A Fraser Island Tour Is A Great Adventure

When you visit Australia be sure to plan for a Fraser Island tour. Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world. It is made up of sand that has been accumulating for hundreds of thousand of years on a base of volcanic bedrock. But it's much more than just sand.

It is located off the southern coast of Queensland about 190 Miles north of Brisbane. You get to the island by ferry that can carry your four wheel drive vehicle as well as passengers and luggage. If you don't have a 4WD vehicle leave your car in the parking lot.

There are no sealed roads on the island and 4WDs are the only practical way to get around. You can rent one on the island. However a better choice might be to arrange for a tour and let someone else do the driving.

Fraser Island is very large for a sand island at 123 kilometres in length and 22 kilometres at its widest point (76 miles by 14 miles). It has a rich and complex natural history. The best way to see and learn about the landscape, history and plant and animal life is with the help of an experienced guide. You can arrange a one-day tour or a tour that lasts for several days and nights.

Fraser Island is inscribed on the World Heritage list for its unique and diverse geography and natural beauty. You will see spectacular eroded sculptures of multicoloured sands as well as the world's only rainforest growing in sand. The island has an amazing number freshwater lakes and creeks. There are swampy wetlands, home to many varieties of bird and animal life and heathlands abounding with wildflowers as well as miles and miles of magnificent palm lined beaches.

There are a variety of tours you can take depending on your interests and budget. If you are a backpacker staying at one of the hostels you can arrange to be part of a drive-yourself safari. Backpackers bring their own food and fill up four-wheel-drive vehicles, choosing a driver from amongst them. The 4WDs follow an experienced driver/guide in the lead vehicle. The guide leads the caravan on a two or three day or longer camping exploration of the island.

You might opt to see the island from the comfort of an air conditioned four-wheel-drive bus. You might stay in luxurious permanent tents with hardwood floors and furniture or you might stay at one of the lodges or resorts. Whatever level of comfort or adventure you prefer is available.

Your tour might include swimming in one of many fresh water lakes. Or it may include swimming in the champagne pool, a natural pool in the rocks where ocean waves splash in and create bubbles. You may want to focus on one feature of the island such as whale watching. Your tour may include a walk through a rain forest where you might spot some of the more than three hundred species of birds native to the island including the very rare ground parrot, to birds of prey, such as falcons, osprey and eagles.