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, and indeed the Great Sandy Region in general, is home to many magnificent lakes. This is surprising, as Australia in general does not have many natural lakes. Curiously, areas with lakes in Australia seem to be islands - the only other part of Australia that could be referred to as a 'lakes district' is the central plateau of Tasmania.

Lakes are extremely attractive to tourists. They are well suited to swimming, paddling or simply just lazing around. Additionally, they are often preferable to the sea for young children as they have more shade and fewer rough waves. Freshwater lakes don't smell, taste nicer than saltwater if you happen to swallow a mouthful, and don't leave you feeling 'sticky' afterwards.

Types of Lakes

On Fraser Island there are both freshwater and salt lakes. The profusion of pure, naturally-filtered water on Fraser Island is amazing. The water in some lakes is clean and odourless; in others it is tannin-coloured.

Perched Lakes

Perched lakes are, as their name suggests, perched above the level of the water-table. They are formed when organic debris collects at the bottom of a hollow between dunes. The organic stuff decomposes into a black sludge that seals the bottom of the lake, stopping the water from escaping through the sand. New sand may then blow on top of this. The lake then fills with rainwater, and all the organic material stays at the bottom - leaving the surface pure and clear.

Window Lakes

Unlike perched lakes, these lakes occur at lower elevations, when the surface of the ground drops below the level of the water table.

Barrage Lakes

These lakes are formed by a wall of sand blocking a small stream. The water dams up to form a lake - or, in the case of Lake Wabby, two lakes. They are gradually being eaten up by the nearby sand dune.

Freshwater Lakes

Because of the abundant rainfall on Fraser Island, all the above-mentioned lakes are permanent freshwater lakes. The water is so fresh and pure, in fact, that the lakes are extremely low in nutrients, and therefore therefore sustain little animal and plant life.

Information for Tourists

The lakes on Fraser Island are extremely clean, which makes them very attractive. Unfortunately, with the number of tourists visiting the lakes they may become contaminated. If you're camping on Fraser Island, please remember the following things:

• Do not wash yourself in the lake with soap or other chemicals.
• Do not use the lakes as a toilet.
• Do not wash your hair with shampoo in the lake.
• Remove everything you brought with you, especially rubbish. Do not leave rubbish lying around on the beach near the lake, or in the lake itself.

The Lakes

Following is an overview of some of the more interesting lakes on Fraser Island.

Lake Mackenzie

Lake Mackenzie is probably the most popular lake on Fraser Island. It is a large perched dune lake with a sandy bottom and sandy beach. The shallow water is crystal clear, although towards the edges of the beach there are some plants growing in the water. When seen from above, the colour of a lake goes in a gradient from almost-clear (in the shallow areas) through to dark blue (in the deeper areas).

The lake is usually warm. Trees on the beach provide some shade. Nearby there is a camping area which contains some toilets and showers, as well as car parking and camping facilities. Wildlife is abundant around Lake Mackenzie; there are fascinating animals such as large monitor lizards and colourful birds.

The lake can be accessed by driving or by two walks from Central Station: a 6.3km walk via Basin Lake or an 8km walk via Pile Valley.

Lake Wabby

Big Lake Wabby, a barrage lake, is a small greenish lake formed by a sand dune damming a stream. One way to get to the lake is a walk across the large sand area touching one side of the lake. Another shorter route is through the trees surrounding the remaining part of the lake. It is possible to slide down the large sand dune next to the lake straight into the water - which is rather fun.

Lake Boomanjin

Lake Boomanjin, with an area of 200 hectares, is the world's largest perched lake. The water here is tea-coloured, stained by organic compounds, such as decomposing plants. This makes it rather unpopular for swimming, although many people walk around it.