Southern Queensland SUPERYACHT GUIDE

FRASER ISLAND

The Fraser Coast is one of the most remarkable and distinctive parts of the Southern Queensland coastline. Hervey Bay is the main service centre encircled by the Great Sandy Marine Park with its awarded UNESCO Biosphere status. Fraser Coast also claims the title as ‘the whale-watching capital of Australia’ and there is good reason for this. But the truly iconic attraction for the area is the World Heritage-listed Fraser Island, the world’s largest sand island built up over thousands of years. Known locally as K’gari (meaning paradise) by the traditional owners, the Butchulla people, the island inspires visitors with adventures of inland freshwater lakes, 4WD sand safaris on the beach, hiking trails through stunning native landscapes and ranger-led tours of rainforests growing in sand. It is an absolute ‘must drop anchor’ destination to visit!

Welcome to Fraser Island (K’gari)

As the largest sand island in the world, World Heritage- listed Fraser Island stands tall as one of the top ten places to visit in Australia. The island is 123km long and 22km wide, covering about 1,800 square kilometres. The sand on Fraser Island is delivered from the ocean, having been carried by north moving currents from thousands of miles away, and has been accumulating on the Fraser Coast for approximately 700,000 years. It is believed the sand comes from eroded remnants of mountain ranges far to the south and is ‘caught’ by the protruding volcanic bedrock of the island. Fraser Island has the most unique collection of forests on earth, including rainforests, eucalyptus woodland, mangrove forests, peat swamps and sand dunes and is protected as part of the Great Sandy National Park. Fraser Island dingoes (Australian Native Dog) are very special. With the introduction of domestic dogs in Australia since European settlement, cross-breeds between dingoes with everyday dogs have grown substantially. This makes a pure dingo extremely rare. The dingoes of Fraser Island have significant preservation value due to their pure status, as domestic dogs are banned from the island. There is estimated to be around 25 to 30 packs on the island, each containing three to 12 dingoes. On Fraser Island the dingoes are at the very top of the island’s food chain, which serves a vital role in the island’s conservation.

The rainforests are able to grow in the sand due to fungi that lives on the forest floor providing the much-needed nutrients for the rainforest to survive. The rainforests are also in the centre of the island, allowing protection from saltwater while at the same time collecting the highest rainfall for Fraser Island. There is so much to do and experience on Fraser Island it can be a challenge to fit it all in. From swimming at remote beaches, in freshwater lakes, local creeks or saltwater pools to spotting marine wildlife while snorkelling or experiencing native flora and fauna under the canopy of sand grown rainforests – it’s all there waiting to create unforgettable memories. parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/kgari-fraser

Fraser Coast

fraser-tours.com/article/dingoes-on-fraser-island

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SUPERYACHT AUSTRALIA

SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND SUPERYACHT GUIDE