After settling down in Brisbane for 4 and half years, I eventually got myself up to Fraser Island. Fraser Island is a world heritage site about 4 hours drive north of Brisbane, and the world's largest sand island. If you don't want to go that far, you can go to the third largest, the quieter and less commercial Moreton Island, which lies just to the east of Brisbane. There are no paved roads on the Fraser Island, so the only mode of transportation is 4WD vehicle, even with which you can still get stuck in sand, particularly under adversary weather conditions.

Barge leaving for the island


After arriving at the island, we had to drive in high tide along the beach. The 4WD van in front of us eventually broke down and was left stranded on the beach for the whole day. Their passengers had to pack into our coach, and it was not quite an orderly scene.


The peaceful inland lake of Lake McKenzie, one of the best 7 places to swim in the world due to the exceptionally clear and lukewarm water and the absence of harmful wildlife.


Since the island is completely covered with sand, plants are very much deprived of nutrition. One strategy of survival is extracting nutrition and eventually strangling host vegetation like shown below. Another wonder of the island is the complete absence of any rock due to persistent erosion. Therefore, water runs silent, hence the name whispering or silent creeks.


In the afternoon, the tide retreated. Vehicles zoomed by on the beach highway.


Me at the Eli Creek. Aircraft rides over the island were available at only AUD 70 a person, probably among the cheapest in the world.


The ship-wreck-turned-landmark of Maheno.