Aussie ‘paradise’ now just 2.5 hours away from major city
Travelling to this Aussie paradise just got a whole lot easier for millions of people in one major city.
K’gari is hardly a “hidden” gem as the largest sand island in the world.
The stunning destination, formerly named Fraser Island, sits just off the east coast and welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors a year.
And it just become a lot easier to get to for those down south, with Jetstar launching the first direct flights from Melbourne to Hervey Bay in June.
With popular tourist spots such as Lake McKenzie, Pile Valley rainforest, the coloured sand cliffs known as The Pinnacles, the Maheno shipwreck, Eli Creek, and Champagne Pools – K’gari certainly lives up to its name (pronounced “gurrie”), meaning paradise.
But the untouched remote west coast where few people go is what truly had me asking: ‘is this real?’.
Picture turquoise water and long stretches of white sand with no human foot prints until you make your mark.
It is a challenging area to get to. By 4WD you have to time the journey just right or you risk being submerged in water. If you prefer a stress-free visit, you can take a boat tour from the mainland for the day.
I did the “remote K’gari experience” with Tasman Venture, a family business started in 1990. You know you are being looked after by locals when the owner is also the lead skipper.
The crew takes guests to the best spots based on the sea and tide conditions of the day.
After anchoring the catamaran, tourists hop on “Sealegs” to get ashore; an impressive design with retractable wheels means the boat can drive up on to the sand and guests can avoid getting wet.
My group got to take kayaks up the freshwater of Awinya Creek to see an area of the island not accessible on foot or by boat, and then climb up a massive sand dune near Bowarrady Creek for 360 degree views of K’gari and Platypus Bay.
Only the day before, guests on this tour got to swim with a whale.
Jetstar’s new direct flights from Melbourne to Hervey Bay cuts the previous travel time flying via Sydney by more than half.
From experience, I can tell you what a game changer it is catching one 2.5 hour flight rather than two flights with a layover, spending over eight hours in airports and on planes.
If you are one of many travellers keen to head towards the sunny region, known as the whale watching capital of the world, continue reading.
K’gari isn’t just for campers with 4WDs
While K’gari is famous for tourists who self-drive (4WD vehicle only) and camp, there are other options to travel the World Heritage-listed island.
You can jump on the Kingfisher Bay Ferry from River Heads without a car, or for those wanting a more VIP experience, you can travel by helicopter straight from Hervey Bay Airport with Great Ocean Helicopters.
Nathan and Aimee moved their business up from Victoria’s Great Ocean Road during the pandemic after realising there was no one doing scenic helicopter flights in the area – and they are still the only ones.
The island certainly looks spectacular from above.
Once you are on the island, you can join a tour to get around to the popular sights – such as K’gari Explorer Tours’ “beauty spots tour” on an airconditioned 4WD bus.
Travelling on a 4WD bus is an experience in itself, but the big perk you don’t get when self-driving is a lively tour guide full of knowledge about the top natural attractions (and advice on what to do if you run into a dingo). It is nice to have some context to why these spots you see all over Instagram are truly special.
If you have always wanted to visit K’gari but do not want to camp, or are an international tourist scared of the wildlife (in true Aussie fashion, there are 19 different species of snakes on the island), visitors can stay in four-star accommodation at Kingfisher Bay Resort. Even Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stayed here in 2018, albeit in a private house.
There is a dingo fence encircling the 5km perimeter of the resort.
A new light show is due to launch here on September 30 by Bruce Ramus, the same artist behind Wintjiri Wiru, a drone, light and sound show at Uluru.
It has been 18 months in the making and is expected to be a tourism drawcard.
The mainland is hiding some gems itself
When it comes to the Fraser Coast, K’gari is known to overshadow the mainland, but Hervey Bay should not be overlooked – especially if you are travelling through there.
There are some incredible sunset yacht charters in the bay. For me, a highlight of my time in the region was an afternoon with Fraser Island Boat Charters (you can set sail on your own without a boat licence too!). Every time I looked up from our picnic, the sky had changed colours, with the finale being a million bats flying above.
It is a spectacular sight, but not a rare one. Every night, the bats fly from Hervey Bay to K’gari to feast, and return back to the mainland in the morning.
Speaking of feasting, Banksia Seafood and Grill (cute coastal vibes) and the Odyssey Bistro (a unique dining experience) on the Esplanade are worth a look.
At Odyssey, you can leave your order up to the chef. If you so choose, you are greeted with an envelope containing the surprise menu when you sit down to eat.
The restaurant’s menu changes every month and on the last Sunday of each month, all the staff try it out before it is introduced to guests.
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But it is perhaps the back of the menu which is the most interesting – a map showing where all the produce is sourced from locally. It is clearly of high importance to chef and co-owner Jason England. For example, on my visit, I did not know what reef fish I would be eating until it was cooked, because there were small amounts of different freshly caught fish being used for the night.
While you are in Hervey Bay, you must also know the incredible Lady Elliot Island on the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef is only a 40 minutes flight away.
This writer was a guest of Jetstar and Fraser Coast Tourism and Events
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