Fraser Island whale watching: More than sand and dingoes

Humpback whales double breaching, Platypus Bay, Fraser Island.Credit: Getty

If whale watching were a state of origin game, the Maroons are headed for the win. A few years ago I spent an entire season chasing these gargantuan mammals up and down the New South Wales coast. I have watched them from lighthouses, sea planes, boats, kayaks and cliff faces. I have travelled from Eden – where they helpfully sound a siren for whale sightings, the same siren that used to send out the whaling boats – to Byron Bay. But I have never seen such relentless frolicking as in the waters around Hervey Bay, just a couple of hours north of Brisbane. We are following a small pod of three teenage humpbacks and they are leaping out of the water like it's boiling hot. The breaches, fin slaps and all-round playing is coming as thick and fast as the "oohhs" and "aahhs" of the appreciative crowd.

The theory goes that the young whales like to play more when the seas are rough and our boat is pitching and rolling hard enough to churn milk, and stomachs, but the sight of the whales takes my mind off everything – except trying to stay on my feet. After watching the whales cavorting along the starboard side, I claw my way over to port to get away from the crowd. A whale surfaces just a couple of metres from where I am standing, its huge bulk heading straight for the boat. It looks close enough to collide with us but these whales are young, not stupid, and it expels a huge breath and dives right under our vessel. Even a nearby whale-hardened crew member is impressed. "Wow, that one was so close I should have sold it a ticket," she says.

My base for this very successful whale odyssey is the Kingfisher Bay Resort, on Fraser Island, a World Heritage site as the world's largest sand island. It's 123 kilometres long and 22 kilometres wide at its girth. Hectares of lush forest vegetation coat the island like a net, or skin, holding the sand in place and creating a wonderland for four-wheel-drive enthusiasts. Dingoes roam the island and pods of dolphins surf the waves.

The Pinnacles, Great Sandy National Park, Fraser Island.Credit: Peter Walton Photography

The day after my whale watching I am bumping around again, but this time it's on dry land. I am on a 4WD tour of the island with guide and resident Fraser Island photographer Peter Meyer. The deep grooves of the sandy island tracks are turning my morning latte into a cappuccino but once again it is a case of being both shaken and stirred, as we emerge on to the stunning break at 75 Mile Beach.

As if to greet us, an eagle ray leaps out of the water and we peel our eyes for the whales while Meyer points out the odd dark lumps of "coffee rock" – a compressed mixture of sand and rotting vegetation – that line the start of the forest like a stubbly welcome mat.

We take a short break at Eli Creek, which acts as a natural "lazy river" attraction where families wade up under a small bridge clutching inflatable rings and then float slowly back to the creek entrance. It's a bit chilly so I wander the nearby dunes and spy some fresh dingo tracks in the sand, though that is all I see of the elusive wild dogs for the day.

4WD driving on the beach at Fraser Island.Credit: Antoine Beyeler

As we 4WD our way further north, we find the wreck of the Maheno, a rusted-out hull that is one of the must-snap shots on this stretch of sand.

Fraser Island has more than 100 lakes on the island, but a dip in Lake McKenzie is a must. The pure, white silica sand filters the water to keep it crystal clear; it's so soft it can polish fine jewellery and buff away rough skin. It also manages to chill us out after a warm day's touring.

The writer was a guest of Kingfisher Bay Resort.

TRIP NOTES

MORE INFORMATION

See visitfrasercoast.com

GETTING THERE

Virgin Australia (virginaustralia.com) flies direct to Hervey Bay from Melbourne and Sydney. Qantaslink (qantas.com) flies from Sydney and Brisbane. A shuttle bus runs from the airport to River Heads ferry terminal (though timings with the plane arrival are tight and there is a three-hour wait between ferries). The ferry takes about an hour to reach Kingfisher Bay Resort.

STAYING THERE

Kingfisher Bay Resort, Fraser Island, offers one-bedroom villas from $188 a night off peak and $208 at peak times. See kingfisherbay.com. The Sunset House 4 private villa costs $1500 a night with a three-night minimum, see fraserislandhouses.com.

FLYING THERE

A short flight around Fraser Island, starting and finishing on 75 Mile Beach, costs $77, or a longer day trip costs $150 from Hervey Bay. See airfraserisland.com.au.

FIVE OTHER THINGS TO DO ON FRASER ISLAND

HAVE A SUNSET PLATTER

Fraser Island is all about getting out and about, so ending the day with a cheese platter and a glass of rose down at the Jetty Hut (you'll see it where the resort ferry lands) is the perfect way to unwind. Front row seats to the best evening show on the island.

EAT INDIGENOUS

Kingfisher Bay's signature restaurant Seabelle​ is all about innovative use of ingredients that have been used by the Butchulla​ people for thousands of years. It cleverly twists classics such as akudjura salt and pepperberry calamari and crocodile salad. Book in for a bush-tucker talk-and-taste when a ranger and chef talk you through a tasting plate of indigenous flavours.

STAY IN LUXURY

Sunset House 4, is at the centre of all this, nestled in Fraser Island's blackbutt forest. This house has the best view on the island across the Great Sandy Strait to Hervey Bay, and you can enjoy it from each of the four private decks, or the eight-person Jacuzzi on the main deck.

VISIT THE PINNACLES

Created over thousands of years by the iron-rich minerals in the sand, The Pinnacles are layers of coloured sand that hide just within the forest surrounding the beach. These colourful cliffs are a special place for the Butchulla people.

GET A BIRD'S EYE VIEW

Taking off from the sands of 75 Mile Beach, you can get an aerial view of Fraser Island with a short flight by Air Fraser Island.