Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

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CHAPTER 6 . QUEENSLAND & THE GREAT BARRIER REEF
Tips Please Don’t Feed the Dingoes
The dingoes that roam the island are emboldened by visitors who have—
sometimes deliberately and sometimes unwittingly—fed them over the
years. These dangerous wild animals have been responsible for one death
and several serious attacks in recent years. Do not feed them, and keep
your distance. There are fines of up to A$3,000 (US$1,950) for feeding dingoes
on Fraser Island.
Fraser Island Taxi Service (& 07/4127 9188) is another option for getting
around, and they use four-wheel-drive, of course. It’s based at Eurong on the
island’s eastern side. A typical fare, from Kingfisher Bay Resort across the island
to go fishing on 75-Mile Beach, say, is A$65 (US$42). The taxi seats five.
VISITOR INFORMATION Contact the Hervey Bay Tourism Bureau,
Urraween Road at Maryborough–Hervey Bay Road, Pialba, or P.O Box 8, Hervey
Bay, QLD 465 (& 1800/811 728 in Australia, or 07/4124 2912; www.herveybay
tourism.com.au). A better source for Web-connected travelers is www.hervey.
com.au. The Marina Kiosk (& 07/4128 9800) at Urangan Boat Harbour is a
one-stop booking and information agency for all Fraser-related travel. Several
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service information offices are on the island.
There are no towns and very few facilities, food stores, or services on the
island, so if you’re camping, take all supplies with you.
ECO-EXPLORING THE ISLAND
Fraser’s gem-like turquoise lakes and tea-colored “perched” lakes in the dunes are
among the island’s biggest attractions. The brilliant blue Lake McKenzie is
absolutely beautiful; a swim here may be the highlight of your visit. Lake
Birrabeen is another popular swimming spot. Don’t miss a refreshing swim in
the fast-flowing clear shallows of Eli Creek. Wade up the creek for a mile or two
and let the current carry you back down. You should also take the boardwalk
through a verdant forest of palms and ferns along the banks of Wanggoolba
Creek.
Don’t swim at 75-Mile Beach, which hugs the eastern edge of the island—
there are dangerously strong currents and a healthy shark population to contend
with. Instead, swim in the Champagne Pools (also called the Aquarium)—
pockets of soft sand protected from the worst of the waves by rocks. The bubbling
seawater turns the pools into miniature spas. The pools are just north of
Indian Head, a 60m (197-ft.) rocky outcrop at the northern end of the beach.
View the island’s famous colored sand in its natural setting—the 70m (230-
ft.) cliffs called the Cathedrals, which stretch for kilometers north of the settlement
of Happy Valley on the eastern side of the Island.
Some of Queensland’s best fishing is on Fraser Island. Anglers can throw a line
in the surf gutters off the beach (freshwater fishing is not allowed). Bream, whiting,
flathead, and swallowtail are the beach catches. Indian Head is good for rock species
and tailor, and the waters east off Waddy Point yield northern and southern reef
fish. Kingfisher Bay Resort (see “Where to Stay: Worth a Splurge” below) offers free
fish clinics, rents tackle, and organizes half-day fishing jaunts.
From August through October, tour boats crowd the straits to see humpback
whales returning to Antarctica with calves in tow. Kingfisher Bay Resort runs a
whale-watching cruise from Urangan Harbour.