With the constant reminders of a global pandemic raging. Lockdowns playing havoc and creating so much uncertainty across the country. An insanely hectic work schedule. Family stress levels going through the roof and my own health starting to feel it all. It was time to call ‘time out’. Time for an escape. Time to disconnect from an all-consuming digital world. And, time to re-connected with the natural world. It was time for a K’gari – Fraser Island trip.
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The Plan
With no real plan in mind. My wife and I loaded the trusty Prado with some essentials. Threw the kids in the back seat and said goodbye to the mainland for a week. We had made some hasty barge bookings to get us from River Heads to Wangoolba Creek on Fraser Island. And, I had somehow managed to jag some reasonably priced accommodation at Sailfish on Fraser, located at Happy Valley for the week. Apart from that, this trip really was a fly by the seat of our pants affair. The main goal being, not to catch fish, not to see and experience certain sites on Fraser Island, but more simply. To just get away and reset our minds. To CTRL ALT DELETE our lives, reboot our system. And, come back recharged and ready to take on life.
Packing
Despite this being a hastily planned trip. I made sure fishing options were loosely covered and that we had what we would need to recover ourselves if we became bogged. After all, K’gari – Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world. No matter how experienced a 4×4 driver you are. You just never quite know what conditions you may face.
Two fishing rods were packed. Both from the Samurai Ledge range and both 9ft in length with a fast action. The first was a heavier rod, 25 to 30lb. More than suitable for casting metal slugs into the surf. The other, 8 to 15lb which we would use for some light bait fishing in the shallows for whiting and dart.
The trusty Maxtrax were tied down to the roof rack along with a long-handled shovel. Two snatch straps with shackles were loaded. Along with a basic first aid kit, handheld walkie talkies and a couple of head lamps.
At the time of our trip, Sydney was in lockdown and Victorian borders were closed. The weather forecast for the week was freezing with a side of wet stuff. Followed by more cold temps and even more wet stuff falling from the sky. The forecast, coupled with less-than-ideal winds hammering the eastern beach of Fraser Island. Meant that the island was quieter than what you would usually expect for the second week of Queensland school holidays.
Happy Valley
The entire family were extremely keen to see how the Happy Valley township had faired after the fires. Which devastated much of Fraser Island in late 2020 and early 2021. Those fires had burnt all the way to the boundary of Happy Valley. The footage we had seen of fire crews, locals and water bombers trying to save the township were frightening.
It was amazing to witness how quickly those areas burnt by those fires have recovered. You can certainly tell exactly where the fires had travelled due to large swathes of the island now being almost completely free of leaf litter. However, the native grasses and ferns have reshot and are simply thriving. The thick canopies of the larger trees are still intact in most areas which we visited. And, most of the lower lying bush is alive with fresh growth.
We stayed with the team at Sailfish on Fraser and highly recommend them to anyone wishing to visit Fraser Island and who do not wish to camp. They offer large 2-bedroom apartment style accommodation approximately 100m from the beach. Tucked away inside dingo proof fencing. They have everything you need for a relaxing Fraser Island trip on site. You could literally tip up with only your clothes and food and you would still manage to get by. They are within a very short stroll from the Happy Valley Retreat. Which is essentially the Happy Valley pub, and which sells basic grocery items. Provides meals and drinks and basic fishing tackle and the like.
Getting Out and About
Each morning and evening the family and I took the short stroll from our accommodation. Through the dingo proof gate down to the beach to take in the scenery. Don’t get me wrong, it was cold. But the sound of the crashing waves while watching whales breach and play as they swam up the coastline was exactly what we needed.
However, my boys are adventurous and while I could simply have spent the entire week staring at the ocean. They wanted to explore and fish!
Each day we planned some simple exploring by 4×4. Mostly inland, followed by an opportunity for some beach fishing on the change of the tide. Before calling it a day, having a meal at the Happy Valley Retreat, and then returning to our Sailfish apartment. Sounds tough!
Fishing
The on again, off again rain and strong southerly winds made beach fishing a challenge. According to the locals we were about 1 month too early for the tailor run, it was early July. Many of the gutters also contained snot weed which excelled at fouling rigs. Having said that, my eldest Liam tried a simple technique which he had used before to land himself fish after fish.
With a simple whiting rig consisting of a size 2 Gamakatsu worm hook tied to approx. 40cm of mono leader. Which had a small approx. 4cm piece of red tubing sitting above the hook. The leader was tied to a small swivel to help avoid line twist and a small pea sized running ball sinker was above the swivel.
Using small chunks of squid Liam managed to catch himself dart and whiting each day. Simply by dropping his bait no more than a few metres in front of him in the shallows of a drain. He would then watch as whiting and dart would approach his bait from the slightly deeper section of the drain. Many of them were undersized but that did not matter to the kids. They were just happy to be there, catching fish. And mum and dad were just happy sitting back watching them loving life.
Driving
Driving through rich rainforest in the centre of Fraser Island while the rain buckets down is an amazing experience. The sand tracks in particular transform into small flowing creeks. Where you would normally see shallow holes in the sand which necessitate a change in speed or a turn. You are instead faced with numerous bodies of water of unknown depth. Most shallow but a few do surprise you!
Despite the rain, we managed to explore a few of the fresh water perched lakes on the island. We slowly strolled through stretches of amazing rainforest and took in the sounds of the island free from the hustle and bustle of the mainland. Observed some incredible flora and fauna and after searching for a spot marked on the map, we discovered what ‘the declivity’ is!
The End
In all, K’gari – Fraser Island provided us with exactly what we needed. Time away from all the hustle and bustle that can consume our lives. Time away from what feels like constant negativity and doom and gloom in the news. Valuable time as a family together. Time in nature and time to get refocussed on the important things in life.
Thank You K’gari – Fraser Island.