While in Australia, I took the wildly popular 3 day – 2 night tour of K’Gari Island (better known as Fraser Island). There are various tour companies, but they are all pretty much the same and mine cost about $500 AUD. The company I went with and can 100% recommend was Dingos!
You may be wondering… what in the world is Fraser Island and what is all the hype about?? Well, Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world and is part of the land originally owned by the Butchulla people, who named it K’Gari, or “Paradise.” It is aptly named because over the course of these three days you will experience true, breathtaking, unplugged paradise with fun experiences and great people along the way.
How to book Fraser:
Most importantly: Book far in advance! And I mean at least a month in advance because these tours sell out like no tomorrow! (Just be careful with your dates and double check refund policies so you don’t end up like me and lose $600 because you booked the wrong date :))
Next, think about where you are going to spend the night in Rainbow Beach before and after your three day excursion. I’ll make it easy:
- Stay at Freedom Hostel if you booked through Dingo’s
- Stay at Pippies Beach House if you booked through Pippies
Each of these hostels run the tours themselves and will provide luggage storage and often an all inclusive price option for staying with them, making your entire experience easier!
What’s Included?
- 2 Breakfasts, 3 Lunches, and 2 Dinners
- On-Island Tent Accommodation
- Sleeping bags
- 2-4 one of a kind locations per day
- Driving yourself around the island (21+)
* Days on the Island *
There isn’t one itinerary that every tour follows, but you will definitely make it to each famous location at some point. Due to varying tides and sand conditions, tour guides may decide to do different activities on different days or at different times. Basically, don’t count on a very precise schedule – you’re on island time!
General Schedule:
We would normally start heading out of camp around 8:30 am, and it was up to each individual whether they got up and ate or slept in until it was go time. As I said, the days were pretty random and consisted of a lot of driving, but the various activities were always a good time. We would get back to camp around 5 pm, start grilling our dinner around 6 and chill the rest of the night. I definitely recommend starting your days with the sunrise and ending them with the sunset and clear views of the galaxy.
Lake McKenzie
This lake is massive with some of the clearest water and whitest sand you will ever see. You cannot miss swimming in this ultimate paradise.
Lake Wabby
This lake is a water reserve snuggled among giant sand dunes. Roll down the steep sand hills right into the refreshing water.
75-Mile Beach
What I’d consider the main attraction of K’Gari… the seemingly endless expanse of sand to drive on! You will spend lots of time driving along this stunning beach while catching glimpses of dingos and maybe even whales!
Champagne Pools
The only spot on the island where you’ll find volcanic rock and the only place where it is safe to swim in the ocean’s saltwater thanks to the rock breakwall (since crocodiles, sharks, and jellyfish fill the surrounding open ocean).
Eli Creek
This was my favorite part of the trip. Eli Creek is the ultimate lazy river. Your tour company should provide tubes for you to float along in, otherwise it’s also a beautiful and short walk if you’re lacking a tube.
SS Maheno
This ship had many uses in its life but at the very end, en route to a shipyard in Japan, the Maheno got lost in a cyclone and ran aground on Fraser – it’s been there for the photo taking ever since.
* Nights on the Islands *
The nights on the islands were not glamorous and might not be for everyone.
The Rooms: You can choose a tent to share with one other person (if you’re lucky you could bunk on your own, but where’s the fun in that?) There are no mattresses nor pillows provided, only sleeping bags. I was never too cold with the sleeping bag, but the lack of a pillow definitely made life a bit hard.
The Bathrooms: This depends on your tour company. The Dingos camp had showers and bathrooms although I know some companies do not provide showers.
The Nightlife: It totally depends on the group! Some people were exhausted and went to bed right after sunset while others stayed up drinking, talking, or staring at the insanely clear night sky.
Animal Safety: Campgrounds are dingo proof although they are not necessarily spider and snake proof. If you leave the campground on foot, stay in a group so the dingos leave you alone. Tour companies will also provide you with “Dingo Sticks” for you to scare away any dingos that might give you trouble, but there isn’t a high probability of that happening. As always in nature, stay aware of your surroundings and give the wildlife plenty of space to go about their business!
* Meals *
The meals on these trips are extremely average. Breakfast meant some bread, cereal, and coffee provided if you woke up for it. Lunch consisted of basic wraps that were actually really good, just definitely not 5 star dining. And dinner was up to the group to cook – one night we were given burgers and the other night there were steaks to throw on the barbie (there were vegetarian options).
The food was by no means extraordinary, but it kept me full and that’s really what you can ask for on a remote island.
* Advice! *
How to Pack:
If you have multiple bags at your hostel, keep in mind that you will only be able to take one of them to the island. So I recommend you pack one bag full of clothes and items you will want during the trip and one bag with things you can leave in your hostel’s storage area.
What to Pack:
- Sunscreen and Bug Spray
- Book, Playing Cards, or other unplugged entertainment
- Portable Charger
- Swim suits and towel
- Sweatshirt and sweatpants
- Snacks! (I didn’t have my own snacks and regretted it at some points. They will be safe from wildlife in the cars, so don’t hesitate packing food for yourself)
- Your own alcohol (it isn’t provided so be sure to stock up if you’re looking to party)
You will be Unplugged:
This is island life! You will not have access to much electricity nor service for three days. Text your parents you love them, post on instagram, and get ready to only use your phone for some beautiful photos. This is a great time to have a social media cleanse!
Sylvia's Gap Year 