Visit Harry and Meghan’s favourite Queensland spot

Harry and Meghan loved this special spot when they visited Queensland - and now you can visit too.

The last time I was on K’gari, it was a frenetic day trip involving incredible security, a mad scramble across the island and the then most popular couple in the world.

When Prince Harry and his new bride Meghan Markle visited Fraser Island, as its called in the old currency, they were far from alone.

Planning for their quick overnighter started months before they could even find on nthe map what is one of Queensland and the world’s natural wonders.

Prince Harry and pregnant wife Meghan Markle with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk walking along Kingfisher Bay pier, Fraser Island. Picture: Liam Kidston

Every part of the visit was choreographed to the minute, sand roads not withstanding, and involved squadrons of media, entourage, security and organiser.

Approval to be part of the tour required sign off well up the chain in towers of power, not to mention the meticulous combing of the island, plotting every route, secondary route and escape route by police, security experts and the couple’s own people.

It is an eerie experience heading off into the fabulous towering trees of Pile Valley with just a small group of the Prince, members of the traditional owners the Butchulla and a royal handler and bumping into very polite but very fit and unmoving men wearing earpieces, and knowing there were plenty of other unseen eyes watching as well.

For all the flack Harry and Meghan are catching these days, the people they spoke to on K’gari got a genuine kick out of meeting them, a real lift. Young or old, after they’d shaken Harry’s hand or spoken to Meghan, they couldn’t stop smiling or talking about it in the hours afterwards.

2Harry, Duke of Sussex, with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, greet well wishers on Kingfisher Bay Jetty, during their visit to Fraser Island, off the coast of Hervey Bay, QLD. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/The Australian

This time back on Fraser, there was no security and no minute-by-minute itinerary and, for entourage, just my queen and our little prince and princess.

Fun as the royal tour mega-event was, K’gari is far more wonderful when there isn’t the British media pack filling every slice of sunshine or bar seat.

Harry’s trip included Pile Valley, Lake Mackenzie and a boat trip up the western side of the island and a stay at Kingfisher Bay Resort.

Ours would too.

Kingfisher Bay Resort is on the secluded western side of the island, reached by a short ferry trip from River Heads, just south of Hervey Bay.

When you set foot on the wooden jetty that connects the island to the resort, things instantly switch to holiday getaway.

Everyone is relaxed, everything is quiet and the island location takes over.

Comparing then to now, it’s understandable why Harry maybe dreamt of leaving all the royal palaver behind for the simple life, even if it hasn’t quite panned out that way.

K’gari has traditionally been known for banging along the eastern beach in four-wheel drives and camping.

Prince Harry on Fraser Island. Picture: Annette Dew

While that’s fun too, being able to wash the salt and sand off in a hot shower then chill in the pool or aircon and meals and good coffee at the resort were certainly bonuses we enjoyed at Kingfisher.

The island has most recently been in the news for the fire that burned out a huge swathe across its north.

While the flames put a lot of forest to the torch, spots like Pile Valley, Central Station and the famous lakes are still there, as well as the resorts at Kingfisher and Eurong on both sides of the island.

We kicked off our visit with the new fast boat tour out of Kingfisher that takes in the wonders of the western side and smaller islands off Fraser.

It’s a great mix of hearing about the history of plague colonies and quarantine stations for busy Maryborough port, lonely lighthouse keepers and ecology of the fragile area along with fanging across the water (if you hear the skipper say “boat surfing”, hang on tight) and serene dips on bright white sand beaches and quiet coves.

75 Mile Beach on Fraser Island. Picture: @dtoura

The western side of Fraser has far fewer tracks and vehicles than the more open eastern side so the boat trip is a great way to enjoy it.

We swapped the water for the land on day two, joining a beauty spots four-wheel-drive bus day tour.

Our driver, Kev, has been around so long on the island he is the veteran of not just Harry’s tour but his dad Charles’s visit decades before.

It also means he knows the best tracks and times to get across the island and up the beach and back between the tides.

The Maheno wreck - the former trans-Tasman liner and WWI hospital ship that washed ashore as it was towed to Japan for dismantling - marked the northern tip of our eastern beach tour before a dip in Eli Creek, popular with those encrusted with salt from their non-resort-style stay.

Take your own inflatable and you can drift down the cool freshwater creek, pinballing off the occasional sunburnt backpacker.

Fraser Island rainforest. Picture: @cameronzegers

There are also scenic flights that take off from and land on the beach that can be timed with the four-wheel drive bus run up the sand if you fancy seeing K’gari from a different view.

Back inland, Central Station is at the heart of Fraser’s logging history, when a small township was established as timber was cut down and sent all over the world, including the piles used in harbours that gave Pile Valley its name. There is work underway to convert one of the cottages into a museum.

There is also a walkway along delicate Wanggoolba Creek. Move quietly and you might even catch sight of one of the tiny kingfishers that hunt along there.

The final stop before homebase was beautiful Lake Mackenzie. Boorangoora, or waters of wisdom, is a perched lake, fed only by the rain. As well as a stunning spot for a swim, it’s high natural acidity levels are reputed to take years off your skin.

Whether it works or not, a trip to K’gari will certainly leave you recharged.

The writer was a guest of Kingfisher Bay Resort Group