K'gari (Butchulla for Fraser Island) is undoubtedly as exceptional as it could be. It satisfies 3 of the 4 natural criteria, and the increased recognition of Butchulla people as its traditional owners in recent years made it more special. I originally planned a 3-day, 2-night trip to the island in May 2022 but a knee injury forced me to postpone the trip to August 2022. I also ended up doing a full-day tour as I was still nursing my knee.

Most of tour companies operate from Noosa Heads and Rainbow Beach. The agency I availed the tour from used to pick up passengers from Sunshine Coast, which would have been idea as I was staying with a friend there. However, I had to get an accommodation in Noosa Heads due to low number of tourists. Apparently, they were still reeling from the effects of the pandemic. This turned out to be a good surprise as the small town had a wonderful beach and a relaxed vibe.

The tour started at 5:30 am, with our 4WD MHOV-looking truck picking up passengers on the way to Rainbow Beach. Past Rainbow Beach our tour lead picked up a couple of passengers staying in the campgrounds around Inskip Point. We got onto the barge and docked at the southern most point of the island. From here we already saw a few dingoes, with some people quipping that it must had been our lucky day. The truck started driving on the beach, and visited the following sites:

1. Maheno wreck - a cyclone in the 1930s beached this rusting wreckage (see photo). I remember the lead tour saying that earlier attempts to remove the boat failed, but they were happy that it is now a tourist site on the island. Note that the wreckage is along the "sand highway" that could get busy and thus, travellers should be wary of incoming traffic, and vice versa.
2. Eli creek - a very shallow freshwater creek near the wreck. Kids seemed to love this creek.
3. Lake McKenzie - we spent an hour or so here, lounging at the blindingly white sand (reminds me of the many beaches back in the Philippines). The water offers a cold respite from the sun. All tours descend on this spot.
4. Central Station rainforests - we spent the last part of the day walking around the trails near the central station. Tall gum and eucalyptus trees dominate the canopy, with king ferns, satinays, and kauri pines being notable as well.

We finished the tour around 3:30pm. I had the privilege of sitting beside the driver, which gave me a great view of the road and the surrounding landscape. We took an unpaved road through the Toolara State Forest on the way to Noosa Head. Here we saw several kangaroos, wallabies, and oddly, some horses hopping/galloping around the area. We got back to Noosa Heads just before the sun set. 

Obviously a full-day tour only allows you to get a glimpse of what Fraser Island could offer. Multi-day tours take you to other sites, such as the Indian Head lookout, the Pinnacles, Kirrar sandblow, and other perched lakes such as Lake Wabby, Lake Birrabeen, and Lake Boomanjin. 

As a biologist, what I find fascinating about the island is that it is basically a laboratory of biological and coastal geological processes, which includes continuous renewal of sand dunes, formation of perched lakes, and the unique forest succession that occurs on the island. In any aspect, for a country with so many natural marvels, K'gari is one of the top UNESCO sites in Australia.