Tourist tells of dingo attack

DESPITE suffering extensive injuries to his arms, legs and head, the German tourist bitten by dingoes said he would go back to Fraser Island.

German tourist Justin, who was mauled by dingoes on Fraser Island, is now recovering in Hervey Bay Hospital. Picture: Alistair Brightman

DESPITE suffering extensive injuries to his arms, legs and head, the German tourist bitten by dingoes said he would go back to Fraser Island.

The tourist, who wanted to be know just as Justin, a 23-year-old laboratory worker from Baden-Württemberg in south-west Germany, has been in Australia for nine months on a working holiday.

He and his friends arrived on Fraser Island on Friday in a tour from Rainbow Beach, and the group was shown a video warning them about the island's dangers, including dingoes.

The guides also briefed them on how to behave around the animals.

After visiting Lake McKenzie and the Maheno shipwreck on Friday afternoon, the group went to the K'Gari campsite where they cooked a barbecue and had a few drinks.

While Justin admits there was alcohol at the party, he said he was not drunk when the attack took place.

"Sure, we had a few drinks, but I was not so drunk that I would be stupid, certainly not that stupid," he said.

"I was not crazy drunk. I went to sleep inside the camp, and got up to go to the toilet. Then I lost orientation and I wasn't on the campground."

After he became lost about 2.30am on Saturday, Justin does not know exactly how he came into contact with the dingoes - but he does not believe he was asleep when the attack took place, as his last memory before the attack was of trying to find his way back to camp.

"I was not really drunk any more," he said.

"What I remember for sure was fighting as the dingoes were surrounding me and attacking me."

He does not know how long he endured the relentless biting before he got the chance to escape, but he grabbed a moment's opportunity to run and climb a tree.

Unfortunately, the tree he climbed was not strong enough to hold him, and he fell to the ground.

"I tried several times to climb back up but branches kept breaking, so I took a branch to protect myself and stayed on the ground."

Because it was so dark and he had left the path as he fled the animals, Justin had no idea which way to go to get back to camp.

Exhausted and in searing pain, Justin nestled under a tree and listened out in case his attackers came back.

He slept for some time, waking as dawn broke - only to spot another dingo.

He picked up his branch and followed the noise of the ocean back to the camp, where his tour guide called for medical help.

Justin did not realise the extent of his wounds until he reached the ambulance station.

"I was so shocked because the wounds were so much and so big," he said.

Justin does not clearly remember the start of the attack, and said he did not know who was to blame - and remarkably, he bears no grudges against the dingo species.

He said he may have smelled like food when he walked on to the bush track, after a steak fell on his hoodie while cooking

He believes two animals were involved in the attack, and while it was difficult to judge their size in the dark, he estimates they were about 70cm tall.

"The scars are not the important thing," he said.

"I'm here. I'll have a lot of stories to tell."

Originally published as Tourist tells of dingo attack