K’Gari is the new, socially correct name for Fraser Island. We went there several years ago to celebrate an anniversary and had a very nice time. Now, while we patiently wait (maybe not too patiently actually) for our Caravan to be ready, we decided to take a few days and go there again for some sightseeing and relaxation.
Fraser Island, at 125 kilometers long and 25 kilometers wide and with 120 kilometers of beaches, is the largest sand island in the world and is home to its own eco system. It hosts Lake McKensie which is a beautiful clear lake located well inland on the island. The lake has no source of water other than rainfall but continues to be clear and full.
I will add a few pictures here but most of them will be added to my larger post for our first trip to Fraser. That way I won’t have a redundant post. It has not changed a great deal so the old and new pictures will compliment each other. I’ll rename it K’Gari. Those pictures that follow here are just a few “teasers” to give you a taste of what we did over our three day stay there.
We had three events planned and booked for our stay. We were scheduled to arrive mid afternoon on Tuesday so we booked a Sunset Cruise for Tuesday evening (can’t do that until sunset right?). Then on Wednesday we booked a day long rental of a Suzuki Jimney, a small jeep like four wheel drive vehicle, that we planned to tour some of the hotspots on the island. Then on Thursday we booked a half day whale watching cruise from seven-thirty till noon. We had did the Jimney thing before but the two cruises were new. I got a bunch of pictures from all three events but you will need to go to my K’Gari post to see those.
Tuesday we checked in at the center, checked our luggage, parked our car in the secure parking provided, and caught the ferry to K’Gari. A pleasant 45 minute voyage on a car ferry. Many people bring their own cars, campers, camping gear, etc so the ferry takes all comers. We arrived at Kingfish Bay Resort right on time, our room was ready so we dumped our stuff and set out to look around. To be able to rent a vehicle on the Island you must attend a briefing that tells you of all the dangers, perils, and fixes available while you drive around. The roads are sand, deeply rutted, narrow, steep in places, and difficult to drive on. No worries … its all fun. Because we had time we knocked out the briefing Tuesday afternoon rather than waste touring time on Wednesday. We finished the briefing in time to walk down to the pier, have an afternoon toddy, and board the sunset cruise boat.
So we cruised up and back down the west side of the island. They served some nibblies and wine, we saw a few boats, and of course, the sunset. Pleasant evening. Nice cruise.
When we returned to the dock, Nancy and I made our way up to one of the dining areas that was open. Had a little dinner and proceeded back to our room. We have a big day planned for tomorrow in our Jimney
Wednesday morning we got up early, dressed in our finest four wheeling clothes and went up to the resort for breakfast. The rooms at the resort are spread out along a large ridge facing the bay. There are covered, board walkways connecting all the rooms and the resort lobby. Breakfast was included.
After breakfast we went over and picked up the Jimney. Another, not quite as long, briefing on how to operate the vehicle (jeez) and we were off.
We explored many of the roads. They were all very narrow so you had to find a place to get off to meet other vehicles, or let faster ones pass. We went to the east side of the island and drove up and down the beach, we stopped off at an old timber camp, visited Lake McKensie, and stopped for a treat at a resort on the east side. It was a fun day. We had dinner and called it a day after a brief stop at the hotel lobby. We had an early up on Thursday because we had to catch the seven-thirty whale watching cruise.
Thursday morning found us at breakfast early and walking down to the pier to catch our boat. We were not real excited about this tour because we have been on a number of other ones and the whales never got very close to the boat. But, it was a half day at sea, the weather is still cool but sunny. After all, it is the middle of winter.
That was our whale watching cruise. We saw a number of whales, males fighting, a Mom and baby, and a curious guy that kept us entertained for quite a while. Best whale cruise EVER!!
We had a special dinner that night at the resort. They have a dining room that seats reservations only and has some specialty dishes. Had a lovely, tasty dinner to finish off our three days on the Island.
Friday morning we got up, had breakfast, checked out, and caught the ferry back to the mainland. Bailed out our car, loaded up our bags, and headed north to home. Four hours later we were back in Tannum sands with all kinds of fine memories.
As I mentioned before, there are many more pictures. They will all be in a post called 2023 K’Gari. Some from our first trip and many new ones from this trip. Go back to the menu and find 2023 K’Gari … you might not be disappointed.
