Sandy highway
27 Jul 2018
An offroad adventure on Fraser Island delivers natural beauty and few thrills and spills.
On our second day of a four-wheel drive adventure around Queensland’s Fraser Island, we have driven to the centre of the island to the Valley of the Giants, a densely wooded forest of ancient tallowwood and satinay trees.
It is incredible to think that these towering trunks are growing out of sand but Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world. The secret is a fungi in the sand that allows the plants to absorb nutrients then as smaller planets like spinifex take hold the roots spread across the sand creating a net that helps stabilise the island; fast-forward millions of years and we are standing in a forest that looks like it might still contain a T-Rex or two, next to a clear rainwater stream so pure we can fill our drinking bottles in it.
We are in a borrowed Isuzu MU-X, brand-new and up for the task, and spending a couple of nights at Kingfisher Bay Resort on the eastern side of the island.
Greatest hits
Day one we play it safe and pretty much copy the Beauty Spots tour, our first stop is Lake McKenzie. This much-visited spot is a “perched” lake that contains only rainwater the purity of the water and the white silica sand filter combining to make the water crystal clear. Even in the early morning it is crowded, so we head off as more and more swimmers arrive.
The car is listing and leaning its way through the tracks but I am getting a feel for the sand driving; I relax a little and allow the kids to crank some tunes. By lunch we arrive at Eurong Beach Resort and grab some pies at the bakery. This resort is right on 75 Mile Beach and is the sister property to Kingfisher Bay.
It is bang on low tide when we set out, the best time to drive along this huge stretch of beach that is one of the most unique coastal roads in the world with a speed limit of 80kph. There is a real sense of freedom when we roll down the windows and drive to a new soundtrack of crashing waves, but this is no time for cruise control. This is a dangerous stretch of road with traffic, pedestrians, small-aircraft landings and sudden dips in the sand from freshwater streams running out to sea, but keep your wits about you and it is a road trip to remember.
First stop is the much photographed, rusted hulk of the SS Maheno slumbers on the sand right on the tideline after being beached by a cyclone in 1935.
Warming up
The following morning I am up for a challenge so, with some expert advice from a Kingfisher Bay Resort ranger, we make for the Valley of the Giants. It is a more challenging drive due mainly to the many sudden appearances of gnarled tree roots in our path but it is worth it and we don’t see another solitary vehicle all morning.
Our next stop is the Lake Wabby lookout where we take the walk down to the slow-motion sand wave that is the Hammerstone Sandblow. This awesome natural phenomenon sees the beach sand blown between the gaps in the trees to form a giant dune that swallows the forest over thousands of years; currently it stands at 65 metres above sea level and stretches 2.5 kilometres inland.
We arrive back to Kingfisher Bay Resort and head for our now-regular sundowner at the Jetty Bar, perfectly placed to watch the sun set over the jetty that brings visitors to the island from River Head. The sky turns a bright orange and I am proudly reminded of the unused Maxtrax in the boot of my Isuzu – I might just warm to this four-wheel driving lark.
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