Fraser Island (Queensland, Australia)

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Named after shipwreck victim Eliza Fraser, the World Heritage listed sub-tropical Fraser Island has a truly amazing array of natural wonders including beautiful rainforests, pristine lakes, endless surf beaches, immense sand blows, cliffs of coloured sands, crystal clear streams and vast stretches of mangroves. Fraser Island is 125km long and over 160,000 hectares in area. It is located just off the coast of Queensland, N of Brisbane and adjacent to its coastal neighbour, Hervey Bay. It was formed during the ice age when the prevailing winds transported vast quantities of sand from New South Wales and deposited it along the coast of Queensland forming Fraser Island as we know it today.

In this fragile eco-system the rainforest consists of huge satinay and brush box, kauri pines, piccabeen palms and the rare angiopteris fern which is one of the largest ferns in the world. All this growing in pure sand! There are some wonderful walking tracks through these areas to enable visitors to appreciate the unique beauty of Fraser Island.

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Fraser Island is the world's largest sand island. The western shores of the island form a boundary of the Port of Maryborough , once a major immigrant and industrial port encompassing much of the area now marketed by tourism authorities as the Fraser Coast . The island is not renowned as a shopping destination, but does lend its name to the Fraser Coast Commerce Plaza which promotes the region's businesses online.

Eco tourists flock to Fraser Island to see its variety of beaches , its many lakes and creeks , towering rainforest , and native wildlife . Guided eco tours by four wheel drive vehicle are available from several operators based in the city of Hervey Bay . But many visitors prefer to self-drive , in a four wheel drive vehicle of their own, or in a hired one.

Three days is about the time most visitors find necessary to see all the tourist attractions , but there are also one day tours to the most popular spots for people unable to spend longer. For those really pressed for time, a couple of hours spent in a light plane can give a bird's eye view of the island and the bay.

Accommodation: Accommodation for visitors is limited, and is often full during popular holiday periods so booking is essential. Backpackers accommodation, resort standard accommodation, and private house rental is all available.

Fishing: Many visitors come mainly for the fishing , especially along the ocean beaches of the eastern coast. A big fishing competition is an annual event here, running for a whole week.

Hervey Bay: Fraser Island is one of the land masses that actually forms Hervey Bay and within that, Platypus Bay, which becomes a playground for migrating humpback whales between July and November each year. The waters of the bay teem with marine wildlife , and Hervey Bay City, starting point for many eco expeditions to Fraser Island, has heaps of tourist attractions of its own.

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Population: 20.090.400
Languages: English 79%, native and other languages
Currency: Australian dollar
Currency code: AUD
Local Times:
Australia - Australian Capital Territory - Canberra

Australia - New South Wales - Sydney

Australia - Tasmania - Hobart

Australia - Western Australia - Perth

Country Dialling Code: +61
Voltage: 240V 50Hz
Electrical plugs:
Flat prongs, inverted 'V' positioned with earth connector

Flat prongs, inverted 'V' positioned with earth connector

Australia, officially called the Commonweath of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the continental mainland (the smallest of the World\'s continents).

The continent of Australia, with the island state of Tasmania, is approximately equal in area to the United States (excluding Alaska and Hawaii). Mountain ranges run from north to south along the east coast, reaching their highest point in Mount Kosciusko (7,308 ft; 2,228 m). The western half of the continent is occupied by a desert plateau that rises into barren, rolling hills near the west coast. The Great Barrier Reef, extending about 1,245 mi (2,000 km), lies along the northeast coast. The island of Tasmania (26,178 sq mi; 67,800 sq km) is off the southeast coast.

It may be one of the world's most ancient lands with its mystical red centre and brooding rock formations, but Australia is also characterised by its youthful energy, its freshness and its \'no worries\' philosophy.

Most of the population lives within a few miles of the beach and with the working day beginning and ending early, it\'s not uncommon to see city slickers out of their suits and into the surf come 4.30pm.

In high summer many families will enjoy a simple backyard barbecue several times a week.

The 22-hour journey means most European people visit for at least a couple of weeks, allowing time for all that the country has to offer, including its chic cities, terracotta desert, lush bush and magical ocean reefs.

But the sheer size of Australia means that one visit is unlikely to be enough.

The most popular attractions are undoubtedly Uluru (Ayers Rock), the Great Barrier Reef and the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge, but there are now more subtle incentives for a visit.

The wonderful fusion cuisine, the café society, the burgeoning art, culture and fashion scene, and the very real possibility of being the only person for miles around all conspire to make it a wholly alluring experience.

Australia is politically divided into six states and two territories, each one offering a different experience for the traveller. There is the drama of the remote \'Outback\', the colourful spectacle of the Great Barrier Reef and its coral islands, the excitement of the cosmopolitan cities, the sun and surf at some of the best beaches in the world, and the tropical rainforests of Western Australia. The list is endless in this diverse land of adventure, which boasts 2,000 national parks and 14 World Heritage-listed areas, along with more than 7,000 beaches.

Australia is a land of character too, with its melting pot of cultures. For more than 50,000 years the Aboriginal people lived and thrived in the continent\'s unique environment. It is believed the Aboriginals are the world\'s oldest civilisation, and in recent years there has been a resurgence of interest in keeping the Aboriginal culture alive and flourishing.

The vast continent at the bottom of the world was the last landmass to be discovered by European explorers. Captain James Cook arrived in Botany Bay in 1770 and sparked off generations of emigration to Australia, which for some time served as a penal colony. It was not until 1860 that two explorers - Robert Burke and William Wills - became the first Europeans to cross Australia from south to north. The country remains a magnet for modern explorers and adventurers and has a great deal to offer tourists and holidaymakers.