Yesterday was a day to remember. I had lunch the day before near Rockingham (called simply “Rocky” by Aussies) and chatted up the owner, who told me that she’d been all over Australia and if there was one place she absolutely considered her favorite and a do-not-miss destination, it was Fraser Island, conveniently located on the way to Brisbane. I decide to head there and research it a bit en route. Turns out that Fraser Island is pretty young geologically – 800,000 years or so – and its sand has been a gift from Antarctica over that time, with winds, tides and ocean currents moving and creating it gradually.

Fraser Island is the largest island composed entirely of sand in the world – approximately 70 miles long by 10-15 miles in width. From Wikipedia – The island has rainforests, eucalyptus woodland, mangrove forests, wallum and peat swamps, sand dunes and coastal heaths. It’s made up of sand that has been accumulating for approximately 750,000 years on volcanic bedrock that provides a natural catchment for the sediment which is carried on a strong offshore current northwards along the coast. Unlike on many sand dunes, plant life is abundant due to the naturally occurring mycorrhizal fungi present in the sand, which release nutrients in a form that can be absorbed by the plants.

The island’s sub-tropical rainforest was incredible. It sits in a low-lying pocket in the center of the island that catches huge amounts of rainfall after the tall eastern facing dunes lift it up then drop it from incoming storms. Rainforest trees that hadn’t been logged measured 10-12′  in diameter at the base (larger stumps from logged trees were also scattered about). Areas that had been replanted after logging only fifty years ago (fortunately, logging was fairly limited on Fraser Island) had trees that measured almost three feet across at their base which were 150′ tall. Amazing.

It’s an absolute natural wonder and a Unesco World Heritage Site (one of many in Australia), and is reachable only by 4WD because its roads, hacked out by hand during its timber days last century, are primitive and comprised entirely of really soft sand that you pretty much have to rip through or get bogged down and towed out of. Queued up for the ferry. No need for a pre-ride wash:

We were really fortunate to have Butch as our driver (frickin’ nuts behind the wheel) and natural guide for the day. Here’s a shot of one of the the sand “roads” crossing the island, just wide enough for one vehicle (and barely so for a large one like ours that seated 25).

Entry to 75 Mile Beach, which serves as the island’s main N-S roadway and landing site on its eastern shore.

Butch ripping it up on 75 Mile Beach, after scaring the daylights out of us in the rain forest, with trees whizzing by a foot from both sides of the bus at 40 mph:

The SS Maheno wreck on 75 Mile Beach. The Maheno was a New Zealand ocean liner built in 1905, enormous for its day at 400 feet, converted to a hospital ship during WW I. It ran aground on Fraser Island in a cyclone that struck in 1935 and remains locked in place, five of its decks below the beach, slowly giving itself up to the sea and elements. Pretty stunning to see and get close to.

We stopped at Lake McKenzie, a spring-fed jewel 300′ above sea level, in the center of the island, for a hike and tea. Gorgeous place, with the whitest sand imaginable. It’s said that there’s no finer exfoliant in the world.

Buzzing by the landing strip (small cones let you know where you’d better not drive) at mach speed on 75 Mile Beach:

Butchie expounding on the island’s natural wonders. His knowledge was absolutely encyclopedic and his enthusiasm completely contagious.

We just made the last ferry of the day off island, as someone in a 4 x 4 in front of us broke down (fuel pump, they said) and a circus of towing, moving vehicles and backing up long ways with nowhere to go ensued to right things. You could tell they’d seen it before. All in all, a really fun and rewarding day. So glad I visited. I’m finding, as I have on so many other road trips, that talking to the locals about great places to see is really the best way to go. Off to Rainbow Beach for another day of chillin’ and adventure.