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<p>Walk where the 4WD's don't go
<p>Discover spectacular heritage-listed Fraser Island through Footprints on Fraser walking tours.</p>
<p>Footprints on Fraser 4-day and 5-day guided and fully catered walking tours meander along the Fraser Island Great Walk beneath towering rainforests, past amazing freshwater lakes and over vast sand dunes. </p>
<p>Discover the island’s history as you walk past paths where logging roads and tramlines once served a bygone forestry industry. Enjoy too the opportunity to swim in the crystal clear waters of Lake McKenzie and be awe-inspired by the multi-coloured sands of Rainbow Gorge.</p>
<p>Footprints on Fraser provides walkers the opportunity to visit some of the most diverse and unique landforms and ecosystems on the planet. The walking tours offer a truly rich experience of diverse island landscapes, wildlife in its natural habitat and fascinating history.</p>
<p>Lose yourself in the pristine beauty of the island, unwind to the sound of a bird’s song, and let the wind carry away life’s stresses…</p>
<p>Footprints on Fraser 4-day and 5-day guided and fully catered walking tours meander along the Fraser Island Great Walk beneath towering rainforests, past amazing freshwater lakes and over vast sand dunes. <br>
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Fraser Island is a precious part of Australia’s natural and cultural heritage. World heritage listed, it is the largest sand island in the world. Over 120 kilometers long and over 30 kilometers across at its widest point, the Island has developed over 800,000 years and is truly a unique natural environment. <br>
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Fraser Island is a place of exceptional beauty, with its long uninterrupted white beaches flanked by strikingly coloured sand cliffs, and over 100 freshwater lakes, some tea-coloured and others clear and blue all ringed by white sandy beaches. Ancient rainforests grow in sand along the banks of fast-flowing, crystal clear creeks. <br>
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Fraser Island’s Aboriginal name, K’gari appropriately means paradise. The heritage of the traditional Butchulla people is evident in archaeological sites, midden heaps, ceremonial bora rings and stone implements across the island. <br>
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Central Station, originally established as a forestry township, is a beautiful rainforest area, with a short boardwalk that follows Wanggoolba Creek. <br>
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Lake McKenzie is one of the island’s best-known freshwater lakes. It is a refreshing swimming spot and the Footprints on Fraser walkers have the unique privilege of camping beside it. Lake Wabby, surrounded by a massive sand-blow, is the deepest of the island’s lakes. Lake Allom is a small, attractive lake with a forest backdrop and special inhabitants — tortoises. <br>
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Eli Creek is the largest freshwater creek along the east coast, with over four million litres of water flowing into the ocean every hour.<br>
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The Cathedrals are towering cliffs of multicoloured sands sculptured by the wind into huge peaks. <br>
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The Champagne Pools at Middle Rocks, just north of Indian Head, are beautiful rock pools filled with bubbling seawater – they are excellent swimming holes at low tide! <br>
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The wreck of the ‘Maheno’, once an impressive vessel, lies buried in sand just north of Happy Valley. <br>
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Footprints on Fraser offers one of the most unique ways to take in the great beauty of this natural wonder. Our tours meander along the Fraser Island Great Walk beneath towering rainforests, past crystal clear lakes and over vast sand dunes. <br>
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Walkers have the privilege of experiencing the diverse landscapes, heritage and ecosystems of the island during our 4-day and 5-day tours.<br>
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It is time for you to discover the exceptional beauty of world heritage listed Fraser Island. A truly precious part of Australia’s natural and cultural heritage, Fraser Island is a mystical place worth exploring.<br>
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“Acknowledged in some quarters as worthy of international significance as early as 1975 I was finally recognized and awarded World Heritage listing in 1992.”<br>
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FAQ's<br>
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Q. What are the walking conditions of the track?<br>
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Q. What’s included in the tours?<br>
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Q. How will I get to Fraser Island?<br>
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Q. What are the tour dates? <br>
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Q. What should I bring?<br>
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Q. What items are supplied?<br>
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Q. What food is served on the tours?<br>
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Q. What is the price of the tours?<br>
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Q. Is there dangerous wildlife on the island?<br>
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Q. Where do we wash / bath?<br>
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Q. What if we require somewhere to store our luggage?<br>
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What are the walking conditions of the track?<br>
Both tours are suited to people of all ages with average levels of fitness as walking conditions vary from easy to medium. A half-day walk separates most campsites, with some of the tracks on the five-day walk being a little more demanding but never exceeding medium walking conditions. The Fraser Island Great Walk is a well-defined sandy track with a generally firm and stable surface. Your experienced guides will lead you safely through and across some sections of soft sand and natural hazards such as fallen trees, uneven surfaces and long, steep slopes.<br>
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What’s included in the tours?<br>
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Transfers to and from your accommodation house in Hervey Bay or Childers<br>
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Transport to and from Fraser Island via a barge service<br>
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All camping equipment and food <br>
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Support vehicle to carry camping equipment and food<br>
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Experienced and fun tour guides<br>
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All camping permits and fees included<br>
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How will I get to Fraser Island?<br>
On the morning of departure you will be picked up from your accommodation house in Childers or Hervey Bay between 8am and 9am. Tour groups take the barge from Mary River to Fraser Island and return via the same route. On the final tour day you will arrive back in Hervey Bay at approximately 3.30pm and transfers to the Airport or your accommodation house from the barge are included in the package.<br>
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What are the tour dates? <br>
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In May-August tour departure dates are as follows:<br>
4-Day Great Lakes Walk:<br>
8 May, 5 June, 3 July, 7 August<br>
5-Day Forest Giants Walk:<br>
22 May, 19 June, 17 July, 21 August<br>
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What should I bring?<br>
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Lightweight and waterproof backpacks<br>
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Rain jacket<br>
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Comfortable and supportive walking boots<br>
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Hat and sunscreen <br>
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Insect repellant<br>
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Torch <br>
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Towel<br>
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Swimmers<br>
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Personal items such as clothes and toiletries<br>
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What items are supplied?<br>
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Tent - single or couples<br>
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Self-inflating mattress<br>
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Sleeping bag<br>
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Sleeping bag liner<br>
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Pillow<br>
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Pillow slip<br>
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What food is served on the tours?<br>
Every meal is prepared fresh on the island and is best described as contemporary Australian cuisine. Each day begins with a hearty continental breakfast of eggs, bacon, fresh bread, toast, cereal, fresh fruit, coffee, tea and juice. For lunch a selection of delicious sandwiches and fresh fruit is served while dinner varies from pasta dishes such as Carbonara and Bolognaise, to chicken with rice and vegetables. Healthy snacks are provided all day for sustained energy. Food is plentiful and tasty to ensure no one goes hungry!<br>
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What is the price of the tours?<br>
All inclusive tour prices start from $1250 per person for the four-day walk and $1750 per person for the five-day tour. Group discounts apply.<br>
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Is there dangerous wildlife on the island?<br>
Dingoes and other dangerous wildlife including snakes inhabit Fraser Island. However, as you will be traveling in a group led by experienced guides they present little threat. Your tour guides will take all the necessary precautions to discourage dingoes from approaching and will educate you never to feed this wild animal.<br>
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Where do we wash / bath?<br>
While these walking tours provide a real nature experience, you will have the opportunity to ‘wash’ on a daily basis. On the Great Lakes Walk you’ll be able to enjoy a hot shower on day 2 at Central Station, but apart from this a swim in the lakes or bucket shower will have to suffice. Basic hygiene is taken care of though with a special sanitising hand gel for washing your hands.<br>
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What if we require somewhere to store our luggage?<br>
There are three options available to you for storing your luggage while you’re on the island. You can arrange for your accommodation house to store the luggage for you; or Footprints on Fraser can organise to have your luggage safely stored at Kookaburra Backpackers or at Hervey Bay Mini Storage.<br>
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The 5-Day Forest Giants Walk also visits two of Fraser Island’s beautiful lakes – Lake Wabby and Lake Garawongera, both of which we camp nearby. However, the focus of this tour is on the tall giants of Fraser Island. You will visit the spectacular Valley of the Giants and camp in the shadow of some of the most brilliant tree specimens on the island. A full day is dedicated to exploring the two famous floral monuments – the Giant Satinay and the Giant Tallowwood. These are the two largest trees on the entire island!<br>
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This walking tour allows you to experience a myriad of landforms and vegetation types as they vary considerably from the closed rainforest, satinay and tallowwood, to the more open blackbutt forest of the ridges and central dunes to the coastal dunes and the spectacular Hammerstone Sandblow which encroaches on the famous Lake Wabby. The walks between campsites are a little longer, the area more remote and walking conditions slightly more difficult but still varying from easy to medium. <br>
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Between 8am - 9am the morning of departure you will be picked up from your accommodation house in Childers or Hervey Bay before taking the 40 minute trip across to Wanggoolba Creek on the Mary River barge. The first leg of the journey is a drive along the beach (tide permitting) to the east coast resort of Eurong. Along the way you’ll have the chance to take in the magnificent coloured sands of Rainbow Gorge. As driving on the beach is not possible within two hours of high tide, the itinerary may change to include a visit to Central Station and the rainforests of the interior. <br>
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Either route will take us to Happy Valley. Here, walkers have the option to take the 7 km or 2.5 hour trek to our first campsite at Lake Garawongera. The track heads west up the coastal dunes and onto the steep rainforest-clad ridge before coming out onto the lake’s shore. Here we set up at the walkers’ camp just a short stroll from the lakes edge. Take a refreshing dip in the lake or laze around the campsite until a delicious freshly prepared dinner is served.<br>
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Out of Lake Garawongera we have a short steep descent to cross over Bogimbah Creek. We follow the line of the creek through picturesque Piccabeen Palm forest, which is an area of some of the earliest logging camps and forestry trial plantations on the island. <br>
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The tour turns south away from the creek leading to a short, steep climb into areas of open forest and heathland. Thereafter you’ll find yourself entering the boundaries of the forest giants as you move through impressive stands of brush box, satinay and rainforest. Finally we reach what will be our home for the next two nights, the walkers’ camp in the aptly named Valley of the Giants.<br>
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This day is devoted to exploring the realm of the forest giants. It is an inspiring walk through the closed canopy of the Valley of the Giants to the two largest known trees on the island. We visit the iconic Giant Satinay and on the way back to camp call in on the Giant Tallowwood. You will stand in awe at the size and age of these floral monoliths! And if this isn’t enough, at night you will see the intriguing luminescent fungi growing not far from our campsite.<br>
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It’s a steady climb out of the closed forest of the Valley of the Giants as we head south. You’ll have the chance to enjoy more of the rainforest canopy before you reach the blackbutt-forested ridge of the central dunes. After a round trip of about 1.2 kms to the spectacular lookout over the desert-like Badjala Sandblow, you will once again descend into the cool valley and forest before heading towards the coast and more open banksia woodland. Your campsite on Day 4 is Lake Wabby.<br>
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A short walk through forests of scribbly gum and other eucalypts from the shore of Lake Wabby, a barrage lake; takes you to a lookout with views over the lake, Hammerstone Sandblow and the ocean. The sandblow engulfs the lake thus creating it but also threatening to cover it completely in time. Being your last morning on the island, you’ll have the chance to enjoy a swim in the lake, explore the sandblow or watch the fresh-water turtles and fish near to shore. <br>
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In the afternoon, we follow the sidetrack out to the beach and meet up with the support vehicle. Time permitting; we may call by Central Station on our way back to the barge at the mouth of Wanggoolba Creek, our departure point from the island.<br>
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Once on the main land, transfers to your accommodation house or the Hervey Bay Airport ensue.<br>
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The 4-Day Great Lakes Walk visits five of the most beautiful lakes on Fraser Island including Lake McKenzie, Lake Benaroon, Lake Birrabeen, Lake Wabby and Basin Lake. As part of the walking tour you will also have the unique privilege to camp by two of these lakes (Lake McKenzie and Lake Benaroon) and swim in them all year round. <br>
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Also on the tour you will explore the rainforests of Central Station, Wanggoolba Creek and Pile Valley. The new campsite here is a treasure for walkers, being remote from the vehicular campsite it is set amongst the rainforest giants, vines and palms allowing us all to gain a deep feeling for the nature of this area. <br>
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Further on, the tour tramps through banksia woodland, tall open forest, melaleuca wetlands, the ancient dunes of the central highlands, developing dunes of the east coast and the famous Hammerstone Sandlow. <br>
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Between 8am - 9am the morning of departure you will be picked up from your accommodation house in Childers or Hervey Bay before taking the Mary River barge across to Wanggoolba Creek. After a short drive the tour arrives at the beautiful Lake Benaroon where we set up at the walkers’ camp just 50 metres from the lakes edge. <br>
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In the afternoon you will have the chance to swim in the pristine lake, take a guided walk along the track through changing vegetation types – the melaleucas along the shoreline, blackbutt forest and the pockets of rainforest with kauri pines, vines, palm lilies, staghorns and mosses or just unwind and relax to the beauty of the surrounds.<br>
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On day two, the tour heads north to Lake Birrabeen where we have the chance to observe the various vegetation types and sedges growing in the shallow waters. We climb the old logging road up the ancient central dunes while listening for the call of the whipbird to its mate and her immediate reply. On the more exposed ridges blackbutts grow, while in the more protected dunes and valleys grow the massive brush box and satinay.<br>
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We arrive at Central Station for lunch and set up camp in the beautiful rainforest walkers’ camp. After lunch we have to opportunity to see more of the local forest with a two-hour circuit walk to Pile Valley along the banks of crystal clear Wanggoolba Creek. Here amongst the palms and vines grows the rare King Fern – Angiopteris evecta. <br>
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We cross over Wanggoolba Creek and take a short climb through a spectacular stand of plantation Eucalyptus Grandis… these are another remnant from the days of logging on the island. From here we head to Basin Lake for a short break including a possible swim, along a track that meanders through semi-dense forest dominated by Carrol trees or Backhousia myrtifolia. Along the walk, watch for the heads of fresh-water turtles as they bop up to the surface of the lake and white-bellied sea eagles that often circle above.<br>
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Further along we traverse through banksia woodland, tall open forest and melaleuca until we reach the shores of stunning Lake McKenzie. Take a refreshing swim in its clear waters or a stroll along its magical white beach… this truly is one of Fraser Island’s most spectacular fresh-water lakes. It is here that we camp the night. What a privilege! <br>
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Using part of the old forestry tramline we pass through some of the most spectacular tall open forests of the southern lakes area. As we meander towards the coast the forests open to the east coast dunes.<br>
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The tour arrives at Lake Wabby for lunch, after which a stroll to the lookout over the lake and the huge Hammerstone Sandblow is on the cards. Traveling west, the sandblow engulfs the lake threatening to cover it completely in time. Paperbarks push through the sand in a determined effort to survive, some as tall as 50 meters and hundreds of years old.<br>
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In the afternoon we head south in the support vehicle along the beach to the barge crossing at the mouth of Wanggoolba Creek. Back on the mainland it's final goodbyes as guests are dropped off at their accommodation or the Hervey Bay Airport. </p>
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