Fraser Island is the world's largest sand island. It is World Heritage Listed and has become an eco tourism venue now that its timber and sand mining industries have been abandoned. You can read more here about its location, its history, its climate, and today's weather forecast.

Fraser Island attained its World Heritage Listing in December 1992 in recognition of the island's exceptional sand dune systems, its rainforests on sand, and its beautiful freshwater lakes. But in the twenty-first century the future of the island is in some doubt.

The western shores of the island form a boundary of the Port of Maryborough, once a major immigrant and industrial port encompassing much of the area now marketed by tourism authorities as the Fraser Coast. The island is not renowned as a shopping destination, but does lend its name to the Fraser Coast Commerce Plaza which promotes the region's businesses online.

Tourist Attractions:
Eco tourists flock to Fraser Island to see its variety of beaches, its many lakes and creeks, towering rainforest, and native wildlife . Guided eco tours by four wheel drive vehicle are available from several operators based in the city of Hervey Bay. But many visitors prefer to self-drive, in a four wheel drive vehicle of their own, or in a hired one.

Three days is about the time most visitors find necessary to see all the tourist attractions, but there are also one day tours to the most popular spots for people unable to spend longer. For those really pressed for time, a couple of hours spent in a light plane can give a bird's eye view of the island and the bay.

Accommodation:
Accommodation for visitors is limited, and is often full during popular holiday periods so booking is essential. Backpackers accommodation, resort standard accommodation, and private house rental is all available.
You can make an online booking or reservation here.

Fishing:
Many visitors come mainly for the fishing, especially along the ocean beaches of the eastern coast. A big fishing competition is an annual event here, running for a whole week.

Fraser Island's World Heritage listing ranks it with Australia's Uluru, Kakadu and the Great Barrier Reef. Fraser Island is a precious part of Australia's natural and cultural heritage, it is protected for all to appreciate and enjoy.

Fraser island is a place of exceptional beauty, with its long uninterrupted white beaches flanked by strikingly coloured sand cliffs, and over 100 freshwater lakes, some tea-coloured and others clear and blue all ringed by white sandy beaches. Ancient rainforests grow in sand along the banks of fast-flowing, crystal-clear creeks.

Fraser Island is the only place in the world where tall rainforests are found growing on sand dunes at elevations of over 200 metres. The low "wallum" heaths on the island are of particular evolutionary and ecological significance, and provide magnificent wildflower displays in spring and summer.

The immense sand blows and cliffs of coloured sands are part of the longest and most complete age sequence of coastal dune systems in the world and they are still evolving.

They are a continuous record of climatic and sea level changes over the last 700 000 years. The highest dunes on the island reach up to 240 metres above sea level.

The Great Sandy Strait, separating Fraser Island from the mainland, is listed by the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention).

Clean sandy beaches facing the Pacific Ocean surf, and dazzling white sandy lake beaches are scenic features of

Fraser Island.
1. Looking north from Indian Head gives this picturesque view of the surf beach with Waddy Point in the distance.

2. Not far from Indian Head are the Champagne Pools, formed where a barrier of volcanic rock partially sheilds the beach from the ocean surf. At high tide waves surge over the rocks, filling the pools and providing a unique bathing experience.

3. This is a view of Indian Head itself, the rocky headland that anchors the sands forming Fraser Island. Fraser is the largest sand island in the world, but without the stability provided by rocks, the ocean might wash its sands away. In the crystal clear waters below Indian Head, sharks, dolphins, mantarays, turtles, and whales (in season) can often be seen.

4. 75 mile beach on the eastern side of Fraser Island is often regarded as the main highway on the island for four wheel drive vehicles. About mid way along it, Eli Creek winds from many kilometres inland to carve its bed through the beach and pour 120 million litres of water a day into the sea. But bureaucrats who now control the island refuse to entertain proposals to pipe some of the water from this and similar streams to water-hungry Hervey Bay city, preferring instead to raise dams and flood forests on the mainland.

5. The Maheno is a famous wrecked ship that can be seen on the east coast of Fraser Island. In her day the S.S. Maheno was the pride of the Union Steamship Company's trans Tasman fleet, crossing in 1907 from Auckland to Sydney in two days 21 hours, setting a record that was to stand for 25 years. She was wrecked whilst being towed to Japan for breaking up.

6. 75 mile beach is not only the main highway on the island for four wheel drive vehicles, but acts as an aerodrome for light aircraft. Joy flights are available to enable tourists to see the sights from aloft.

7. The beaches of the inland lakes are typically whiter than the ocean beaches. This one is Lake Birrabeen.

8. Sandy Cape beach at the northern end of Fraser Island is more difficult to reach than others, and is therefore rarely seen by visitors. The Sandy Cape lighthouse is nearby.