Fraser Island
A History of Fraser Island | Tips for Travellers to Fraser Island
Fraser Island's Tourist Attractions | Lakes of Fraser Island | Tourism on Fraser Island

Fraser Island is visited by more than half a million tourists each year. Facilities needed to be provided for tourists, but care needs to be taken so that a balance is struck with the natural environment.

Facilities Provided for Tourists

Access to the island is mainly by commercial barges from Inskip Point and Hervey Bay to the south end of the island, with charter planes and private boats also landing some visitors. Everyone landing on the island has to have a permit, for which a fee is charged by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.

There are no towns or major urban developments on the island, but there are clumps of freehold housing, low-key tourist accommodation and associated facilities. There is one resort-type development - Kingfisher Bay - outside the National Park. There are no hospitals, doctors, sealed roads, shopping centres, patrolled beaches or sporting venues. This is because the main attraction of the island is its 'back to nature' feel; obviously modern facilities would undermine this. This appeal to those who like unspoiled nature makes Fraser Island one of Australia's most significant tourist attractions. It is particularly popular with overseas tourists, especially Backpackers, from the big urban centres of America, Europe and Japan.

The island is also a major fishing destination, with a big fishing competition in the north of the island (in the National Park) held every September, when the tailorfish is found close to the island.

Although the National Park doesn't have many tourist facilities, there are more in the southern part of Fraser Island.

The National Park has a variety of basic facilities that are in keeping with its location, including campsites, a ranger station with a small visitor centre, and some accommodation (for example, at Orchid Beach) provided by private landowners who were resident in the area before it was declared a National Park. Many tourists choose to stay outside the National Park, where more accommodation is provided - there are luxury villas for people to stay in as well as budget accommodation and alternative camping areas. Camping fees can be quite high, and campers require equipment, so many people choose to stay in budget or more up-market accommodation (mostly in the southern part). The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service campsites include toilets, showers, picnic tables and rubbish bins. At some sites, dingo-proof food lockers are being installed, so that people can store their food safely.

There is a general ranger presence throughout the island, with four ranger stations and rangers travelling around the island. Special rangers called 'camp hosts' may be posted at campsites at busy times, to help visitors understand the island and behave properly. Although the lack of medical facilities on the island concerns some visitors, the rangers are able to provide some immediate first aid or, in the case of more serious emergencies, radio for help, including rescue helicopters.

The large Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service information centres are off the island itself, but the ranger stations do carry brochures and some have displays. There are also some guided walks with helpful signs.

The few shops there are on the island (in the southern part) are small, highly-priced and with little variety, because transport of goods onto the island is expensive and difficult. Most visitors buy all the food they will need on the mainland and then bring it to the island.

Most of the island's many tourist attractions are interpreted by signs or displays. Some are really just regulatory, informing the tourist of the restrictions in this particular area - such as not taking photos or going beyond a certain point. Others contain detailed information, such as the history of the area or feature, background information, maps, and suggested walking trails.

Visitor education is extremely important on the island and many pamphlets, signs and posters can be found explaining the island's natural, historic and cultural heritage and the risk of participating in various activities (sharks are common, so the beaches are not recommended for swimming), or going too near or feeding animals on the island. Sadly many people still disobey warnings, either at their own cost or at the cost of the island.

Most tours on the island are run by Queensland companies, use very large vehicles, and depart from the mainland. They are popular with backpackers. Some small aerial tours are also privately operated. Although widely used, both these facilities may cause problems.

Problems Associated with Tourism

As with any natural and fairly fragile environment that many people visit, there are many potential problems associated with tourism on Fraser Island. The main problems are caused by:

• Thoughtless rubbish disposal, including littering and accidental (or not) feeding of wild animals
• Human waste
• Feral animals and plants (weeds)
• Vegetation damage, especially that caused by motor transport
• Conflicts between different user groups (such as over-use of the beach
• Deliberate or accidental feeding of dingoes, and their habituation to humans so that they become a potential danger - especially when people don't know how to behave towards them as wild animals.

People sometimes dump their rubbish without taking care to pick up all food wrapping or plastics. Litter doesn't only destroy the beauty of the island for other visitors - it can be a health hazard to animals and can contaminate water.

Many people camp on Fraser Island. Toilet pits may be made, and left inadequately covered or near water. Controlled campfires may leave unsightly fire-rings and can possibly also become a bushfire hazard. Bushfires do of course cause mass destruction across the island and the loss of animals and their habitats, and pose a great danger to tourists and the few residents. Freshwater lakes, such as Lake Mackenzie, are commonly used for swimming. Sadly these lakes can often be contaminated by things such as body oils and salts, perfumes, sunscreen, soap, deodorants and insect sprays. These substances may cause the lake to be unhealthy and can kill fish and other lake inhabitants.

Pest animals - mainly cats and cane toads - are brought as pets by visitors or residents, or manage to hitch a clandestine ride on cars or boats. In a similar way, weeds can be unknowingly brought to Fraser Island on the tyres of cars, shoes, socks and clothing.

The main eastern beach is both the main road (speed limit 80 kmh) and the aircraft runway on the island. The presence of sharks make the sea unsafe for swimming, although some people do swim a little or let their children paddle. With nice sand, sea views, and easy access to important parts of the island, a variety of people want to use it. This means that the drivers must watch out for people and aeroplanes, and not drive too fast. Fishers, campers, swimmers or paddlers and beach walkers must all take care and not get in the way of vehicles or boats. Aeroplanes must make sure they land in a clear area. Common sense must be used and everyone using the beach must act responsibly so that they can all get full benefit of the area and no accidents are caused.

The large four-wheeled drive vehicles that are used on Fraser Island can cause problems. With no sealed roads, having a four-wheel drive vehicle is really the only way to get around the island. However, these large vehicles can crush natural vegetation and even run over animals when driving through forest or rainforest. Six-wheeled versions of these vehicles (used by tourist groups) are large, noisy, and can threaten both the island and other tourists. The impact of each one of these vehicles is relatively low, but the accumulated effects are likely to be very damaging in what is a sand-based environment. Once the vegetation is disturbed, the sand blows away. Even the planes used for joy trips and aerial views - despite being small - cause noise (disturbing the peace of the bush) or annoyance to other beach users as they land.

Fraser Island is home to many dingoes. Some have become so used to people that they often come right up to buildings, vehicles or tents. People are told never to feed dingoes (it is prohibited to make food available to wildlife, dingoes included) or attract the attention of a dingo. However, many dingoes have become used to searching campsites for human food, or feeding on bait or bits of fish left by people who have been fishing. These are called food-conditioned dingoes. Some of these dingoes can become aggressive when they are looking for food, or at certain times of the year (for example, when young males are courting females). Many people will have heard about the two dingoes who killed a small boy recently. About 30 dingoes, out of the whole population of less than 200, were killed as a result. This seems sad, as they are part of the world's heritage too, and, additionally, are blameless.

Since 1998 there have been many signs on the back of toilet doors, as well as posters and pamphlets available at shops and information centres, instructing tourists what to do if they feel threatened by a dingo, and how to keep food away from dingoes.

The Future

Fraser Island is, essentially, extremely fragile. Visitor numbers have increased rapidly over the past few years. In 2000/2001 the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service reported more than 750,000 visitor-days (days spent on the island by visitors). It would therefore not be difficult for the island environment to become severely degraded in its habitats and unique environments. If care is not taken now, the island may well lose its beauty.

Additional facilities for tourists are planned by 2010. These need to be placed and monitored appropriately to see that they are not abused. With more facilities like these, the island would probably attract more and more visitors - something of a mixed blessing.

Unquestionably, too many visitors each year will wear down the island. However, restricting tourism would deprive people of this beautiful place, and possible cause 'rushes' of activity at 'bottleneck' times.

More dingo attacks would trigger all manner of (doubtless hysterical) investigations. They could even be rounded up in special enclosures, or culled. This would be a terrible pity, as dingoes are one of the main attractions of the island.

If proper care is taken, Fraser Island will stay beautiful. If visitors are made aware of their responsibilities when visiting the island, and they stick to these, there is no reason why many more generations shouldn't continue to enjoy this heavenly place.