The Flavours of Fraser Island

For my husband, Fraser Island is the definition of paradise, the beach, natural landscapes, the wildlife oh and the fishing so much so that this question was asked about 501 times as we explored the island “Are you seeing that gutter DK? It’s beautiful!"

So after seven years of mancations to Fraser Island I decided to finally join him on a trip, I jumped in our 4WD (along with our 15 month-old) and really experienced Fraser Island. The four wheel driving was an adventure within itself the tracks were well maintained and signposted, it was an adrenaline rush within the confines of safety.

Donna 'DK' Kramer at Eli Creek, Fraser Island

Once on the road, well sand, we swam in Lake McKenzie for hours, floated out to the beach in the crystal clear waters of Eli Creek, walked through the stunning rainforest at Central Station and picnicked beside the Champagne Pools at Indian Head.



Lake McKenzie

I was impressed ten times over, and I now wished I’d done it years earlier. Fraser Island is a beautiful place on all levels and trust me when I say that it is a destination that you have to experience and if you have overseas friends visiting get out their to-do list and put Fraser Island at the top.

It will be the highlight of their trip, I promise.

We stayed at Kingfisher Bay Resort and I instantly felt at home. Our spacious room looked straight out to the ocean and with ramps everywhere it made getting around with a pram super easy. While I loved the room and its view, the heated pool and stunning common areas at Kingfisher Bay Resort I’m not deep when it comes to accommodation, if it’s clean and the staff are friendly then I’m happy (I do love camping you see) so I tend to measure a resort by its food and Kingfisher Bay Resort received a shiny big gold star in my books.

We ate like KINGS at the buffet breakfast both mornings and the overflowing fresh seafood buffet dinner was so good I literally could not move for 15 minutes afterwards, I’m having flash backs to the Moreton Bay Bug induced food coma writing this! On our final night we had wines and a cheese platter on the jetty followed by wood-fire pizza.

And they say that the secret to a mans heart is through his stomach?

I was in love.

Bush Tucker Class

But a firm highlight of our trip for me aside from the amazing fishing gutters (between you and I, I have no idea what I was looking at other than the ocean) was the Kingfisher Bay Resort Bush Tucker experience. Hosted by Kingfisher Bay’s chefs from their signature restaurant Seabelle (which sadly was undergoing renovations when we were there) and a ranger Jermaine who’s indigenous ancestors used to call Fraser Island home, the bush tucker experience is intimate, we were one of five couples. Not only did we taste an array of native seeds, herbs and plants but we left full of knowledge about what native plants the indigenous Australians used each day in their cooking. It was fascinating.

Bush Tucker menu

Kingfisher’s Seabelle restaurant incorporates many local native ingredients into each of their dishes; the thought process behind producing basic foods with a native food twist was impressive. Clear highlights were – jam infused with quandong or ‘desert peach’, panna cotta with lemon myrtle picked straight from a small native garden and herb farm on the Island, relish with bush tomatoes and lillypilly and my all time favorite pesto with bunya nuts was divine.

Now as a vegetarian (pescitarian to be precise) the low-fat meats such as kangaroo, emu and crocodile steaks that were offered were wasted on me, not so my husband who happily snapped up my share with rave reviews, but the fresh prawns covered in aniseed myrtle and the barramundi baked in paperbark was swoon-worthy. Aside from being a tutorial into native deliciousness the hour-long Bush Tucker class is fun and entertaining with the banter between the ranger and chefs keeping us in constant hysterics. I left feeling full of good food and interesting facts.



Bush Tucker treats

Next trip I’m adding the Seabelle’s bush tucker-inspired degustation menu, which I’m told contains countless delights including the freshest of Queensland’s famous seafood and Australian wines, to the top of my to-do list… oh along with finding amazing fishing gutters.

Top 10 attractions on Fraser Island

1. Scenic flight

Experience a fantastic bird’s eye view of the ancient rainforests, fresh water lakes including the amazing butterfly lake, fabulous stretches of sand dunes and bright blue sea, marine life including whales during whale season, ending with a thrilling beach landing.

2. Lake McKenzie

High in a sand dune, 100 metres above sea level enjoy the crystal clear, blue waters of Lake McKenzie and relaxing soft white sandy shore. Lake McKenzie covers more than 150 hectares and is over five metres deep.

3. Fishing

Enjoying fishing along Fraser Islands famous 75 Mile Beach, known as one of the best beach fishing spots in the world. Trailer boats can be launched in the calm water behind Indian Head and Waddy Point for fishing off the coast.

4. 4WD along the beach

Drive along the 75 Mile Beach highway and enjoy the scenic views, including a ship wreck - but watch out for dingoes! Between June and October you may also see Humpback Whales off the beach. It is advised that essential spares, a tow rope, spade, water and first aid kit are carried.

5. Eli Creek

This is the largest creek on the Eastern side of the island with a flow of eight million litres of water a day. Eli Creek is a popular swimming and picnic spot, you can walk along the boardwalk and watch everyone swimming and floating by in the swiftly flowing creek from the bridge at the far end of the boardwalk.

Float down Eli Creek

6. Champagne Pools

Just North of Indian Head, discover the Champagne pools, a very popular swimming hole. The Champagne Pools are naturally formed by volcanic rock, the ocean crashes over the rocks and into the shallow sandy pools creating foaming water, giving the pools its name. The timber walking tracks and steps enable easy access so everyone can enjoy relaxing in the water or sunbathing along the rocks or sand nearby.

7. Indian Head

Climb to the top of Indian Head for amazing panoramic views of Fraser Island’s beaches. Dolphins, turtles, sharks and huge rays can be spotted from here on clear days. During whale season you are sure to spot the humpback whales passing by.

8. The Pinnacles

The Pinnacles are an ancient sand structure from coloured sands swept assure from the sandstones of inland Australia providing an amazing example of the creative powers of nature. The beautiful mix of red, yellow, brown, and orange sand is best viewed in the morning light which highlights the beauty of all the different shades.

9. Rainforest

Majestic rainforests can be found among the sand providing homes to many beautiful native birds. The dense canopy of trees provides a cool and refreshing place to enjoy a peaceful walk along creeks that are so clear you can see leaves resting on the creek bed. 

Central Station

 10. Lake Wabby

The Island’s deepest lake is Lake Wabby at 11.4 metres which can be accessed through a walking track from the beach. It is known as both a window lake and a barrage lake; window lakes are formed when the ground level falls below the water table and barrage lakes are formed when a sand blow blocks the waters of a natural spring. Unlike the other lakes, Lake Wabby is home to several varieties of fish.

Queensland has an island to suit everyone

Queensland offers a range of island paradises, from coral cays to surf beaches, there is a holiday option to suit every traveller. To help you pick your island holiday we’ve put together the best island resorts across Queensland.

The family friendly islands offer great kids activities from adventure playgrounds, kids club, guided tours of reef and wildlife plus free beach activities the whole family can enjoy. 

The indulgent islands offer something special for couples. They are private resorts that offer fine dining, luxurious spa treatments and the highest quality service. Travel to the island can be via ferry or scenic flight. 

Casual islands are suited to both families and couples looking for a great Aussie getaway. The dress code is casual, with thongs (flip flops) allowed in restaurants in the evening and the accommodation ranges from 3 to 4 star. 

Action and Adventure resorts offer a large range of activities both on land and in the water including jet skis, kayaking, windsurfing, paddle skis, ATV 4WDs and  sand tobogganing.

Nature Lover's paradise is for those that want to get in touch with the Australian flora and fauna, to stay in unique natural environment where fish, dolphins, turtles and whales can be spotted. Each island offers a range of tours that allow you to get up close with these animals and learn more about their habitat.

Please continue reading for more information about each resort's facilities, activities, dining and wildlife..

Fraser Island & Kingfisher Bay

Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world, accessible only by 4WD vehicles. Discover an amazing array of scenery and attractions, from shipwrecks, heritage logging huts, freshwater creeks, sand dunes, crystal-clear lakes, ancient rainforests and the coloured sands of Seventy-Five Mile Beach. The region is well known for being a haven for humpback whales and their calves; during the migration season you can spot them leaping out of the ocean from the beach.

Fraser Island

Kingfisher Bay Resort is set amongst the natural beauty and tranquillity of Fraser Island. Offering hotel rooms plus 1 and 2 bedroom apartments, take the opportunity to join a 4WD tour of the island or a whale watching cruise between August and October.

Kingfisher Bay Resort

The resort's head chef shares their famous Saganaki Prawns recipe with us; a bush-style recipe featuring garlic and olive oil, finished with desert raisins, white wine and fresh feta cheese.

Ingredients:

10x green prawns

40g diced onion

40g Fetta cheese

10g Minced garlic

160 ml white wine

200ml Bush nap (traditional Napoli sauce with added dried bush tomato – see below)

Method:

Sauté onions and garlic add prawns then deglaze with white wine. Divide ingredients between two dishes and finish with bush tomato nap and fetta cheese. Serves 2/

Chef’s Bush Nap:

Ingredients:

100g onion

20g garlic

100g white wine

2L crushed tomatoes

100ml balsamic vinegar

50g brown sugar

150g bush tomato (dried)

Method:

Sauté 100g onion and 20g garlic, deglaze with 100g white wine – reduce down and add 2L crushed tomatoes. Turn heat down and let cook out for 2 hours and then add 100ml of balsamic vinegar and 50g of brown sugar. Blitz and add 150g of bush tomato. Season with salt and pepper. (This will make 2L of nap - which can be stored in the fridge) Ingredients can be reduced proportionately to make less sauce.

Kingfisher Bay Resort