Fraser Coast
Best months:
May to September

Fraser Coast

Queensland, Australia
LAST UPDATED 03/01/2008
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introduction

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"Bobo is soft": Fraser Island Map, March 18, 2007

Fraser Island is located along the southern coast of Queensland, Australia, approximately 300 km north of Brisbane and has a length of about 120 km. It is the largest sand island in the world at an area of 1840km².

Fraser Island has over 100 dune lakes, as well as the second highest concentration of lakes in Australia after Tasmania.
The freshwater lakes on Fraser Island are some of the cleanest lakes in the world. A very popular tourist area is Lake McKenzie which is located inland from the small town of Eurong.

surfing

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Joern Brauns: Indian Head, Fraser Island; 2004

Want to surf the superbank? Mkay but don't spend three weeks out of your four week holiday lining up for your shot. The whole QLD coastline from the NSW boarder up to Fraser Island offers quality consistent surf and year round warm water. This coast reads like a who's who of classic surf spots. Kirra, Duranbah, Snapper Rocks, Noosa and the list goes on.

North of Fraser the combination of a generally north north west grading coastline and the fringing Great Barrier Reef reduce regular surfing options considerable. The great barrier reef does offer several excellent offshore passes and breaks for those of spirit all the way to Cairns, but their locations are fiercely guarded by the few that surf them. Still, this should give you plenty to keep yourself busy with.

where to stay

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Fraser Island 75 Mile Beach; Stuart Edwards; 26.05.2006

The Fraser Coast is a stark contrast to the more upbeat coastlines further south towards Brisbane. Here the pace of life is taken down a notch or two as you enter the more sleepy towns of Gympie, Rainbow Beach or Hervey Bay.

Most of the smaller towns around here offer some kind of accommodation choice as it is a popular tourist spot with Queenslanders and travellers from further afield. Common options to rest your head are holiday/camping/caravanning parks, backpackers, motels and midrange hotels - huge 5 star complexes are a little scarce in these parts. Hervey Bay also has coastal self contained apartments on offer.

Not all, but most people visit this area in view off taking a 4WD vehicle on the ferry from Hervey Bay over to Fraser Island, the largest sand island on the planet. Here you can camp in the alotted camping areas on the island or opt to wild camp amongst the awesome and beautiful sand dunes. There are many tour operators that will rent you a 4WD and all the camping equipment you need for a 3 night stay on Fraser Island, most are based in Hervey Bay. It's here that you'll find the waves on this coast though be warned - you may also find an abundance of tiger sharks!!

There are also a handful of resorts on the island that you can opt to stay at if camping isn't your scene - either way, if you're on the Fraser Coast a trip to Fraser Island is not to be missed!

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