K’GARI (FRASER ISLAND); A SANDY WILDERNESS

What other place would you visit and leave with an obsession for sand than K’Gari ? I didn't know it was possible to admire it so much until I experienced the untamed landscapes of the biggest sand island in the world.

Having grown up in North Queensland, Fraser Island was always one of those places that I dreamed of visiting. And now that I have, I can confidently say it’s one of Queensland’s best destinations - the island is located just north of Sunshine Coast and you can actually see it from Hervey Bay.

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It lived up to every expectation and utterly blew my mind ! The dunes tower high above the beaches below, so high that you can't comprehend until you're standing on top of them. And they stretch so far that you find yourself walking for an hour and you still haven't reached the edge. Truly captivating... If you love nature, this is paradise.

WHAT'S THERE ?

The landscape changes with each direction that you take. Imagine somewhere with..

• Dense, lush palm forests and gigantic trees to hug

• Lakes filled with fresh, pristine water to have a swim

• Sparkling champagne pools to float around in

• Beaches that stretch so far, they don't seem to have an end

• Creeks that are stained by tree sap or so transparent it doesn't look like there's any water in it

• A rich cultural history

• Great fishing opportunities

• Natural sand art everywhere ! You can see how it's constantly changing and forming. The colours range from blindingly white to pitch black, spilling over cliffs and mixing into each other making the most mesmerizing patterns

• Cheeky dingoes roaming freely

• A beached shipwreck, rusting away in the waves

HOW SHOULD YOU GET THERE ?

There are a few options if you'd like to travel to Fraser Island. Some of them include jumping on a tour (this is popular for travelers who don't have their own 4WD), take your own 4WD or you could even get there by boat. It's obviously an island so there's a ferry which can transport you and your vehicle across. It departs from a place called Inskip (which is also a fantastic spot to camp) and will drop you at the southern end of the island where your 4WD adventure begins. I would suggest timing your arrival in sync with the tide because there's a long drive up the beach before you reach the best camping locations. The last thing you want to do on this island is get stuck with an incoming tide and lose your vehicle. It's happened before so I just thought I'd put the advice out there.

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BEST WAY TO GET AROUND

Everything is connected by 4WD tracks which is an experience in itself. I've always love off-road driving and luckily my sister, brother and parents all have 4WD's so we parked our van in a safe location and headed over with them. It feels so free to take a vehicle off the busy roads and cruising up a beach instead. There are actually speed limits on the island and you might see police. I believe the top speed limit is 80 and you can see why.. sometimes you might be cruising along and all of a sudden there's an unexpected drop-off or bulge in the sand which could easily flip your car. So play safe but enjoy it because it's a lot of fun. If you need to fuel up, there’s a couple of petrol points on the island (it's more expensive than usual). You shouldn't need more than a couple of tanks to venture around the island for a few days.

HOT SPOTS YOU SHOULDN'T MISS

Like I mentioned earlier, I left with such an appreciation for natural sand art after this trip so most of my fave spots include a lot of this sort of thing. Here we go:

ELI CREEK - This spot is pretty well-known and there's often a little crowd, but it's lovely. It's a fresh-water creek that flows out to the ocean and a board-walk will lead you up the creek as far as it's accessible. If you bring something to float on, you can jump on and float your way back to the beach. This is probably the deepest creek crossing while you're driving up the beach so keep an eye out.

WATHUMBA CREEK - I love this area. It's on the north/west side of the island and the drive is so beautiful. You arrive at the creek which is a deep purple/crimson/yellow colour (depending on the depth). It's been stained by the tree sap which runs into the creek and when it reaches the ocean, the fresh water and salt water collide but don't mix.. Check out the results.

LAKE MACKENZIE - I'm pretty sure if you've heard of Fraser Island, you would've heard of Lake Mackenzie. It's total paradise ! You drive towards the centre of the island to find one of the most pristine fresh-water lakes you'll ever see. It boasts some of the whitest sand and iridescent blue water too.. it feels like you're chilling at the beach. Make a visit to Lake Mackenzie a priority because it's one of the most beautiful locations on Fraser.

SANDY CAPE - If you drive to the north of Fraser you will reach the Sandy Cape.. it's supposed to be a pretty good spot to fish. And if that's not your thing, you can also visit the lighthouse which is perched on a hill. There's a scenic view and a whole lot of history to read about.

CENTRAL STATION - Again, you head towards the centre of the island where the trees increase in size and the forest get denser. You'll find a magical boardwalk which weaves through the trees, alongside a creek. The creek quite literally looks empty until you're just a few metres away and the only way you can tell that there's water in it is because of the reflections on the surface. The water is crystal clear, you can see every detail underneath. Totally worth a look !

KNIFEBLADE SANDBLOW(and the many other sandblows on the island) - A sandblow is like a massive sand-dune that has formed over time.. It starts along the coast where the wind picks up the sand and blows it inland, engulfing the vegetation. If you have a look on google maps you can see how many there are. The Knifeblade Sandblow stretches a huge 3.5km inland. They were some of my favourite locations on the island because we trekked across them for a couple of hours and they never seemed to end. It feels like you're in the middle of the desert. Check out some of the beautiful views we had when we climbed at sunset...

WORALIE CREEK CAMP ZONE - So cool if you appreciate this sort of thing.. If you drive up the beach from the camping area you'll reach these incredible sand formations.. The whitest sand spills over the top and mixes with the colours below creating mesmerising patterns.. I don't know if this is true but from what I can tell the sand has engulfed this area and over time and it looks like the tree stumps and even rocks have turned to sand. Hopefully you can see what I mean; what do you think ?

SS MAHENO SHIPWRECK - Probably one of the most iconic things to see on Fraser. This shipwreck has been belted by the incoming waves for decades but is still in tact. It's located along Cathedral Beach as you're driving up north so you can't miss it.

CHAMPAGNE POOLS - This is another popular spot on the island and an absolute must-do. The champagne pools are formed by a natural rock wall. It's the perfect spot for a relaxing dip, especially because you can see how rough the actual ocean is. There are no lifesavers on the island so it's actually pretty dangerous to swim in the ocean.. Luckily there are so many other options like this.

WHERE TO SLEEP/CAMP

There are plenty of beautiful locations to camp all over the island (which is usually how I'd love to do it). But I was on a holiday with my family so we rented out a massive holiday home with panoramic views that over-looked Orchid Beach. This was such a treat because I love a comfy sleep, hot showers, a kitchen and somewhere easy to wash off all of that sand. The home had a veranda on all sides so we could always catch the sunrises and sunsets and we could hear the waves crashing at night-time. The name of this holiday home is 'Grandview' and I can 100% recommend it because the positioning is perfect.

If you'd prefer the option of camping, some of the best spots are along Cathedral Beach, Waddy Point, Wathumba Creek, Woralie Creek or Central Station. There are other locations but I can recommend these because I visited them. Please note though, if you're wishing to camp you will need a PERMIT which should be displayed somewhere on your tent or visible in your campsite. Waddy Point is great because it's right on the beach and in a great location, close to the Champagne Pools, Indian Head and even the Orchid Beach petrol station. Wathumba Creek would be great for anyone wanting to do a bit of fishing.. it's on the western side of the island so the ocean isn't so rough. Woralie Creek is an awesome spot because of the beautiful sand art I mentioned earlier - and you can even freak out over this one palm tree.. just one !

HOW TO STORE FOOD

This might seem like a bit of a strange topic but it's important. For us, it was great because we had the luxury of a kitchen, fridge and freezer at Grandview. But for those of you who love camping I would suggest pre-cooking meals and freezing them or just generally having a decent way to keep your food fresh. Regardless of what kind of food you bring onto the island, make sure it's stored securely.. those cheeky dingoes are great at scavenging and have been known to get into eskys that are totally shut. There are a couple of small grocery stores, but I wouldn't solely rely on them (they can get a little pricey too). And don't worry, if you'd prefer to take a break from cooking there's also a couple of dining options at Eurong and Kingfisher Bay Resort.

GENERAL TIPS

• Be cautious when you swim because there are strong currents off the coast

• Pick a good time of year to go so you can avoid crowds (we went in April and it was perfect)

• There are waste stations so don’t worry, there’s a way to dispose of your litter

• If you see another vehicle in a bad situation and you're in a position to help, stop and see what you can do

• Make sure you’ve got some recovery gear

• Read the provided information about dingoes and stay safe because they are beautiful but also cheeky little creatures

• You can spot whales during the migration season (around July to November). Tours leave from Hervey Bay

We spent our days exploring, climbing dunes, diving into waves, fishing, swimming in those clear creeks and lakes, cruising around the bumpy sand tracks, soaking in the sunshine, photographing our surroundings and just admiring the insane beauty of the sandy wilderness. I would easily recommend 2 weeks over there because we spent 10 days and I wasn't ready to leave. If you really love that off-the-beaten track kind of getaway then Fraser is perfect for you... So check out a few more of my pics below and let me know what you think.

Much love guys. Enjoy the epic scenery on Fraser !

Lexie