What if your trip to Australia took you to Fraser Island, a national wonder listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site? The LEC organization gives you an overview.
An exceptional island off the coast of Queensland
To set foot on Fraser Island, you have to head north of Brisbane, the idyllic Sunshine Coast and the town of Noosa Heads. It is there, in eastern Queensland, separated from the Australian mainland by the Great Sandy Strait, that the world’s largest island of fine sand stretches across some 1,840 km²—roughly the size of Essonne or Guadeloupe.
Why is Fraser Island such a unique place?
Behind the beach lie magnificent remnants of vast rainforests growing on the sand and half of the world’s elevated freshwater dune lakes. What makes this an exceptional site is its unique combination of:
- of lakes
- of tropical rainforests
- of shifting sand dunes
K’gari Island and Great Sandy National Park
Fraser Island, whose Aboriginal name is K’gari, is the crown jewel of the Coral Sea and is part of Great Sandy National Park. Established in the early 1970s, the park consists of two separate areas:
- one on the Australian mainland, between Noosa Heads and Rainbow Beach
- the other on Fraser Island, covering a large part of it
The abundant flora and fauna of Fraser Island
As for wildlife, the island is home to nearly 30 species of birds and more than 20 different species of mammals. Among the most common animals are dingoes, the iconic wild dogs of Oceania, which roam among the many eucalyptus, acacia, and palm trees, as well as other prehistoric ferns that grow throughout the island!