fraser island

[Ken Gargett]

Fraser Island

A few words about this fantastic island. Been heading up here now for 20 – 25 years once a year, sometimes twice.

Fraser Island is the world's largest sand island, about 5 hours north of Brizzy. To get there, you have to get a ferry across from Rainbow to the very southern tip, Hook Point. Or go across from Hervey Bay to Kingfisher and then cross the Island. You need a well appointed 4WD and effectively need to take everything you might need for your stay with you. We stay up north at a place called Waddy Lodge. It was an old fishing shack on leasehold decades ago when the old man and his mates found it and then discovered the leasehold was up for sale. They got a group together and picked up it for not much, but over the years have done a huge number of improvements and it is now the house, for shareholders – fantastic as the balcony looks over the ocean – and a caretakers' hut and then two huts that are rented out. They are designed for fishermen but for those who want a comfortable existence so hot showers, fridges, freezers, barbecues, etc etc. These days, most of the original shareholders are gone and it is their families that carry on.

The island is the largest sand island in the world and also famous for its many perched lakes – apparently lakes that sit on beds of compost and various dead vegetation and are perched up in the sandhills. Have discussed all the wildlife elsewhere but it has some amazing 'other' lakes like the absolutely crystal Lake McKenzie – the whitest sands and deepest turquoise water. Often used in posters and videos for Aussie tourism offshore. A fave of backpackers, who for reasons unknown, quite often feel the need to dive in sans clothing. The backpackers are actually a problem on the Island as they come from all round the world and have no clue of four wheel driving. They hire the 4WD's and pack them full of mates and others and head up the island. Needless to say, this is an island that often traps experienced 4WD drivers so these dills have no idea what they are getting into. And there is often alcohol involved. Hearing of accidents and backpackers being airlifted off the Island are quite common. Sometimes you see these morons racing along the sand at high speed with the biggest imbeciles sitting on bumper bars. There are all manner of sand traps and holes and hidden bumps so the Darwin Awards thanks them for their participation. Part of the problem is that they are not permitted to take the vehicles north of Indian but they often will. To try and stop this, the hire companies tell them not to let their tyres down at all, and not to believe anyone who says they should. This means they get hopelessly bogged at Indian, which is usually very tough to cross. And often other places. It means that regulars spend a heap of time digging them out. We have had raging arguments with them, trying to convince them to reduce the air in their tyres so they can help get unbogged and they resist and resist. When we finally get them to do it, they can't believe the difference.

Anyway, one heads up the beach past a few settlements – Eurong, Happy Valley etc. The wreck of the Maheno, which was being towed to Japan before the second World War for scrap metal but got thrown onshore by a cyclone, is still there. When you hit Indian Head, so named because Capt. Cook saw “indians” up on it when he passed, or because the headland looks like the head of an indian, depending on which version you want to believe, this is a great spot to fish. To drive further, you need to cut across behind it on to Middle Beach, south of Middle Rocks (sore point as I managed to once sink a range rover in the ocean here – and yes, I was dead sober), head along Middle Beach and then up over behind it and Waddy Point. Out on the beach again, just short of Orchid Beach, and then it is clear sailing all the way right up to the tip, the Cape. Provided, you can get past the rocks at both south and north Nygala. And they can be near impassable. The Cape is very beautiful. Well worth the effort.

The Island used to be a major sand-mining and forestry hub of industry but that has been shut down and it is now a national park and World Heritage site. Fishing and tourism is the key now. They finally stopped the commercial fishermen, who used to just drag nets along at random slaughtering anything that got near them and then selling it for cat food. That has greatly improved things. The main catch is tailor – bluefish for our American friends. They don't grow so big over here but they don't have the worm problems. Here, you fish for them off the beach or rocks (rock fishing is banned for August and September). Four hook rig with a pilchard for bait is usual but some use spinners. There are bag limits. You can have days of nothing and then a feast. August September seem to be considered the best months but October can be good and you'll often catch them from June to November You won't get the same numbers by October but the fish are usually bigger. What we call 'choppers' are the small ones and usually under a kilo. This time of year, ones of 3 – 4 kilos are not uncommon, occasionally a bit bigger but not much. You can have days where they are on, but they will often stop as though a switch was turned off. Dawn or dusk usually the best though if you want the really big ones, fish though the night. Much debate about their eating qualities, some saying they are crap. If bled and cooked fresh, they are as good as anything from the sea but if left or frozen then fish curries or casseroles etc are the best idea.

There are also a heap of dart on the island. Some love catching them. I think that they are zippy smelly vermin. Can be fun to catch but I usually toss them back. Also, good whiting at times. And bream. Some chase the big jewfish usually off the rocks, with live bait at night. Also flathead, an occasional stargazer, rays, sharks. Every so often someone will catch a permit (here, often called oyster cracker) and even a bonefish, which gets mistaken for a giant whiting.

Fabulous place and a must for an Aussie who enjoys fishing. Anyone interested in the details of Waddy Lodge, get in touch and I’ll flick them on.

KBG

[rckymtn22]

Thanks for the write up Ken, reminds me of my visit there 10 years ago.

Nice to see some capitals and punctuation!