Come Follow Me And Discover Fraser Island
Come follow me to discover Australia's untouched beauty, Fraser Island. Start your journey onboard a domestic flight, flights from Sydney are direct to Harvey Bay through Virgin Australia or with a transit in Brisbane flying Qantas Airways - honestly though both are fine. Make sure you look up ferry times from Hervey Bay in advance, so you don’t have too long to wait before you can travel to Fraser Island. From the minute you board the ferry, the views are stunning. If it’s the right time of year you may even see a dolphin or whale in the distance. Upon arrival at Fraser Island jetty, the friendly staff from Kingfisher Bay Resort are very welcoming and enthusiastic. It’s such a fresh attitude that it almost takes a day or two to acclimatise to happy island living.
There are a multitude of activities to keep you busy, Fraser Island is approximately 1,840 km² in size so there’s no shortage of landscape to explore and adventures to be had. You can hire a 4WD direct from the resort and go off-road on your own or there are full-day 4WD tour options. Fraser Explorer Tours takes you to all the “Beauty Spots” on the island and gives you ample time at each. My biggest peeve about tours is that they feel rushed, this was relaxing and definitely a must-do experience. Fraser Island is a UNESCO site meaning the sand trails are epic, you really get the 4WD off-road experience on a 40 person bus! It’s an insane concept to wrap your head around. However if you suffer from motion sickness, bring your meds because it gets bumpy! First stop is the instafamous Lake McKenzie. This lake has crystal clear waters and pristine white shores. The sand's so white as it's made only from white silica making it feel amazing to walk on. Mckenzie is a ‘perched’ lake, meaning it contains only rainwater, no groundwater, is not fed by streams and does not flow to the ocean. The sand acts as a natural filter, giving the water its clarity and helps make the water so pure it supports very little life. I honestly could’ve spent all day here, it’s serene and really makes you appreciate untouched natural beauty.
Fraser Island is home to 75-Mile Beach, one of the most fascinating things about this beach is that it's an offical highway. I’d advise against swimming though due to dangerous currents, however it's perfect for camping and a popular place to see a dingo in the wild. This is also where Air Fraser operates, I was lucky enough to snag a seat onboard a scenic flight to see Fraser Island from the air. If you’re game, I’d suggest sitting in the co-pilot seat! Really a bucket list moment for me, it just made the Fraser Island trip all that more special. You get to see the famous Maheno shipwreck from the sky before you see it on land. A jaw-dropping beauty on the beach, it’s not often that you can see a full shipwreck on land. The SS Maheno was the most luxury ocean liner of it’s time in 1905, travelling between NZ and Australia. After being converted into a hospital ship during WWI, she was washed ashore in 1935 due to a cyclone and has remained on Fraser Island ever since. The magnitude of this vessel isn’t fathomable until you see it in person, it really was a feat of it’s time.
Two more beauty spots you catch while on tour are Central Station and Eli Creek. Central Station was originally established as a forestry camp for logging back in the day. It’s a historic spot and this serene walk through the rainforest really highlights the beautiful flora and fauna on the island. Eli Creek is a popular recreation spot, it pours 4 million litres of clear, fresh water into the ocean every hour. In summer it's family-filled fun with many 4WDs tailgating and set up for the day. Grab your swimmers and inflatables for this stop, the gentle stream is best in the afternoon. If you’re not up for swimming, there’s a boardwalk to walk along and admire the views. Hot tip: I managed to do the whole day tour in thongs, swimmers and a cover up!
Once back at the resort, take time to enjoy and relax at Kingfisher Bay. I highly recommend heading to the Sunset Bar for drinks every night. Grab a bean bag and cocktail to watch the stunning sun set over the beach horizon. It’s so relaxing and honestly nothing like I’ve ever experienced. The resort's lagoon rooms are a nature hideaway, listen to the gentle song of birds and chirping of crickets as you unwind on the balcony. Conveniently close to the main hotel lobby, pool, shops and activities, it’s so handy being able to stay here. Kingfisher Bay Resort also has a fine-dining restaurant called Seabelle, what I loved about this dining experience is that it offers authentic Australian “bush tucker” cuisine along options alongside the normal menu. Always wanted to try kangaroo or crocodile? This is your place.
If you’re thinking of what to do for the day without a car, the resort offers a multitude of activities to keep you busy. From bush walks and guided hikes to untouched majestic places or segway tours along the beach, there’s huge range for all adventure levels. We opted for the morning ranger-guided kayak through the mangroves. A unique experience only available in the morning due to tides, it was highly memorable. We luckily got to see two turtles whilst on our tour, it was another big tick off my bucketlist! I truly can’t thank Kingfisher Bay Resort and Fraser Island Tourism enough for hosting us and introducing us around this beautiful island.
*SPONSORED POST