Playing in the Sand – Fraser Island Part 5

Our association with Fraser Island has not been close but it has been long. We first visited almost 40 year ago. We were on holiday from Melbourne towing an early model Jayco Swan wind up van. We did the Fraser Island tour from Urangan. In those days a passenger boat took tourists across to McKenzie wharf where the tour operators kept a covered truck with seats running length ways along its tray. We jolted over sand tracks to see the main sights, including Lake McKenzie, Central Station and various other points of tourist interest.

A final look at The Pinnacles

A final look at The Pinnacles

Then, about 25 years ago, with two mates, in my 28 ft yacht “Aegis”, I set out for Lady Elliott and Lady Musgrave Islands, which are like a couple of full stops at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef. By the second night we were off Sandy Cape at the northern end of Fraser Island. There we ran into a night of storms. That was challenging but not much fun. Late the next day we encountered a 40 knot northerly gale that blew us all the way back to Mooloolaba. We abandoned our plans and came home.

A fresh water stream makes its way across the beach to the ocean

A fresh water stream makes its way across the beach to the ocean

The third visit was about 20 years ago. We came with friends and left our car at Urangan and travelled to the island in the back seat of their short wheel base Pajero. We stayed two nights at Kingfisher Resort, spending the intervening day being driven across the island to the eastern beach.

 

The first tour didn’t reach the beach and from the yacht the beach was a narrow strip of white against the green of the island’s vegetation. So, on this trip, we had our first introduction to Eli Creek, SS Maheno and Indian Head. As I recall, we had to reduce tyre pressures to get around Indian Head.

A last look back up the beach

A last look back up the beach

And so, our fourth trip had reached its last day. Check out time was 10.00 am but we had to wait for the tide to recede a bit before starting home. So, while we waited, we spent most of the $20 refunded on the deposit on the amenities key on coffee.

 

 

Part of the bistro at Happy Valley

Part of the bistro at Happy Valley

The only place of consequence that we had not visited was Happy Valley, so we made a short detour to check it out. The main store building has been rebuilt since we called there with our friends. It now includes modern flats and a complex containing store, coffee shop/cafe and a sizable bistro. The village now boasts a new holiday unit development. This looked most attractive, with its

Accommodation units at Happy Valley

Accommodation units at Happy Valley

proximity to those trappings of civilisation just mentioned. Just a short walk but by the time you reach the bistro your shoes would be full of sand. Oh well. You can’t have everything!

 

 

 

Approaching vehicles at Poyungan Rocks

Approaching vehicles at Poyungan Rocks

Waves were still lapping at Yidney Rocks, mentioned in an earlier post, so we had to use the inland bypass. Further south the same situation appeared to be the case at Poyungan Rocks, at least when viewed from the north. So we used the bypass, only to find that, when viewed from the south, there was a clear passage between wave and rock. It was when we stopped to take a photo that we were overtaken by the avalanche of southbound vehicles featured in the second part of the video clip included in a previous post.

The coloured sands at Rainbow Beach

The coloured sands at Rainbow Beach

The final run along the beach provided some great views of the sand hills of Rainbow Beach. There was only a short wait for the ferry and we easily fitted on board. With tyre pressures at 18 psi we drove slowly into Rainbow beach to the under body car wash facility that has free air hoses for re-inflating tyres. Much quicker that the 12 volt compressor that we carry with us.

On the ferry (not our car)

On the ferry (not our car)

With all that done we adjourned to a fish and chip lunch and then the 215 km drive home. The detailed washing and vacuuming of the vehicle will wait until the next day.

So Fraser Island gets a “thumbs up”. If we were to go back it would probably be to rent some more conventional accommodation, like a house or flat, for a week. That would give time to do some more exploring but provide time for leisurely walks along the beach and perhaps, even some fishing.

For anyone interested, the Inskip Point ferry costs $120.00 return. A Queensland National Parks pass for 1 month costs $46.65. One month is the minimum period for which a pass is available.

Five Days Playing in the Sand – Fraser Island 5   [youtube]https://youtu.be/itwnuWEmDQ8[/youtube]

Playing in the Sand – Fraser Island Part 4

Rocks at the start of the climb

Rocks at the start of the climb

We went south yesterday, so its north again today. I had decided to climb Indian Head.

We left the camp as soon as the height of the tide made it safe to travel on the beach. When we arrived at the northern end of Seventy Five Mile Beach there was only one other

vehicle there and its occupant was fishing. The first part of the climb is steep and rough but then the rate of attrition eases and an easy path leads ahead. I only needed two “breather” stops on the way up, so I didn’t do too badly.

The Climb - The View to the North

The Climb – The View to the North

The view from the top is magnificent in both directions. To the south the beach goes out of sight around a bend in the dunes but the the blue sea stretches to the horizon. To the north the beaches are shorter, divided by the small headland at the foot of which lie the Champagne Pools and then Waddy Point. Beyond Waddy Point the coast swings away to the north

The Climb - View to theSouth

The Climb – View to theSouth

so beaches past Waddy Point are not visible from Indian Head.

Having seen what lay beyond Indian Head, I was determined to get there. So, having descended from the heights, I asked questions of a couple of people who had arrived during my climb. I decided to give the loose sand that leads to the bypass behind the headland a try. The worst that could happen

Indian Head from the north

Indian Head from the north

was that we would get bogged. In low range and second gear we drove onto the hard sand to give us a bit of a run up and off we went.

Whatever was I worried about? The Challenger took the whole thing in its stride. In no time we were through and onto the next beach where we paused for a cold drink and to savor the achievement and our surroundings. We then drove to the northern end and up another sandy incline to the Champagne Pools south car park. Access to the pools is by a board walk and stairs. We walked to an observation point overlooking the pools and which also gave great views back towards Indian Head.

Stais to the Champagne Pools

Stais to the Champagne Pools

There are two pools. They sit together within the protection of stone walls. They are filled by the rising tide and if the tide is high enough, or the waves large enough, the surge of the breakers wash over the protective natural stone walls, flooding the pools with sea water and creating a champagne bubble effect. The backpackers love the place. The

The Champagne Pools didn't have much champagne

The Champagne Pools didn’t have much champagne

opportunity to swim there is on the itinerary of every tour bus or tag-along group.

 

 

 

 

To go further north requires passage through a particularly challenging bypass behind Waddy Point, so we left that for another trip and returned the short drive from the car park to the beach to eat our lunch. We did it buffet style, standing at the back of the car on the churned sand and enjoying the cooling sea breeze. Did I tell you that the weather was perfect?

Some of the structure of SS Maheno

Some of the structure of SS Maheno

We still had most of the afternoon so we returned back, past our camp to revisit the SS Maheno wreck and Eli Creek, both places worth multiple visits and which had their normal level of visitors.

The information kiosk at the back of the beach informed us that SS Maheno had been a luxury liner on the Tasman Sea trade but had been retired in the mid 1930s and had been sold to Japan as scrap metal. A rare winter cyclone IMG_4192coincided with the tow to Japan, the tow line broke and SS Maheno ended up permanently on Fraser Island. It was used by commandos for explosive training during WWII and the RAAF used it for bombing practice at one point. But there it remains, partially buried in the sand and washed by every rising tide. And during the course of a year it is examined and photographed by tens of thousands of tourists.

Eli Creek and the foot bridge

Eli Creek and the foot bridge

We then moved on to Eli Creek again. The creek below the foot bridge was lined by parked vehicles, including buses, with a number of gazebos and vehicle awnings extended to provide shade for relaxing adults and playing children. Eli Creek, after it exits the sand dunes, turns along the beach for a couple of hundred metres so it provides excellent parking opportunities for its fans.

A caravan by Eli Creek

A caravan by Eli Creek

Someone, towing a large caravan to a camping spot somewhere, had pulled up beside the creek and extended the caravan awning to maximize their comfort as they whiled away some time.

Those who were not relaxing were making the pilgrimage over the foot bridge and along the board walk to indulge in the joys of floating, swimming or wading down the creek. The attached video clip shows something of the popularity of this pastime, as a group who had just arrived in three 12 seater aircraft hurried into the fray. A very good time was being had by all.

Five Days Playing in the Sand – Fraser Island 4     [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHsAprtBxJI[/youtube]

Playing in the Sand – Fraser Island Part 2

Part of The Chathedrals

Part of The Cathedrals

The sun rose over the dunes, but was sharing the sky with cloud patches. We found ourselves at the end of the family group queue when we wanted to wash the breakfast dishes. Two of the men were on duty for dish washing. It took them forever. But finally our dishes were done so we had another cup of coffee and then went exploring.

Part of The Chathedrals

Part of The Cathedrals

Cathedrals on Fraser, where we were staying, is named for the coloured sand formations, known as “The Cathedrals”, because of their shape. They are formed from highly coloured, solid sand material and have weathered into their shape over eons. We made several stops for photos and for a short walk where a pathway has been provided at the area known as Red Canyon.  There are many really remarkable formations in this area.

Part of The Chathedrals

Part of The Cathedrals

The path at Red Canyon leads to the foot of solid sand cliffs that reach tens of metres up the side of the sand dunes. A viewing platform and information board is supplied.

 

 

Part of The Chathedrals

Part of The Cathedrals

The Challenger at The Cathedrals

The Challenger at The Cathedrals

More of The Cathedrals

More of The Cathedrals

Indian Head

Indian Head

Our objective was Indian Head, the rocky promontory that is the northern end of the Seventy Five Mile Beach. It was named by Captain James Cook during his passage along the Australian coast in 1772. As he sailed past, he could see a number of Aborigines standing on top of the headland watching him watching them. Our arrival today was similar. The vehicles of a tag-along group were parked at the bottom of the access path and almost all of the occupants were standing along the summit. Indian Head looked like it had had a buzz cut.

Soft sand approaches to Indian Head bypass

Soft sand approaches to Indian Head bypass

There is a great deal to see beyond Indian Head, including Waddy Point, The Champagne Pools and Orchid Beach Resort, not to mention Sandy Cape and the lighthouse. But the beach stops at the headland and starts again on the other side. To get to the other side it is necessary to negotiate a bypass track that is well known for its covering of soft. loose sand. We watched as the tag-along group and several other vehicles made multiple attempts to get

The northern end of Seventy Five Mile Beach

The northern end of Seventy Five Mile Beach

through the loose sand. All of them finally disappeared around the first turn and presumably got through, but not without considerable effort and further reduced tyre pressures. We decided that being on our own this was not our day to push on. We returned the 26 km to camp for lunch.

The Pinnacles

The Pinnacles

 

After lunch we travelled back south to Eli Creek, passing the wreck of SS Maheno, with its mob of admirers, on the way. We also stopped to have a proper look at The Pinnacles. They are a similar formation to The Cathedrals but have a quite unique formation.

 

Aircraft parked near The Pinnacles

Aircraft parked near The Pinnacles

Eli Creek boardwalk

Eli Creek boardwalk

The top activity at Eli Creek is to walk along a board walk that parallels the creek for several hundred metres and then to enter the creek and wade, float or swim back to the beach. This must be fun because people, including some mature folks, repeat the performance over and over, despite quite low water temperatures. I remember swimming down the creek with the flow many years ago, but we gave it a miss this time.

Eli Creek is the largest fresh water stream on the east side of Fraser but seems to be now much smaller, with a reduced volume of water, that it was in years gone by. But the flow is reliable and much enjoyed by its admirers. Visiting family groups will often spend the day there,in the shelter of gazebos or roof rack awnings. Children love it as do parents. It provides an ever changing supply of safe clean water. But it often closes the beach to through traffic at high tide as the rising surf washes into the creek’s mouth.

RVs beside Eli Creek

RVs beside Eli Creek

Any further thought of examination of Eli Creek was quickly dismissed when the day’s promised shower descended on us without warning, so instead of going on to Happy Valley we returned to base.

The large group mentioned earlier in the story went to Lake McKenzie for the day and were having dinner at Happy Valley on the way back, before returning to camp after the 7.00 pm high tide. They came in quietly a little after 9.30 pm. But preparing the evening meal was a breeze without them there.

I guess they are typical of groups who visit Fraser Island. The four ladies all teach as the same Sunshine Coast school and their children attend there too. One couple are seasoned visitors to the Island and seemed to ast as leaders on group outings. All friendly people with well disciplined children who made lots of noise while playing but went quietly to bed. They were probably exhausted.

Five Days Playing in the Sand – Fraser Island 2 [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwLvmTYgg_8[/youtube]