New tour option to explore Fraser

WATCHING the sun go down through the trees of Fraser Island's forests is one of the beautiful experiences on Fraser Explorer Tours' newest half-day tour.

WATCHING the sun go down through the trees of Fraser Island's forests is one of this region's other-worldly experiences I and our photographer got to have on Fraser Explorer Tours' newest half-day tour.

The afternoon tour takes in Lake McKenzie, Central Station and the sub-tropical rainforest as well as a few hours spent bumping about on Fraser Island's famous sand roads.

It is plugged at time-poor people who don't have more than a day to spare and those who need an afternoon away from the real world.

That was exactly what it felt like last Sunday when we squeezed the island's best attractions into a four-hour tour.

The first friendly face we saw was Butch, a guest relations officer who picked us out of the mid-morning crowd at the Urangan Marina and packed us in the Kingfisher Bay Resort's courtesy bus along with two German backpackers.

His love for the island was infectious and he spent the 20-minute ride to River Heads telling me all the reasons why he loves being the first point of contact for tourists heading to the island.

After he dropped us off, we spent the 45-minute barge ride attempting to spot a seal after Butch's revelation one was spotted only a week ago, but had no luck.

Our tour guide Annie Bauer greeted us outside one of Fraser Explorer Tour's enormous 4WD buses, along with 21 other eager tourists.

The former army truck driver was quick to assure her passengers that she knows what she is doing on the sand roads.

As we pulled out of the Kingfisher Bay Resort, Annie's commentary made it obvious that the people who work here do it because of their love for the island.

She has been visiting the island for more than 20 years and spends her days off in a boat on the far side of the island.

"You want people to have a good day and remember it forever," she said of her 15 years as a guide.

The standout of the tour was Lake McKenzie, where our bus pulled up to see an empty shoreline and crystal-clear water.

This is where we get to talk to the other occupants of the bus, including members of the O'Shannessy's tour group from Melbourne who are spending the last day of their holiday on Fraser Island.

All of them were aged from 60-90, with one brave woman on a walking frame decided to take on the bumpy island tour.

We wandered up about 300 metres before we came across more people, including Scottish tourist Steve Allan who was the only one brave enough to go for a swim in the chilly winter water.

On his first trip to Australia, Steve labelled the island a paradise.

Our bus ride also took us through kilometres of bushland where a bushfire tore through almost a year ago and forced the evacuation of the nearby resort.

The flora was still either blackened and damaged or very young and Annie made sure to tell the bus how much it has grown since the fire.

"It was just white sand and black stumps," she said.

The writer and photographer were guests of Fraser Explorer Tours.

Afternoon tour

The 1.30pm tour can be booked through Fraser Explorer Tours. Tickets cost $125 for adults and $85 for children.

A family package is also available for two adults and two children for $379.

Originally published as New tour option to explore Fraser