right in the middle of the bush. Moreover, the unpleasant thing is that if there is no companion or he does not have a license, the car is seized and delivered to the rental office on a truck, which is paid for by you. Maybe that’s why, having driven hundreds of kilometers along the roads of Australia, we have not seen a single, even the smallest, accident!

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We were lucky - the weather was great. Our route was towards the northern tip of the island. To the right, the ocean was steadily rolling in long turquoise waves, but almost the entire way, and we drove about 50 km, there was not a soul on its shore.

Only occasionally, near small streams flowing out of the forest, were there sites with tents and jeeps in the shade of trees. The few daredevils who wanted to plunge into the ocean went no deeper than knee-deep. Whenever driving along the shore, traffic was on the left.

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Jeeps were racing towards us, right along the surf, moving away from the oncoming waves and, as if playing with them. On the way back, our driver did the same. An hour later, having traveled about 50-60 km, we stopped approximately in the middle of the island at Colored Sands - colored sands and turned back.

Along the way, in two places the beach line was crossed by stone ridges. These were Pinnacles weathered rock formations like the ones we saw in Western Australia. Of course, they were not so interesting and similar to the phalluses of the Pinnacle desert. But they are interesting in their own way. We drove around them from above, and on the way back - when the ocean receded - we calmly drove along the very strip of sandy surf.

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While we were standing there, a small airplane flew over us, almost touching the roof of the bus, and deftly landed on a strip of sandy surf.

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There were a couple more of the same here. aircraft and their handsome pilots in snow-white shorts and shirts with ornate shoulder straps offered everyone to fly over the island. Well, we flew yesterday and saw everything.

On the way back we stopped to examine the remains of the ship Maheno, which sank in 1936. The skeleton of the ship is corroded to the limit by rust. Frames protrude from the sand, looking like the ribs of a beached whale. Everyone wants to be photographed against this background.

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Fraser is a sandy island off the east coast of Australia, separated from the mainland by vast swampy areas. The Aborigines 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 island received its modern name from the surname of Captain Fraser, who was shipwrecked off these shores and, together with his wife, was forced to settle there.

Fraser is the world's largest sand island. He is on the List world heritage UNESCO as a unique natural site.

How to get there

Closest to Fraser Island international Airport is located in Brisbane. There are no direct flights from Russia; a round trip flight with one transfer costs from 1017 USD per person. Next from Brisbane - to the small town of Hervey Bay on the coast. There are many ways: plane, several trains, buses or a rented car.

The fastest way is by plane. The journey will take just over 2 hours, the ticket price starts from 110 USD per person one way. You'll spend about the same amount on a train ticket that 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, one-way ticket costs from 30 USD per person.

There are piers in Hervey Bay from which barges depart several times a day for the Fraser (approx. 6:00 a.m. to 6:45 p.m.). Tickets cost about 60 USD per person and can be purchased at the pier.

A barge ticket alone is not enough to get to Fraser Island. A special permit is also required. It is issued by default if you rent a jeep at the Hervey Bay resort, or if you have a reservation at any of the hotels on the island.

Search for 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 day for a double room. Hotels are usually located in a picturesque location, with a swimming pool, garden, gazebos and other amenities on site. Guest houses a little cheaper: from 70 USD per night for a double room, the location is also excellent, but there may not be a swimming pool or an area with a garden.

Beaches of Fraser Island

The Fraser Coast has more than 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 may be sand dunes, dangerous currents, jellyfish, dingoes and other not very pleasant neighborhoods. The most popular beaches among tourists are Orchidny, Indian Head (so called for its intricately indented coastline), Cathedral, quartz sand beach and the beaches of Happy Valley.

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 which is the bright blue Lake Mackenzie. Nobody lives in it - the water in the lake is distilled. There are always a lot of people here (a lot by local standards - in any European beach resort the beaches are much more crowded), and if you want to enjoy absolute silence, you should arrive before 16:00, when buses with tourists are already heading back.

Entertainment and excursions

People come to Fraser primarily to relax on the snow-white beaches and observe wildlife. In the west there are mangroves and swamps, in the east there is sand, and in the north there are rugged equatorial forests (this is also where national park Great Sandy National Park).

Not only is the vegetation diverse, but also animal world. Sea turtles live in local freshwater lakes, and on land in large quantities The wild dog dingo lives. She is not wild in the full sense of the word: she was already domesticated once, but after that she went wild again. Dingoes can be found almost anywhere on the island, they live peacefully in their packs and are never the first to attack people. But it’s better not to bother them: they will certainly defend their territory. The local forests are home to about 350 species of birds, many of which are protected, such as the ground parrot and the spiny owl.

Day and night excursions can be booked directly at the hotel to get a closer look at the nature of the island. Another option is to go to boat trip and look up close at sharks, dolphins, humpback whales and others sea ​​creatures. At night you can see bats, foxes and many colorful frogs.

Humpback whale migrations can be seen on Fraser Island from August to October.

There are no cultural or historical attractions on the island, but tourists are usually impressed by the huge pyramids of household waste, consisting mainly of fishing gear and boat wrecks. In Happy Valley you can still see the wreckage of the ship Makhino, which sank off the coast of the island during the First World War, and visit the abandoned MacKenzie pier, where the Zed assault force was based during the Second World War. On Cape Moon, a sacred place has been preserved where Aboriginal women gave birth to children.

Most of the entertainment offered on the island is active. You can ride in jeeps along the sandy Cathedral Rocks or fly over them in a mini-plane, raft down the Ely Creek River and go out into the open ocean, ride a yacht and go fishing. You'll probably have to dig for the worms yourself, but it's very easy: after low tide they lie right on the shore.

Traveling around Fraser Island

When translated from the local language, Fraser is translated as "Kgari-rai". Indeed, there are not many places in the world with sandy beaches, clear water, flower meadows and blue sky above. Why isn't it heaven?

More recently, Fraser Island was recognized as the largest sandy place in the world. Coastline extends over a distance of 110 kilometers. The main highlight of the island is its sand dunes. Some of them reach a height of up to 250 meters. Combined with emerald forests, they look very much like snow.

The name of the island was given by a family of Europeans who were shipwrecked off its shores. It cannot be said that at that time relations between the population of the island and civilized Europeans were hostile. And of course, few people were happy about this addition. For a long time, the Frasers were even held captive by local residents.

In 1992, the island was added to the World Heritage List and a nature reserve was created on its territory. But regardless of such important events in Fraser’s life, the island has always been popular with tourists.

What is surprising is that, despite the ocean surrounding it on all sides, the island abounds in fresh water bodies. Scientists nicknamed them “hanging” because they seem to hang between the salty ocean water. In total, there were 100 such reservoirs on the island. The most famous was Lake Mackenzie. It's all because of his extraordinary beauty and fresh waters. The lake is fed only by moisture from precipitation, and the water in it is practically distilled, which affects its animal composition. It is completely devoid of organisms, even germs and bacteria. But most importantly, it is surrounded by a snow-white sandy beach.

The largest freshwater lake is called Boemingen, and it extends over 200 hectares. Despite the tropical hot climate The water here is always pleasantly cool. This is what made the lake famous among tourists. The numerous eucalyptus trees growing on the coast give a special highlight. There is also a small rain forest nearby.

Throughout the history of the island, the population has constantly changed. There are currently just over 400 people living on the Fraser, of whom only 11 are descendants of the Aborigines who held the Fraser family captive. After that crash, some time passed and colonialists poured onto the island to establish settlements here. Naturally local residents opposed this, and the war began. There were much more Europeans, so the aborigines were almost completely exterminated. These days the island is a tourist destination with numerous parks, hotels, entertainment programs etc. You can get here by plane, but the best option There will be a barge crossing with your own car.

Fraser Island is very different from the continent of Australia primarily due to its comfortable warm climate. That is why it has such rich flora and fauna. Due to the wide variety of vegetation, the island is rich in animals. In fresh water bodies you can find turtles, in the forest - bats, as well as endemics - kangaroos, opossums, etc. To get closer to the animals, tourists are invited to take a canoe excursion. Well, how can you do without birds? The island is simply a paradise for birdwatchers. More than 350 species live here, including rare specimens.

Since Fraser Island is considered a completely tourist center, in addition to excursions and relaxing on the beach, there is a wide selection of sports and extreme entertainment: surfing, bodyboarding and many others. Some people even come here just to ride around the island on a yacht and look at the marine life.

Well, of course, if you don’t want to think through the route yourself, you have the opportunity to use different sightseeing tours. Each of them necessarily includes a visit to Happy Valley, where the remains of a liner washed ashore during the First World War are located.

Since there are a lot of tourists, the population is very worried about the environmental situation on the island. Therefore, in our time there is active promotion of tourism under open air in tents or campsites. It is assumed that in this way it will be possible to preserve the well-being of the environment.