Fraser Coast travel guide: The must do list
SAND dunes and World Heritage rainforest on one side, the Pacific Ocean on the other and heaps of open beach in front. The best thing? It’s right on our doorstep.
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HEADING to the Fraser Coast region? The Courier-Mail’s series on Queensland’s holiday hot spots showcases the best places to go, stay and eat in the state’s most popular destinations.
FAMOUS VISITORS
Hervey Bay is home of the humpback. The friendly giants gather in the winter months to relax, socialise and teach their calves life skills, which makes for a breathtaking display for visitors. There are heaps of tour options to get you out on the water and enjoying the show.
BEST ATTRACTION
The islands are hard to beat. Fraser Island – also known as K’gari, meaning paradise from the local Butchulla people – is the world’s biggest sand island and a natural wilderness recognised with a World Heritage listing. It can be reached by regular passenger and 4WD ferry from River Heads near Hervey Bay or Inskip Point further south. Some of the whale watch boats also run day trips depending on the season.
BEST PLACE TO STAY
Kingfisher Bay Resort on Fraser Island’s western coast is a short ferry trip from River Heads. If you’ve got a four-wheel drive, it’s a great place to start your Fraser adventure and with a heap of restaurants, pools and cafes, as well as hot showers and cold aircon, it’s a comfortable base to see the world’s biggest sand island. The chefs also specialise in using lesser known indigenous ingredients to create a true taste of Australia, including akudjura and pepperberry crocodile and meringue poached in lemon myrtle.
Lady Elliot Island is an incredible eco-resort sitting on a glorious coral cay that can be reached by flights from Hervey Bay and Brisbane. Swim with the manta rays, learn about the turtles, marvel at the reef or just saunter along the sand – your own paradise.
BEST TOURIST WALK/DRIVE
There’s no road on Earth like the drive along 75 Mile Beach on Fraser’s eastern side. There are sand dunes and World Heritage forest on one side, the Pacific Ocean on the other and an endless expanse of open beach in front.
There are also attractions dotted along the way like Eli Creek where the cool, fresh water is the perfect spot for a dip or Champagne Pools, further north, for a splash in the brine.
BEST BAR
The beer doesn’t taste any better than at the Eurong Beach Bar. After a day of sea, salt and spray on 75 Mile Beach Eurong is a place for a meal, a drink and a recharge. The township also has fuel, mobile coverage and places to stay if you’re tired of a tent.
Hervey Bay has plenty of pubs and bars, including the Beach House Hotel next to the pier at Scarness. Fraser Island’s Kingfisher Jetty is also worth a visit after an amazing day of exploring the World Heritage wonder.
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