Queensland’s Fraser Island is a favourite for many adventure travellers. The world’s largest sand island, Fraser is simply bursting with natural attractions. From amazing wildlife to shimmering creeks to four-wheel drive adventures, Fraser Island has it all.

Fraser Island has over 120 kilometres of ocean beaches but due to extra strong rips and sharks, not all of it is safe for swimming. However, Fraser’s beaches are still a highlight thanks to the unique natural attractions they house, including coloured sand formations and diverse marine life.

Cathedral Beach is Fraser’s eastern beach, located 10 kilometres north of Happy Valley. It is home to Fraser’s famous shipwreck called the Maheno. Before it met its fate during a cyclone, the Maheno was a trans-Tasman liner on its way to a wrecking yard in Japan!

Indian Head is best described as a natural aquarium. From here you can watch tiger sharks, stingrays, manta rays dolphins and fish swimming in the crystal clear water at the base of the cliffs. Needless to say, swimming in the water here is unsafe, but watching these creatures from above on the rocky outcrop is amazing.

The Champagne Pools, close to Indian Head, are also worth a look. Named after the effect of the foaming sea, which overflows and bubbles at high tide, the area is partially shielded from the ocean by volcanic rock. Swimming is safe from here.

If you want to enjoy a light aircraft ride over Fraser Island, then head to 75 mile beach. The beach is the island’s runway and planes regularly depart from here. It’s also Fraser’s main four wheel drive highway, so it’s not the spot to sit and sunbake.

Dingoes: Due to their isolation from the mainland, Australia’s purest population of wild dingoes roam freely on Fraser Island. Dingoes are beautiful creatures, but don’t forget they are wild animals capable of attacking if provoked. The best way to ensure humans and dingoes happily coexist on Fraser Island is by following the Parks and Wildlife safety rules. A few guidelines are: don’t encourage or feed the dingoes, keep food stored in locked containers, throw all rubbish in the bin and don’t go to the bins alone, or at night. You can be fined for not following these guidelines. Check out the Parks and Wildlife website for further information at epa.qld.gov.au

Rainforest: Rainforest growing on sand is just one of the wonders you will see on this amazing island. Tall trees, ferns, palms and vines all seem to thrive in this unusual environment, creating rainforest that is so dense in parts that not even light gets through its canopies. Some of Fraser’s rainforest trees like satinay and brush box are over 1000 years old!

Central Station, situated in the middle of the rainforest, is a must-see. Located inland, Central Station was a forestry camp back when logging was permitted on Fraser Island. Here you’ll find a boardwalk that takes you around Wanggoolba Creek and through rainforest. Its picturesque rainforest area is home to a display outlining Fraser island’s development as well as its flora and fauna. Here you’ll also find an information centre and picnic area.

Sand: The amazing Fraser Island is the result of many thousands of years of wind, waves and ocean currents depositing sands from Australia’s eastern rivers. The largest sand island in the world, Fraser Island is 160 kilometres long and 22 kilometres at its widest point. The highest sand dune on Fraser Island reaches up 244 metres, but most are about 100 - 200 metres above sea level.

Fraser’s coloured sand formations are examples of the island’s beautiful natural attractions. Found at Rainbow Gorge and the Cathedral, the coloured sands are the result of clay bonding with older sands, creating colourful formations. The yellows, browns and reds come from iron-rich minerals that stain the sands over time. When wind and rain erode these sandmasses, their stained core becomes visible. The Pinnacles and Red Canyon are perfect examples of this beautiful natural process.

World heritage listed: Fraser Island’s amazing ecosystems and landscape was officially acknowledged in 1992 when it was accorded World Heritage Area status. Its evolving ecosystems include dunes, lakes and rainforest growing on sand, so its World Heritage Listing comes as no surprise.