Monday, June 10, 2019

Let Sleeping Dingoes Lie (or is it Lay)



Day 27 and it was up for an early 6:00 am departure to Rainbow Beach to catch a ferry to Fraser Island. We were picked up by a unique large four wheel drive bus. We would come to understand the need for this mode of transportation over the next 9 hours.








Fraser Island is considered to be the largest sand island in the world and is a declared world heritage site.

About 700 million years ago Antarctica had mountain ranges that rival the modern-day Himalayas. These mountain ranges were eroded with the resulting sands being accumulated on the continental shelf where Fraser Island now lies.
Periodic changes in the earth's temperature have created changes in sea levels which have helped to form the island. During these periods dune building was at its most prolific with sand sweeping across the island faster than plants could stabilize it. This loose, bare sand formed U or V-shaped parabolic dunes which then stabilized over time. This dynamic landscape has formed a series of overlapping sand dune systems dating back at least 700 000 years. The shifting sands of Fraser Island, and those of nearby Cooloola, have continually concealed and revealed a unique geological history.
(fraserisland.net)

The island has rain forests, eucalyptus woodland, mangrove forests, wallum and peat swamps, sand dunes and coastal heaths. It is made up of sand that has been accumulating for approximately 750,000 years on volcanic bedrock that provides a natural catchments for the sediment which is carried on strong offshore current northwards along the coast. Unlike on many sand dunes, plant life is abundant due to the naturally occurring mycorrhizal fungi present in the sand, which release nutrients in a form that can be absorbed by the plants.  Fraser Island is home to a small number of mammal species as well as a diverse range of birds, reptiles and amphibians, including the occasional saltwater crocodile. (wikipedia)


A bouncy 90 minute ride brought us to Rainbow Beach and the ferry that would take us to Fraser Island. There is no real landing so the ferry just lines up on a clear patch of beach and drops his ramp.

The crossing takes about 30 minutes with the landing process duplicated on the other side on to the aptly named 75 Mile Beach.   




There are no paved roads on Fraser Island so 75 Mile Beach serves as the main road around the island.  The beach is a listed and gazetted highway with speed limits, no parking zones and 










landing strips. There is a highway patrol who can be found setting up speed traps along the beach. The beach tends to disappear around high tide so sandy single one-way tracks are used to get around the island as well as into the interior areas of the island. 








With over 380,000 visits annually, mostly during the holiday periods, the beach can get pretty congested. With the Christmas holidays fast approaching, it its expected that over 35,000 people will visit and camp along 75 Mile Beach.










Our first stop of the day was for a walk in Eli Creek. The water is so clear that when you are looking at the creek from a distance, the water disappears from view and you only see the bottom of the creek. As rain falls, it is filtered by the sand and sediments that cover the island producing water clean enough to drink straight from the creek.That is if you can get over the thousands of people who use it as a hiking path. 

While water is safe, the beach has been  tough on ships traversing the Coral Sea. The Maheno can be found rusting away on the beach. Built in 1904, caught in a cyclone in 1936, it was washed up onto the beach. They attempted to re-float the ship but after many unsuccessful tries, it was abandoned. Legends say the wreck became sacred to the aboriginals who would gather to play the didgeridoo and women who would come to the site to give berth. The above above should be taken with a grain of salt. The ship did have an eerie vibe about it.




Next stop was the Pinnacles. Here erosion  gave us a peek into the make-up of the island. Showing us the layers that 750,000 years of sand and sediment has come to cover the island. 









With the temperatures moving into the high 30's, it was on to the single tracks and into the interior of the island for a cooling swim in Lake McKenzie. Like the creek, the waters here are filtered by the island and are as pristine as any I have ever seen.

The road in was a bumpy, rut filled thrill ride. 





Heading home, we checked off the last of the must see items of a visit to Fraser Island. 


Dingoes baby!








The dingoes of Fraser Island are said to be some of the purest of the breed. It is estimated that there are up to 25 packs of dingoes living on the island. A pack has around 3 to 12 dingoes. Dingoes for the most part avoid human contact, but on the island they have become habituated and it is not uncommon to find them near human settlements. These dingoes showed no fear of our vehicle as we encountered them on the beach.  

Petting was not encouraged by our guide. 



In April 2019, a small child was dragged from his bed and carried away while camping on Fraser Island. Thankfully, his father was able to fend off the dingoes and rescue his child. 

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