K’gari or Fraser Island is a paradise indeed, but you may benefit from some ‘Mr 4X4’ tips to ensure your journey goes to plan.
You might think I’d be getting sick of it after venturing to K’Gari Fraser Island for the past 20 years. But being the largest sand island in the world has its advantages. There’s always a different route to take and something new to experience. This latest journey was blessed with great weather, incredible sunsets, and great rejuvenation. After the wildfires of a few years back, the island has bounced back with vigour. It’s genuinely looking better than ever.
Inskip Point (just north of Rainbow Beach) was my start point this time around. This stretch of sand is undoubtedly one of the most changeable. One day, the sand spit stretches far and wide. The next? It’s a slender two-lane sliver of sand out to the barge. And let’s not forget about the sinkholes that randomly appear up here, swallowing whole caravans in the process. My advice with Inskip Point is to never take it lightly. Always air down before hitting the sand, and engage low range if you have it. Not only will you give your 4X4 the best chance of success, but you’ll also be saving yourself an embarrassing recovery in a high traffic area. Our October run across was easy, but in the warmer summer months, heat and traffic can make it more of a challenge. The sand turns more powdery, and the ruts feel bottomless. It’s times like this when taller ground-clearance enhancing tyres feel like they were worth the money.
From there, we scooted up the east coast on a glorious sunny day. If you’ve not been to K’Gari before, you might not appreciate that road rules and speed limits apply. And speeds are monitored by the police. Unfortunately, accidents are regular on the island, so take care. One of the more common issues is caused by speed through washaways. It’s a short 10-15 minute run across the water, and then you’re deposited on the island. Drivers speed through creeks and fail to see deep ruts and washouts. The car gets unsettled, sometimes rolling over, or ripping the suspension cleanout. There are hundreds of creeks, big and small, that run across the sand and out to the ocean. Most are innocuous, but some carve deep ruts.
Another factor that newcomers may fail to appreciate is the sheer size of the place. End to end, we’re talking about 123km. At its widest point, it’s 22km. But while 22km would take you 10-15 minutes on the open road, it takes a solid hour at least to cross K’Gari. So make sure your tanks are topped-up before leaving the mainland, as island fuel ain’t cheap.
After grabbing a pie and some fresh bread at Eurong (the main service centre on the island), we cooled off at Eli Creek. It’s a hive of activity throughout the day, so if you want peace and quiet, be sure to visit at either end of the day.
A bit further north, the coloured sands of The Pinnacles are worth a quick stop. While not quite as impressive as those between Double Island Point and Rainbow Beach, they’re still outstanding formations.
Champagne Pools was our next stop up the coast, and they were looking simple superb. We had managed to get just the right tide, where the water was making champagne-like bubbles as the waves washed in. This is undoubtedly one of the best places to swim on the east coast, as you’re protected from big waves and bitey creatures of the deep. And yes, the east coast of Fraser is renowned for its sharks. I’ve stood atop Indian Head and gazed into the turquoise waters below, only to see a nice-sized Hammerhead or Bull shark cruising along.
OUR ROUTE
INSKIP POINT ➔ EURONG ➔ ELI CREEK ➔ THE PINNACLES ➔ CHAMPAGNE POOLS ➔ ORCHID BEACH ➔ WADDY POINT ➔ NGKALA ROCKS ➔ CENTRAL STATION ➔ LAKE MCKENZIE ➔ KINGFISHER BAY ➔ AWINYA CREEK
WADDY POINT
Our camp for the night was Waddy Point. It’s a brilliant place to camp, as you’ve got a great choice. You can camp close to the beach on the flat on an excellent grassy camp, or up in the fenced area near the amenities block. Obviously, those with small children would be smart to camp in the dingo safe area, but for me, the flat grassy camp close to the water was ideal. The main amenities block claims to have hot showers, but they’re coin-operated, so I had to be content with a cold one. They tell me this has health benefits…
Waddy Point really is a beautiful place to stay. The beach here faces north and is protected by Waddy Point. So instead of wild surf and wind, there are calm turquoise waters. It’s so flat in fact, that plenty of boaties launch their rides off the beach here. And with a sweet set of sand dunes to explore, it has a unique beauty. It’s just a shame you’re not allowed to drive on the dunes.
I’m not the world’s best fisherman, so while at Waddy Point, I enlisted the help of Nick Bevacqua from Eliza Fraser Lodge. As well as being a charming guy with a font of local knowledge, Nick is a gun fisherman. He’s been wetting the line in these waters for decades, so it was great to benefit from his knowledge. You can stay at his first-class lodge at Orchid Beach if your budget allows. It’s an incredible property and ideally suited to a few families.
CHALLENGING NGKALA ROCKS
After a beautiful morning fishing, I was keen to venture a little north to Ngkala Rocks. In terms of 4X4 challenges, it’s No.1 on Fraser Island, and it’s the only way to access Sandy Cape. You first have to negotiate through a lumpy one-lane stretch of coffee rock before driving a flogged out stretch of sand incline that runs for a few hundred metres. Bogging here is all too common, and some even roll over. Lower tyre pressures are the key here – around 15psi should do it. Although in the warmer months, don’t be afraid to go even lower. Another tip is to have some communications happening with vehicles on the other side. Why? Because it’s a one-lane track, and if your 4X4 stops in the soft stuff, it could be hard to get going again. Plus, being so soft, it’s not uncommon to see recovery vehicles get stuck. When I’ve recovered vehicles here in the past, I’ve strategically parked my vehicle on a set of ExiTrax, before using the winch to get another 4WD out. This ensures I’m on solid ground and able to just drive out once I’m done. This time around, Ngkala remained a blood-pumping challenge, but we managed to get our vehicles through without incident. Season 13 saw my journey to Sandy Cape and across to Wathumba – both incredible places. In fact, the northern end of K’Gari is undoubtedly the best part. The distance you have to travel and the fact that you can’t take rental 4X4s up this far ensures the top end has a more remote, less touristy vibe. But this time, I thought I’d take a different route, so I began my journey south.
CENTRAL STATION
No matter how many times you go to Fraser Island, you will always appreciate the grandeur of the rainforest. It is magical, beautiful, and thriving with life. You can camp in the middle of it and get a hot shower – even better! The Central Station campground is safe for kids, too, and is fully fenced. However, you’re supposed to book your site beforehand on the website. Phone range is sketchy at best in the middle of the island, so try to book ahead.
Allow at least a few hours to explore here, and take the short walk down to Wanggoolba Creek. This shallow but fast-flowing creek is known as ‘silent creek’, and it doesn’t make a murmur on its way. Why? Because flowing over sand rather than rocks, it’s a smooth and unobstructed run creating zero sound.
Central Station was once home to a school and was the centre of logging operations on the island. Railways ferried logs across to the coast, and remnant plantation forests still thrive in the area. The fact that these forests thrive while growing in sand devoid of minerals is astonishing. Logging ceased in the late 80s after a Courier-Mail journalist highlighted the need to preserve this old-growth rainforest. A tree, known as ‘the protest tree’, was felled, and it was too big to be transported. The foresters showed the journalist, and the rest is history.
LAKE MCKENZIE
No journey to K’Gari would be complete without a visit to Lake McKenzie. Reputed to have some of the freshest, cleanest water in the world, it is fed purely by rainwater. No natural springs have been found to fill the massive lake. The colours here are magnificent, and I would recommend that you bring a pair of swimming goggles, so you can experience life underwater as well. If you like people watching, simply visit Lake McKenzie in the middle of the day, and you’ll soon discover that this natural jewel is a mere backdrop for selfie-obsessed females. But if you’re after some isolation, early morning and late afternoon are the best times. Oh, and there’s also a lovely little beach on the north end of the lake. It’s just as beautiful but rarely frequented as you have to wade through water to get there.
KINGFISHER BAY
The west side of Fraser Island is undoubtedly a special place. The calm waters looking back at the mainland Fraser Coast are fantastic, and the beaches are beautiful. The Kingfisher Bay resort is undoubtedly the height of luxury for K’Gari, with various restaurants, bars and pools catering for the well-heeled. If you book at the right time of year, hotel rooms are surprisingly comparable to the mainland. One of my favourite things to do here is to have a sundowner at the little bar where the ferry departs for the continent. There are usually incredible sunsets, no wind, and perfect temperatures.
The resort itself is also a great way to get brownie points if you have a partner who likes a little luxury. There’s a good selection of restaurants, but be sure to book early, as they do book out fast. Plus, after the Covid shutdown, restaurants have been doing it tough trying to entice workers back to hospitality.
AWINYA CREEK
Awinya Creek sits on the west coast, like Kingfisher Bay. So you might think that it would be a quick run up the coast. Sadly, it’s anything but. Years ago, at low tide, you could almost circumnavigate K’Gari, but now access is heavily restricted. No driving on dunes and no driving west of the Sandy Cape Lighthouse. Gee, it would be brilliant if QPWS acknowledged the popularity of four-wheel driving and opened up more of the island.
Many tracks run through central Fraser Island, but QPWS seems unable to look after them. So the fastest way from Kingfisher Bay to Awinya Creek is, wait for it, via the east coast. Yes, head back across to Eurong, up past Happy Valley, and then west on Woralie Road. This is a good run across, and you’ll see some beautiful pockets of forest and Piccabeen palms and some significant regrowth after the wildfires. The track then deposits you at Woralie Creek, an excellent little coastal camp. With the tide coming up and the sun setting, we made camp here for the night and had no shortage of dingos sniffing through the camp overnight. Yet come morning, the tides were on our side to head north to our final destination.
Just a few kilometres drive away, you’ll find Bowarrady Creek. It is a beautiful little camp, where you can bathe in the shallow fresh waters of the creek or in the calm briny waters of Hervey Bay. It’s picturesque this place but can only accommodate a few campers.
A further 8km or so to the north, you’ll find Awinya Creek. It’s a sprawling coastal camp with shady trees, big enough to hang a hammock. You can access Awinya as we did along the coast or via the inland track (Awinya Road). The latter is definitely possible, although you had better check the creek depth before high tide. This is one of the most remote parts of K’Gari, and when the tide rises, the creek can run metres deep. Many vehicles have been swamped when they expected the waters to be hub height, only to find that it was snorkel head depth…
Awinya Creek was the end of this adventure, and it was a fitting end. I adore the west coast. The calm waters, the lack of wind, and the distinct lack of crowds give it a fantastic vibe. Just be sure you’ve got a few cold beverages left in your fridge, so you can watch the sun setting over the water in style. I’d recommend you end your journey here too.
NEED A HAND?
Fraser Coast tourism has a handy trip planning device on their website to help you plan your journey to K’Gari Fraser.
More info: visitfrasercoast.com
Eliza Fraser Lodge: elizafraserlodge.com.au
