The Summer school holidays, Christmas 2021 and the start of 2022 was slow for us. My lower back and knees have had me laid up. And, between people being on holidays and covid causing delays, getting doctor appointments and tests completed just seemed to take that little bit longer. So, it was a wonderful time to reminisce, take a journey back through diary entries, review older content and to get stuck into that ‘To Do’, list that had been sitting on my desk for a few years!
Booking.comWhile revisiting one of my old 2015 diaries, I stumbled across a day-by-day account of our first ever camping trip with the kids to the Sandy Cape on K’Gari – Fraser Island. The words and the photos reignited so many fantastic memories. And, apart from it being just a tad late, 7 years! I thought I should compile it all together into this blog to share for those planning a similar trip one day. Especially those with young kids and without those fancy campers and massive 4×4’s.
Setting The Scene
September school holidays are our most favourite time of year to camp here on the Fraser Coast. The weather still has a little bit of late winter bite during the night and early summer warmth during the days. Once you get into November and December it is just too hot. And June / July – well anything below 20 degrees is plain ridiculous in my opinion.
With our trusty tent packed into our Toyota Hilux we had planned this trip to take us a solid week. Broadly speaking the plan saw us arriving on K’Gari and travelling north to Wathumba Creek for our first night. Then onto the Sandy Cape where we planned to spend most of our trip before heading south to meet friends at Woralie Creek. Finally, a long run further south to leave the island.
Packing
My wife and I, along with our two young boys packed our gear into our Hilux which was fitted with a canopy. We had with us a simple camp setup. A Blackwolf Turbo 240 tent which was big enough for all four of us to sleep in and a Oztrail 3×3 gazebo for shade and cooking under. Below is a more detailed list of key items for those of you planning a similar trip.
- Hilux with a 70-litre diesel main tank.
- Spare 40 litres of diesel in jerries.
- 60 litres of water in various containers.
- 1 x 4.5kg gas bottle and 1 x 2kg gas bottle spare.
- Weber Q BBQ and a spare twin burner gas cooker.
- 40 litre Engel fridge and 40 litre esky.
- Cook Box full of cooking utensils etc.
- Food Box.
- 1 x Queen sized 4×4 mat and 1 x Single 4×4 mat plus bedding.
- 3 x 1m long 12v LED light strips and 4 torches / headlamps.
- Hilux runs a dual battery system with solar input to trickle charge during the day.
- 10 litre porta-potty toilet with a free-standing toilet popup tent.
- Length of rope and pegs for washing.
- A Dustpan and brush!
- Enough fishing gear to keep dad happy and kid’s play things for building sandcastles etc.
There was more packed such as clothes etc. But, the above list contains key items. **Please note – fuel wise – we did not need the spare 40 litres of diesel as we only used about two thirds of our main tank. But carrying spare is good practice for a ‘just in case’ scenario.
Day One
We woke at 5am and left home an hour later. We drove to River Heads to catch our 0645 barge across to Kingfisher Bay Resort. For those that have never driven onto the barge, be prepared to reverse on. If you are towing, practice! Otherwise, you will be reversing down a steep concrete ramp, onto a swaying barge ramp and up onto the main deck. Then you need to reverse into a tight parking space amongst other vehicles. All under the gaze of not only the barge captain and crew. But, every other traveller on the barge. This audience can be brutal if you crumble under pressure!
As the barge pulled into the Kingfisher Bay Resort jetty (approx. 0730) the water surrounding us was clear and still. Fish were jumping and a feeling of peace engulfs you. The roads inside the resort grounds are bitumen. So, we waited until we reached the resort boundary before stopping to let our tyre pressures down.
We then headed north along Cornwell Road towards Bogimbah Creek. Our goal was to reach Moon Point Junction and then continue north along Bullock Road to the intersection with Woralie Road. Along the way we saw a single dingo who darted out of sight as we approached. Then we saw numerous large black cockatoos with distinctive yellow tail feathers. After 2.5 hours of driving, we reached the Woralie Road junction and saw our first car.
Pit Stop
We had a quick pit stop to make at Woralie Creek to meet friends who were kayaking along the western side of K’Gari and who had requested a resupply. After a quick beer and a chat, we left them at Woralie Creek which was quite busy with day trippers from the eastern side of the island. We drove east along Woralie Road and stopped for lunch at Lake Allom. Lunch was a tailgate affair. We had a basic pantry setup in four plastic shelves and while using the tailgate as a table. Made sandwiches before having a look at Lake Allom.
Then we continued east past K’Gari Camp and onto the eastern beach. The scenery as you exit the rainforest, transition into the sand dunes. And, then emerge onto the beach with blue ocean and surf pumping in front of you is simply spectacular.
Racing The Tide
Racing the incoming tide, we struck north to Indian Head and then on further to Orchid Beach. With all the holiday traffic on the eastern beach, this part of the drive was quite rough. I had to chuckle as we drove past the Orchid Beach airstrip as there was a tractor mowing the strip. It just seemed so out of place on a sand island.
Our last bit of driving for the day was Orchid Beach back west across the island to Wathumba Creek. Which was our first camp spot for the trip. We arrived at 1530, almost 8 hours of driving, it had been a big day. We setup our basic camp, cooked a simple dinner on the Weber and enjoyed a spectacular sunset.
The main campground at Wathumba Creek does have extremely basic toilets and non-potable water taps scattered around. The toilets are in terrible shape. Midges and mozzies are thick, as poor little Elliot found out, so definitely pack the bug spray!
Day Two
I woke at 0530 to the sound of light drizzle falling on the canvas. While putting the kettle on the gas cooker I noticed a large healthy dingo wandering around just outside of the camp. **Please note that Wathumba campground is not fenced. Once he saw movement in the camp he disappeared into the bush.
Gen was also awake and she soon noticed large splashes at the creek mouth. Before our sleepy eyes whales were breaching and playing just outside the creek mouth. All of this before the kettle had even boiled!
The boys eventually woke up and after a quick breakfast we headed to the creek to explore, fishing rod at the ready. We pumped yabbies and using a light whiting rig fished the incoming tide. While the boys played in the sand. I managed to land several good-sized bream and whiting using yabbies before a horse of a bream decided to wrap me up in a snag. Luckily, the water was shallow enough that I could wade out to the snag, unwrap my line and retrieve the fish by hand.
Catch Of The Day
The best whiting for the day went 34cm and apart from fishing, exploring, and staring at nature, we did not do a whole lot more. Dinner on the Weber Q that night was a beautiful roast lamb! While that was cooking, we once again enjoyed a gorgeous sunset. After experiencing sunset, we returned to camp to check on the roast and a sudden rain shower hit.
With all four of us tucked under the 3×3 gazebo it was quite a surreal experience. Sitting together listening to the combined sounds of light rain hitting the trees and gazebo along with the sounds and smells of the bubbling and popping of the roast cooking on the Weber Q. All in failing light as darkness set in. Sounds weird but it was amazing!
Day Three
Wathumba Creek to Sandy Cape. We slept in till 0600. There were light showers through the night, and it was drizzling during breakfast. We packed up a soggy camp. Which took a little longer than planned as we tried to brush down most things to remove dirt and water. **Hot tip – pack a good dustpan and brush!
We departed Wathumba at approx. 0930 and drove east to Orchid Beach. We picked up bread from the trade store and $1 coins for use at the Waddy Point northern campground showers. $1 equals a nice 5-minute hot shower. The amenities here are fantastic and it is a huge campground.
After showering we drove north from Waddy Point to Ngkala Rocks and arrived at low tide. We chose to use the beach route around Ngkala as the inland track was crowded. We continued north along the beach towards Sandy Cape.
The Drive North
The first thing we noticed was the lack of people, it was fantastic. It was like most people purely drove to Ngkala to spend the day trying to negotiate the inland track. Or, setting up for the day to watch people get bogged there with very few heading further north. Strange!
The beach drive north was fantastic. Less cars meant less tyre tracks in the sand. It was smooth and quiet. We rounded the northern most tip of the island and turned west towards the light house. Searching for a suitable camping spot along the way. We chose a spot nestled amongst the casuarina trees on the western edge of the Carree camping zone. We arrived at 1330 and set about establishing camp to give everything a good chance to dry out in the sunlight.
The view from our camp was simply magic. Crystal blue ocean on our doorstep with whales breaching all over the place and the next closest camp to us seemed miles away. All we could hear was the waves and birds. There were no cars driving past. **Of note we had used one-third of a tank of diesel at this stage.
We relaxed after setting up camp and I pondered our water supply. We needed another ten litres with us as the kids seemed to enjoy using the porta potty! The tide came in and gently lapped only metres from our camp site. Dinner was pizza cooked in the Weber Q. Only a few steps away from the waters edge while another magical sunset took our breath away.
Day Four
We slept exceptionally well that night. There were very few midges or mozzies. The sound of the waves was so relaxing, and it seemed slightly warmer here compared to Wathumba Creek. Before the boys woke up, I had a few casts using a Shimano waxwing lure with a fast retrieve. Hoping to snare an early morning catch but to no avail. I gave up and decided to have a quick early morning swim in the shallows instead. After my swim I noticed a couple of sets of dingo tracks around the camp site.
I enjoyed a cup of coffee and cooked bacon and eggs as the tide crept in. It was an extremely lazy morning. Little Elliot slept for a few more hours. Liam constructed a sign for our camp. Gen did some sketching. And, we simply watched the tide come in and were amazed as the water turned from a deep blue to a brilliant aqua colour.
After lunch we took a short drive to Carree Sand blow. The boys both tried bogey boarding on the sand. The views from the top of the sand blow were amazing. The wind suddenly picked up and we noticed dark clouds approaching from the southeast, so we retreated to our camp. We caught the edge of a brief storm with a little rain but no wind. Carree Sand blow provides protection from south easterly winds.
The Day Moves On
As the tide dropped a few cars appeared heading towards the light house. We decided to follow them. Elliot had been asking and asking (insert nagging) to see the lighthouse. **Note – When your 2-year-old asks to go to the lighthouse this means. ‘Daddy carries a two-year-old on his shoulders up a steep 1.2km track to the lighthouse’!
To reach the lighthouse you park on the beach and then negotiate a steep and windy track approx. 1.2km long to the summit. The track has sections of wooden planks to make it easier and is in good condition. Is it worth the effort? Yes, it is. The views are spectacular. The lighthouse and other building are extremely well maintained. With information boards everywhere detailing the fascinating history of the lighthouse, old gun emplacements, lighthouse keepers’ grave sites and even plane wrecks littering the area. However, the walk down, is so much better than the walk up!
After The Lighthouse
After the lighthouse adventure we headed back to camp to relax. I had a few more casts using the Shimano waxwing and managed to pull a nice sized tailor from the ocean on the incoming tide.
We then watched a comedy show unfold on the beach as a group of young lads who had launched their car topper tinny that morning was returning to the beach.
There was a slight swell now with the tide pushing in. At first, they did well to ride the swell in. But, came unstuck as they hit the beach. The skipper was too slow at raising the outboard. Which dug into the sand like an anchor, just as a small wave hit the back of the tinny. With the brakes suddenly applied, two of them went flying forward out of the tinny onto the beach. While the third now realising the leg of the outboard was stuck and the wave was pushing the tinny sideways dived into the water.
Thankfully, no one was hurt, apart from a few egos. The tinny stayed upright and ended up being deposited sideways further up on the beach.
Day Five
Gen woke early and managed to see the moon set to the west as the sun rose from the east. She then delightfully woke the rest of us to tell us that dolphins were playing in the water right in front of our camp. They were 5m from shore shadowing a ball of bait and with the tide up that meant they were about 15m from our camp!
There was no rush this morning, the plan was to pack up camp and head south to Woralie Creek to meet friends and camp for another night. But we really did not want to leave the magic of the cape. The tide was well and truly in so there was no room for cars on the beach. We took our time packing up the camp while we waited for nature to let us out. Departing around 10am, we drove to Carree Sand blow for a final explore before heading south.
Carree Sand Blow
We read the ‘Jacko’ memorial on the lone tree on Carree Sand blow and by the time we arrived back at the car could not believe the morning had slipped by. Due to the tide still being up we had to use the short inland track to get around the northern tip of the island. There was a small 1m step to negotiate and it was the first and only time I had to engage low range for the trip to get the Hilux up it.
We again arrived at Ngkala rocks, and it was packed full of cars waiting to use the inland track. With one car already bogged on the track and about twenty others lined up to use the track we decided to use the beach again.
We dropped into the Orchid Beach store again for fresh bread and a treat for the boys. Completed a rubbish and waste drop between Waddy and Orchid. Again, indulged in a hot shower and refilled the water jerries. **Although advertised as potable water I used pura tabs just to be safe.
The we continued south to the K’Gari Camp turnoff and once again used the Woralie Road to head west across the island to Woralie Creek. Although it was an easy drive it still takes more time than you expect. In fact, everything on K’Gari seems to just take longer than you plan for.
Booking.comWoralie Creek
Once again, when we arrived at Woralie Creek there were lots of day trippers there. After the cape experience, I straight away hated it here. Luckily as the afternoon ended, they all headed back to the eastern side of the island. Leaving us and one other family camping further down the beach and our friends who had parked their boat inside the creek for the night.
The boys had two other kids to play with and they all went wild, and I mean crazy, banshee, lord of the flies’ wild! It was fantastic to watch.
Woralie creek itself is shallow, narrow, and fresh water. The kids were in and out of the water all afternoon and well into the evening. It was a kid’s wonderland to explore. That night we combined resources and cooked dinner on the Weber Q while enjoying another magnificent sunset and a few sneaky drinks before heading to bed.
Day Six
We woke to a chilly morning; the sun was still hiding behind the island on the eastern side, and it was quite damp due to dew. Much colder than the cape. There were dingo tracks around the camp site and fog hanging inside the creek. Once the sun emerged, everyone was up. We cooked bacon and eggs while our two boys staked out our friend’s boat looking for any sign of movement.
Once they spotted movement, it was on. All the kids were straight into the creek. With their PJs still on!!
We spent the entire day relaxing while the kids continued to go crazy playing. We did manage some fishing at the creek mouth. I caught two nice bream on soft plastics but there was not much else on offer. After lunch we were joined by another boating family from Hervey Bay. Where there were four crazy kids, there were now five!!
In the late afternoon we started to get nervous as a huge storm started brewing in Platypus Bay. Thankfully, it completely blew out before reaching us. The kids were utterly exhausted from a day of play and were in bed early.
Day Seven – Last Day
On our last day on K’Gari we farewelled our friends. And, set off to do the touristy thing while slowly making our way back to catch our barge from Kingfisher Bay Resort at 5pm. We first drove east back across the island to the eastern beach and then south to see the Maheno. It is a site both Gen and I have seen many times but for the boys it was a first.
After the Maheno we visited Happy Valley and had lunch at the Happy Valley Retreat pub. It was busy with plenty of people getting around. But, it was also nice to have a fresh meal provided by someone else. And the beer was ice cold!
We then drove from Happy Valley inland to the valley of the giants. The scenery was spectacular, the drive easy and the pure astonished look on the boys faces at the size of some of the trees was great to see. Little Elliot felt exceedingly small.
The Day Is Slipping By
With the day fast slipping away and understanding travel times can blow out on the island. We decided to make a dash back to Kingfisher Bay Resort. We arrived an hour or so before our barge was due to depart. Which gave us time to relax, use the toilets, have a drink or three and enjoy the beach before loading onto the barge.
The cleaning and unloading waited until the next day. In fact I am sure, 7 years on. I am still finding sand in camping gear from this trip. While the photos are full of great memories. I know they do not really do justice to how magical it was camping at the Sandy Cape. Reliving this journey has done one thing. It has me motivated to start planning our next trip. I think this time I would like to just head to the cape and stay there for a whole week!
I hope this blog proves useful for someone planning a K’Gari – Fraser Island trip. As always if you have any questions, ask away, you know where I am – just search – Fishing | Boating | Exploring.