Fraser Island: do's and dont's

As I backpacked my way down the East Coast, everyone around me was excited about arriving at Fraser Island. And why wouldn't they be? This exotic island, situated in the South of Queensland, has it all: beautiful sandy beaches, creeks, a historic shipwreck to explore, clear blue lakes that are perfect for cooling off in and plenty of scenic viewpoints.

Indian Head viewpoint

Sounds perfect, right? Sure, it's pretty idyllic but only if you forget the venomous spiders, dangerous currents, wild dingoes and the fact that you need to get around in a 4x4 in an island covered in sand! Having learned the hard way, I'm happy I can share my advice with you so you get the most out of this experience.

Do's

- Inform your family back home that they won't be able to contact you. You won't have a signal and if camping outside you will have no sockets available for charging phones anyway. Embrace the lack of technology, it's liberating!

- Follow instructions given by 4x4 companies regarding driving on sand. Ensure that you have a trustworthy driver who will follow these instructions. For example, as soon as you get there, you have to adjust the tyres for driving on sand. If you don't, you will get stuck and I believe you can end up puncturing the tyre.

Our 4x4 hire, great company!

 

- Take enough food and drinks with you for the duration. Beyond the arrival point, there are no shops and your tour group won't want to waste time going away back to the shop. Take plenty of water as it is boiling hot here and the last thing you need here is dehydration!


- If you really want to embrace the adventure of Fraser Island by camping. We stayed in a campsite near the Maheno Shipwreck. We even got to see local Aborigines who dance at this campsite and tried to play the Didgeridoo! They did this completely free and taught us their dances. Such a cool
experience!

- If staying in a tent, beware of creepy crawlies such as spiders and be prepared to hear dingoes outside your tent. Just don't be first to go out the tent in the morning and all will be fine!

 

- Take appropriate footwear, preferably trainers. The sand here is very hot and if you wear flip flops you will burn the soles of your feet. Trust me, I learned the hard way! Also, be prepared to walk a lot to get to the best places.


- Make the most of your time here. It doesn't strike me as the sort of place you would return to. You will need a couple of days to get the full experience.

Don'ts

- Don't do a tour with all strangers. We got landed with two girls who were moody and didn't really embrace the whole adventure. It ruined a little bit for us because it was awkward. If you can, go with friends or people you get on with.


- Don't attempt to be a rally driver or a show off in the 4x4. You get warned before going across how dangerous this can be. Unfortunately, there have been plenty of accidents there due to driving incidents. Take care especially if you are the driver; you have other people's safety to take into account.


- Don't expect to get from the ferry to the main part of the Island quickly. People get stuck often and several times en route. If you can, get out and help them. It will make it quicker and they will repay the favour when it happens to you. And it definitely will! Some of the best laughs we had were trying to help people get unstuck!

- If you listen to one piece of advice, let it be this: do not swim in the beaches on Fraser Island. It is really not safe. There are strong currents, jellyfish and sharks. If that's not a big enough disincentive for cooling off in the ocean, I don't know what is! However, the Champagne Pools are suitable for swimming in.


- Don't make a plan of exactly what to do, go with the flow and it will be a whole lot more fun. However, I do recommend looking up what your options are to save time. We decided to visit:

 

The Champagne Pools

 

Lake Wabby

 

Maheno Shipwreck

 

The famous Lake McKenzie

- I would say, however, don't visit both Lakes in the same day. To get to each one, you need to walk a good hour or more in the boiling heat and all on sand. There is little shade and once you start the walk, you can only get back the way you came. To see the Champagne Pools, you also have to walk along the beach from Indian Head as you can't take the 4x4 along it.

Is it worth it?

Absolutely. If you are visiting the East Coast, you can't let this adventure pass you by. As long as you drive safely and think responsibly, then there is nothing you need to worry about. Let me know in the comments if you have been or are intending to go.