Fraser Island Dingoes

I am a tourist from down south. I love this area. I come regularly. I spend money in Hervey Bay and Maryborough.

Picture: Bruno Pezzimenti

I am a tourist from down south.

I love this area.

I come regularly. I spend money in Hervey Bay and Maryborough.

I looked forward to visiting Fraser Island again.

However, that last time will be the last time the Fraser coast sees any of my money unless things change.

I did not see one dingo, so I began asking questions.

I heard about Inkie.

I heard terrible things.

I heard an estimate of 50 dingoes left on the island.

I thought there were 200!

I heard that instead of protecting the dingo and getting people to behave the rangers do the opposite - they hound and shoot these beautiful iconic animals.

I thought people up here would be so proud of their unique animal they would do everything to protect it but they are doing the opposite.

A man on Fraser Island said to me, "The only good dingo is a dead dingo."

I heard hoons in four-wheel drives try to run them down on the beach.

As for the fences what on earth are you thinking.

They are so ugly.

They destroy the look of the natural environment.

Yes I know about the attack.

Maybe I'd attack too if I was starving.

I know I would be bad tempered.

Just imagine panda have interbred with brown bears in China for bile- there is one bamboo forest with pure breed pandas.

So the Chines say that's a pretty place and it has pure breed pandas - so they build a resort - let people put up houses, cut down the bamboo.

Now the pandas are hungry and dangerous.

Do they rush in more bamboo and start planting it - NO.

They start shooting pandas- now there are only about 50 pure-bred pandas and they are still shooting them - of course there are a few in zoos, but Chinese people are more important than pandas so the pandas have to be exterminated one by one.

Terrible isn't it?

So why are you doing it?

Letting it happen?

Of course I won't be the only ex-tourist - I am one putting pen to paper just so you can't say nobody thought about tourists leaving.

Diana, Melbourne