Touring Fraser Island on Australia's Great Barrier Reef
Story Maxwell Balmain
Photographs by Maxwell & Sherri Balmain
It had been a long hot sandy drive. We stopped the cruiser to watch the action on the steep curving hill that stretched away from the beach. Two vehicles were stuck in the deep sand. We could hear the sounds of screaming engines, spinning tires mixed with shouted advice and laughter. We inched forward to join a couple of fishermen standing watching this group of tourists struggling in the sand. Obviously locals, these guys were deeply weathered by years in the Australian sun. We all watched the group as they set about getting a tow strap ready. One of the rigs looked like a sturdy 4x4, while the other was some kind of local station wagon. Night was approaching and we had a ways to go before hitting the campsite. Figuring that there was enough room to get by the group I leaned out to the fishermen to make sure: “do you think I can make it by them” I asked. One of these guys flashed a warm smile that looked like it had not seen any dental work in decades. He walked over and kicked one of the squishy tires under our cruiser. “Ya got enough air out of the tires. No worries Mate, just keep in her low and keep ya revs up!” I asked how long this hill was and how long it would take to get to the campsite north of Ngkala Rocks. His buddy, whose leathery face was also sporting a wide grin, replied: “well, yer got about 30 minutes of glorious soft-track and then yer’s up in God’s country…”
Not sure if I should be more worried than reassured with this information I decide to go for it. I back up almost into the surf behind us, pop the cruiser in first (low range) and look over at my wife Sherri. “You ready?” I ask. We set off, waving at the fisherman as we pass by, working up some speed. I slip into second before hitting the hill, wondering if I am in the right gear. I don’t even want to think about shifting in the middle of the climb. The diesel engine starts to howl as we pass the group of tourists on our right. Really into the thick sand now, I give it a lot more throttle as we slither upwards, violently shifting side to side through deep ruts in the soft sand. About half way up I know the Troopie is going to make it, even though the engine is protesting wildly. I recognize and welcome the feeling that your Land Cruiser is indeed going to get you up another steep hill. Once on top we look back down the hill to the wild beach stretching endlessly below. The fisherman was right: we are in God’s country.
I had been planning this adventure for months. Navigating the soft trails of Fraser Island in a Land Cruiser for three days would be the final chapter to a four-week trip to Australia. Fraser Island is a giant sandmass that stretches over 120km along the southern coast of Queensland. Located at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef, Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world. Now protected, Fraser sports a wild ecological stew of woodlands, swamps, mangroves, rainforests, rivers and beautiful pristine lakes. There are a couple of small resorts for the pampered set. All other visitors have to camp on the grassy dunes above the beach or in campsites inside the rainforest areas. There are no roads and cars are prohibited from entering onto the island. You enter the island via a short barge trip from the mainland. Oh, and you MUST drive a capable 4x4. Yes Sir!
I had made all the arrangements for this trip via email and phone before leaving Seattle. I settled for one of the major rental outfits and reserved one of their “Bushranger” rigs. I wanted to have a real “cruiser experience” which meant that I wanted to avoid hiring a regular modern automatic vehicle. I wanted something I could not drive in the US. The “Bushranger” sounded perfect: a NEW 78 Series LC Troopie that came custom fitted for vigorous Aussie travel. Five speed manual transmission, diesel engine, power steering and air conditioning is standard issue with these cruisers. The custom package included dual batteries, extra long range fuel tank, fresh water tank (with pump), 12v/240v electric fridge, 2 burner cooker, 12v lighting, gas, cooking utensils, solar shower, bedding etc; all packed away in a clever roll-out drawer system. A large folding tent with a fold down ladder is mounted on top of the roof. There was even an awning system that extended from the side of the roofline. Campsite amenities like tables and chairs were also included.
The rental agent gave me a “little lecture” about the responsibilities of driving their vehicle on Fraser Island. The island is a long narrow island that runs more or less north south. The “highway” is the beach on the east coast of the island. The track that everyone drives changes constantly with the tides. Driving through the sand at low tide is easy. Driving at high tide can get tricky. Driving anywhere on the west coast beaches is a big no-no. The agent showed me a series of dramatic photographs of vehicles buried in the surf, vehicles upside down in the rocks and vehicles completely submerged in deep tidal pools. The currents on the west side are too dangerous and I was strongly urged/threatened not to venture anywhere near this area with the cruiser.
It takes several hours to drive from Brisbane to Inskip Point to catch one of the small ferries that transport you and your 4x4 onto the southern end of Fraser. The water in this region of the Indian Ocean is an amazing deep blue. Very inviting but no one swims here: too many sharks! Ours was the only 4x4 on this trip to the island. Once there the ferry crashed onto the shore and the front slapped down hard onto the sand: very much like a D Day landing. I had locked the hubs and let air out of the tires during the trip so we were ready to navigate our way onto the blinding white sand. We went about 50 feet before hitting the first soft spot. Wham! We were stuck, embarrassingly right in front of a group of rigs waiting for the barge to ferry them back to the mainland.
Not for long though. A quick reversal and a little more throttle and we were off again up the beach. It’s strange driving here for the first time. All you see is the deep blue ocean to your right, thick bush on your left and the occasional 4x4 coming straight at you. Drivers use their turn signals to indicate which side they will pass you by on. You soon learn not to swerve or change course as this is what causes accidents. Luckily our first drive is at low tide. During low tide there is much more beach and the sand is firmer. As the tide moves in it forces drivers farther up the beach. At high tide you have to navigate the very deep soft sand between the surf and the protected grassy area that surrounds the tall tree groves. After driving for ten minutes one can see why regular vehicles are forbidden on Fraser Island.
After driving for an hour or so we keep a lookout for signs: I want to check out Dilli Village and find some of the trail system that winds away from the ocean to the dotted lakes in the southern end of the island. The “village” is nothing more than a self-serve fuel station, food store and a small group of guest cottages. There is sand everywhere, even inside the store. We add a few drinks to the fridge and set off looking for Lake Boomanjin. The trail is fairly easy. I keep the transfer case locked but our Troopie could have done this section in two-wheel drive. The 1st gear of the 5-speed is noticeably lower than the 1st in the standard US issue H42 tranny. We bounce our way through the vegetation. It’s very hot and humid. Giant eucalypts trees and thick bush line the narrow sandy trail. Even in the center of this forest there is sand on the trail. Actually the entire island floor is sand. The vegetation is so thick overhead that it is quite dark as we make our way slowly through the windy turns. Having low air pressure in the tires really helps with the bumps and rolls. This is it: that great anticipated feeling of slowly working your way through dense, foreign vegetation on the other side of the planet in a well equipped (& unavailable in the US) Land Cruiser!
The afternoon is closing in. Even though the island is fairly small, driving through the slow trails just seems to gobble up time. We decide to camp at Lake Benaroon. This small campground is located in thick trees. We do the familiar slow loop drive, evaluating the available spots as we go. We find one with a nice clearing, not too far from the rest room. I jump back in the Troopie and quickly start “mission one” after a long day of hard but rewarding driving: rummaging through that fancy fridge for a round of icy beers! Victoria Bitter never tasted so good.
A quick lesson on the version of the English language that is spoken in Australia: the language is called “Stral’n” and from what I can tell every opportunity to mix economy of words, abbreviation and humor is always taken. For instance, the locals affectionately call the local New South Wales beer, Victoria Bitter, “Vitamin B” or just “B”. In North America we call the box that keep beverages cold a “cooler.” Down under, the Aussies call this same box an “Esky”. “Esky” is short for Eskimo. Huh? Look through most guidebooks to Australia and you will find an English – Stral’n dictionary in the back. A good percentage of these handy phrases relates to beer: what beer is called, the different containers that beer comes in and what happens to the human system when too much beer is consumed etc.
Getting back to our camp: it is really getting dark. Sherri and I set about setting up our kitchen when we suddenly realize an important reality of being out in a rainforest at dusk: you better have some serious mosquito repellant! The official “birds” of Fraser Island were upon us, buzzing madly around our heads and sucking blood from every available patch of exposed skin. It was at this time we realized we had made a fatal error during a previous shopping mission. For some reason we figured that a small bottle of mosquito repellant that featured a small roll-on applicator would be adequate for the Australian bush. WRONG!!! The roll-on thing did nothing to really cover us. In no time at all we cursing, wishing we had brought a 20-gallon drum of high octane DDT with us.
Then came the fun of figuring out the roof tent in the dark with the “mozzies” buzzing into our ears. It was still sticky and hot as hell, which only added to the torment. We finally got the tent, ladder and bedding figured out. Even though it was hot we both jumped into pants and long sleeve shirts. That and some more furious applications of our stupid repellent stick seemed to help a little. Unfortunately there was a burn ban: no campfire! Another beer and some cooked dinner also helped. In the end we gave up and clawed our way up the ladder into the roof tent by 8:30. I did not sleep much that night or any other subsequent night on Fraser. It is so hot in January: a steamy jungle heat with mosquitoes buzzing at the tent screens, with the steady throb of cicadas and other critters of the night echoing in your ears.
Daylight brought relief. I was so glad to be out of that claustrophobic tent. Cold juice, cereal and hot coffee also raised our spirits. After a quick shower we anxiously resumed our exploration of the southern regions of the island. We toured the area. We also did some serious walking through the thick rainforest. The vegetation, sounds and colorful parrots added to the heavy atmosphere on the foot trails. We walked for an hour before finding one of the remote fresh water lakes that Fraser is famous for. Each lake is different but they are amazingly clean. The first lake featured beautiful crystal clear blue water and white sand. No fish, rocks, algae, or vegetation of any kind. This perfect round lake had its own white sandy beach and was surrounded by dense bush. We had it all to ourselves. It was one of the most enjoyable swims I have ever had. After an hour or so we reluctantly left the lake and headed back to the cruiser, passing others coming the other way. We were glad we had started our day so early.
That swim pretty much set the pace to the rest of our stay on Fraser. Not much to do but slowly drive the winding trails through the forests, swim in crystal clear lakes and then drive back to the east coast beach to navigate to higher regions of the island. You repeat the pattern until you reach the top. There is not much else to do. There are no towns, parks, or amusements of any kind. There are miles of sand, amazing plant and bird life and the occasional glimpse of a wild dingo. Fraser Island dingoes are land locked and are the most genetically pure wild dingoes found in Australia. They are also an important part of the eco-system. Unfortunately they have also gotten into trouble. A few years back some unsuspecting parents let their toddler get too close to some hungry dingoes and a tragic but avoidable death was the outcome. We encountered campground rangers who repeatedly would lecture visitors about taking the proper precautions with these wild creatures.
Along the way we also met some colorful locals. There were quite a few Land Cruisers on the island. Not surprising as Toyota is the dominant player in this country. While new cruisers are everywhere you also have great classic cruiser viewing opportunities in Australia. I stopped by this classic long bed 45 series on the beach. It featured a huge front bull-bar with metal holders for long ocean style fishing rods. I then spotted the owner down at the waters edge. I walk up to say hi. He offers the standard friendly Australian greeting and gets back to his chore on the beach. I watch him carefully before asking him what he is up too. What he was doing was taking a smelly fish head in one hand and carefully nudging the lips of the head into the sand near the edge of the water. He would then slowly troll the head back and forth across the surface of the sand. I was all set to ask about this activity when all of a sudden this large worm with nasty looking claws in its mouth grabbed hold of the fish head. Our cruiser friend quickly snatched the worm with his other hand and deposited it into a small container on his belt. Well, not your average fishing bait that’s for sure! I then asked him about his cruiser, explaining that I was a cruiser nut living in Seattle. I tell him about my rigs, about spring-over suspensions, big tires and wheeling in the rocks etc. I could tell by the look on this guys face that he thought I was nuts. He then offered that he had been driving cruisers all over the Australian bush for 30 years without doing anything to his trucks.
The second afternoon gave me the opportunity to really experience sand driving. We had enjoyed a relaxing morning in the upper regions of the island before heading south again. The tide was coming in and I wanted to be at another campsite farther inland by nightfall. No choice but to push through. It is a violation to drive on the grassy area above the sandy beach. The tide was coming in fast and we were right on the upper edge of the beach against the grassy slope. Several waves started to wash against the passenger side as we drove down the beach. After experimenting I found that for these conditions 3rd or 4th gear in 4-low range was the best gearing combination for traction and sustained momentum. The sand was deep and you had to drive through this stuff with a lot of throttle. So off we went, swerving through the undulating sand with waves washing into the tires. While this was not hard-core wheeling it was the kind of nerve wracking four-wheel-drive experience that made you sit up straight and pay attention to what you are doing. I was very aware that this cruiser was an expensive rental in a remote part of the world. Doing about 20-30 mph in 3rd gear with the transfer case set to 4-low made the diesel motor growl loudly. Every now and then we would run into a thick slope of sand that would stop us cold. We would back up and run over this stuff before gaining speed again. A certain amount of speed seemed to work. We also had to drive through some washouts as well. Another cruiser, also a 78 series, joined us and we did the remainder of the drive together. We made it though fine but there were times when my mind was imagining the outcome if we got bogged down into the sand with the high tide moving in.
We found other places on the map to explore: places with strange names like Corroboree Beach, Waddy Point, Yidney Scrub, Lake Garawongera, Wanggoolba Creek, and Poyungan Rocks. Our favorite was Lake McKenzie though: what a spectacular body of water! After a long hot day’s drive this was the ultimate swimming experience. Water so clean and blue that it almost didn’t seem real. Sitting on the clean sandy bottom with beautiful fresh water lapping up at your neck was sheer heaven. Just getting up to leave the lake made you feel sad.
Three nights is about right for Fraser. The driving is fun, the sights and sounds of the rainforest are memorable, and the fresh lakes simply perfect. The mid summer heat, bugs, relentless flies and mosquitoes are a definite challenge though. When it comes to resting in your campsite you must face this enemy with overwhelming force! All in all Fraser Island was a great way to combine my Land Cruiser madness with a memorable adventure to end to our visit to a wonderful country.