Fraser Island (K’gari) popular for school holiday camping despite dangers
Is this the most Aussie family adventure ever? A rugged Queensland playground, home to an array of deadly creatures and treacherous tracks is proving increasingly popular on school holidays.
Fraser Coast
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For many, the chance to live dangerously in the relatively untouched wilds of Fraser Island (K’gari) is what has long lured them to its shores.
Social media however, and its never-ending stream of posts featuring trophy fishing photos, stunning sunsets and crystal-clear water has sent that into overdrive, turning what was previously one of Queensland’s best kept secrets into a sand highway for anyone with a four-wheel drive.
Perhaps the biggest change however is that despite its chequered track record as a child-friendly destination due to its resident dingoes and the high chance of sharing one’s campsite with the wildlife, Fraser Island outside the resort confines is not only popular with those wanting to channel their inner Bear Grylls but, increasingly, families.
This is evident over the September school holidays where the island’s camping zones are booked solid for the duration.
Among the travellers was the Gold Coast’s Soper family, who towed their caravan to the island earlier this month, catching the barge from Inskip Point for their adventure.
Robert Soper said he and his wife Jenny had visited the island when they first moved to Australia from Britain but on that occasion, travelled around on a tour bus.
Taking their own caravan over and having to negotiate sand and tides had proven to be a far different experience, he said.
“This time, you’re responsible for what you do wrong and what you do right,” he said.
The family, which now includes Cameron, 9, and Chloe, 7, had loved their visit to Fraser Island, camping at Cathedral Beach.
From Eli Creek to the Lake McKenzie, the family explored all parts of the island, encountering its wildlife along the way.
The family saw iguanas at Cathedral Beach, turtles at Indian Heads and the island’s iconic dingoes at Eli Creek.
While the dingoes looked like dogs one might pet, the Soper family knew better.
“You can get into a false sense of complacency,” Robert said.
Robert got out of the car to take a photograph from a reasonable distance away but had to hurry back when one of the animals made a sudden beeline to the vehicle where his door was standing open, where the children were still in the back seat.
They were still able to snap a shot, but from the safety of the vehicle.
As the number of families and tourists staying in unfenced areas increases, rangers face an ongoing challenge of keeping both people and dingoes safe with many still failing to heed safety warnings.
These school holidays coincide with ‘whelping season’ when dingo mothers are particularly protective of their pups.
Demographics which had historically stuck to the “beauty spots” bus tours plugged in tourism brochures by the island’s resorts are setting up camp in the heart of action – with varying results.
Not since the tragic death of nine-year-old Clinton Gage at Waddy Point in 2001 has there been a fatal attack but close calls have been on the rise.
In 2019, the dragging of a 14-month-old from his family’s camper van made international headlines due to the eerie similarity to the Azaria Chamberlain case.
A Brisbane dad had to rescue his child who had been grabbed by the neck in the small hours.
Amid escalating concerns regarding the habituation of dingoes on the island, particularly in the popular tourist village of Orchid Beach, a two-year-old boy was flown to hospital last April after wandering out while his family slept and being mauled by a dingo in the small hours.
Just weeks later, in the same area, a four-year-old boy was bitten on the leg after he and his five-year-old brother ran from a dingo to their family’s holiday unit at Orchid Beach.
This prompted Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour to warn at the time a child death was inevitable if something didn’t change.
The minimum penalty for interacting with a dingo is now $2205 and the maximum $11,028.
More than 20 people have been issued infringement notices this year for interacting with dingoes including a Brisbane man who was fined for feeding a dingo pup at the Hook Point Southern Barge area.
Snakes are also out in force as the weather warms.
The RACQ Lifeflight rescue helicopter flew out a man who had been bitten by a snake at Eurong on the first weekend of the school holidays.
The 25-year-old was flown to Hervey Bay Hospital in a stable condition.
On Facebook pages like Fraser Island (K’gari) 4x4 Fishing and Camping, pictures of snakes are attracting shocked reactions from newbies and amusing responses from seasoned visitors.
A picture of a large black snake, believed to be a red-bellied attracted a host of responses with photos of pythons and large browns.
Toni Van der Haulst shared these images with this publication, taken near Kingfisher Bay Resort earlier this month.
In another post on the page, Nathan Jupe shared this picture from the Department of Environment information and questioned: "Beware crocodiles. WTF. Is this a new thing or always been a thing. This will be our 3rd time and never seen this before."
The post attracted more than 150 responses with many sharing their tales of croc “sightings”.
Mick Reed replied “Always had crocs … 4m croc spotted at Poona two weeks ago” while Ryan Thomas said “Crocs have been sighted on the western side and have heard of a local salty living up one of the creeks over there but nothing to worry about”.
Photos have not been captured in recent history of crocodiles on Fraser Island.
The reptiles have however been known to live in the Mary River at Maryborough.
A mix of inexperienced drivers and overconfident P-platers account for a large number of rescues on the island’s beach and inland tracks.
The Department of Environment and Science warns anyone wanting to swim to stick to the island’s freshwater creeks and lakes due to the risk of sharks and rips on the eastern side.
Those who have fished the island’s beaches are aware of the dangers lurking in the surf but aerials taken this month by island visitor Tamara Boswell show just how close they come to the shore.
Following the death of Sunshine Coast fisherman Matthew Tratt, who was mauled by a shark off Indian Head in 2020, debate raged over whether more warning signs were needed.
At the time, Andrew Chorley from Hervey Bay Fly and Sportfishing, said although the attack was tragic, it was not surprising given the number of large sharks known to frequent local waters.
He told this publication he regularly saw bull sharks and bronze whalers off the eastern beach of the island.
Hammerheads and tiger sharks were spotted too, along with great whites.
“With more people going in the water than ever before, there are going to be more shark attacks in the future as well,” he said.
Mr Chorley said bronze whalers and bull sharks were also regularly spotted chasing boats.
“Eastern beach is renowned for sharks chasing mullet and tailor,” he said.
Sharks are also targeted by keen fishers on the island hoping to hook a monster as they chase schools through the eastern current.
This photo was also shared on the Fraser Island 4x4 page earlier this month.
On the western side of the island, where many still wade into calm, clear waters, it’s not just sharks but stingers which pose a threat.
Along with blue bottles, deadly Irukandji, are also known to be in the waters between Moon Point and Wathumba Creek.
This was confirmed in 2020 when net drags were carried out following a string of suspected stings.
Still, for the Sopers, it was the perfect family-friendly adventure and a getaway to remember.
“It’s a really different kind of experience I guess,” Robert said.
“Fraser is quite unique.
“You’ve got sand you’ve got to get through while towing a van.
“Then you’ve got those unique experiences, like Lake McKenzie for example, and Eli Creek and the western side and Sandy Cape.
“Those kind of experiences you don’t tend to have in your stock standard weekend away camping.”
Fraser Coast Tourism and Events General Manager Martin Simons said between 400,000 and 500,000 people flocked to Fraser Island every year, with the destination always a popular destination for families.
About half of the number stayed in the island’s resorts (Kingfisher Bay Resort has recently undergone a significant makeover) and the other half camped on the island, he said.
“It’s certainly popular,” Mr Simons said.
“It’s an amazing wilderness experience.”
Currently, a key focus for FCTE is the rebranding of the island to its traditional name, K’gari, with consultation by the State Government currently underway.
With more than 74,000 Google searches a month for Fraser Island, making it one of the top destinations being Googled in Queensland, it would take time and money to transition to the new name, Mr Simons said.
While there would be challenges, Mr Simons said he was fully supportive of promoting the name given to the island by the indigenous people.
“We love the name – it means paradise,” he said.
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