Fraser Island
Darren Jew / Courtesy of Tourism Queensland

Highlights

Lake McKenzie

World Heritage-listed Fraser Island is distinguished by its 40 perched dune lakes, formed by water collecting on an impermeable layer of decaying matter. Idyllic Lake McKenzie is definitely one of the most beautiful of these freshwater lakes – its shallow water is dazzling aquamarine and ringed by white sandy beaches backed by paperbark trees. To swim here, in some of the purest drinking water in the world, is a wonderful experience.

Fraser Island’s dingoes

Roaming around on the world’s largest sand island is what is thought to be the purest strain of dingoes in eastern Australia. By the time dingoes arrived on the mainland – they came with Asian seafarers around 5000 years ago – Fraser Island was already disconnected from the continent, and the dingoes swam the few kilometres across Great Sandy Strait. Unlike most mainland dingoes, they are largely free of hybridisation with domestic dogs.
Warning: Dingoes have been known to attack. Stay with small children and never feed or coax animals.

Fraser Island’s east coast

Fraser Island’s east coast, also its surf coast, has an alluring list of attractions. It takes in the beautiful Seventy Five Mile Beach; The Cathedrals, 15 m sheer cliffs composed of different-coloured sands; the wreck of the Maheno, a trans-Tasman luxury liner; and Eli Creek, a freshwater creek filtered through the dunes, where visitors can float beneath the pandanus trees.

Hervey Bay

This once sleepy settlement is now a booming resort town. The bay itself is a large, calm body of water warmed by tropical currents. The area’s protected beaches are perfect for family swimming. Other popular activities include sailing, diving, windsurfing, fishing, kayaking and skydiving.

Great Sandy Strait

This narrow strait between the mainland and Fraser Island makes for good boating; there are houseboats and other vessels for hire. Drop into the Kingfisher Bay Resort and Village on Fraser Island, facing the strait. Look out for dugongs, the world’s only plant-eating marine mammals, and fish at the mouth of the Mary River, around River Heads.

Maryborough Heritage Walk and Drive

Established in 1847, Maryborough is one of Queensland’s oldest and best-preserved provincial cities. A self-guide brochure leads visitors through tree-lined streets, past heritage sites and well-restored Queenslander houses, and along the historic streetscape of Wharf Street.

Focus On: Whale-watching

At the start of winter humpback whales begin migrating to the warmer waters of Hervey Bay. Visitors are never far behind them, many making their way up the coast for the chance to see these amazing creatures offshore. Each year around 2000 humpback whales migrate from the Antarctic to Australia’s eastern subtropical coast. Between July and November, up to 400 rest and regroup in Hervey Bay. For an up-close view of the majestic whales, various tours operate from the boat harbour in town.