Fraser Island is home to some of the most amazing scenery, wildlife and 4WD tracks available to enthusiasts on the east coast of Queensland. If you’ve been, you know exactly what we’re talking about. If you haven’t, here’s a bit of a guide to help you get out and experience it for yourself.

Momentum is essential to sand touring, which you’ll quickly find out as the sand on Fraser can be mighty soft in places. When we got stuck in the soft stuff the waves were crashing at the tailgate of our camper. We dropped the tyre pressure from 18psi to 10psi, and ran the winch cable up the beach access ramp and attached it a nearby tree. After four attempts on the winch we were up and running again. You need to have your wits about you on Fraser; the tides have taken many victims over the years. You really need to have your tyre pressures correct on soft sand to ensure you have as much tread as possible working in your favour.

“ONLY A FEW KILOMETRES IN AND WE WERE ALREADY BOGGED!”

FRASER TIP

The ideal pressure to start with your tyres is around 18psi on sand. You can go down further from there in the softer stuff, but remember not to go too low or you will risk running the tyre of the bead!

From the beach you can head up and pass through the woodlands surrounding Lake Boomanjin, which features wonderful scribbly gum and banksia trees, and reedy swamps in full bloom after recent rain. The track through here can get quite chopped up, so make sure you identify the danger spots, and plan your way through them before you attempt it. Allow about two hours to drive to Eurong via Central Station through this inland track.

Always proceed with caution on the sandy tracks; peak holiday times (summer and easter) can get very busy so stick to the speed limit. Avoid driving on the beach two hours either side of high tide because the sand can be quite soft and you don’t want to get caught with the tide racing in.

Central Station is an ideal place to stop and stretch the legs. Here you can learn the history of the Island’s timber logging days from the 1920s, which is interesting for the whole family. A short boardwalk takes you down to the silent flowing, crystal clear waters of Wanggoolba Creek, which sits at the bottom of a rainforest full of massive palms and fern trees.

After a decent rest we then passed through the Eurong township, heading north on 75 Mile Beach for Cathedral Beach, our campsite for the night.

Cathedrals on Fraser Beach campground is an ideal place to set up for either short or long stays. The campground offers powered and non-powered campsites, which are very generous in size. Prices start from around $30 per night, which included use of toilets, hot showers and coin operated laundry facilities. Cathedral Beach has a general store, providing ice, fuel, some groceries and bait for the keen anglers. As you sit back with a coldie in the evening, take the time to plan your day of exploring the impressive natural features Fraser Island has to offer.

Why not plan your first day trip to include a visit to Eli Creek and the Maheno Wreck. Eli Creek is a perfect spot for the family to relax and enjoy the beautiful sunny days. Eli Creek is the largest freshwater creek along the east coast, pumping four million litres of water into the ocean every hour. Bring along a body board for the young and the young at heart, walk up the boardwalk and float your way down the crystal clear waters.

WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY SOPHIE AND MICK FRANKLIN