This blog post will be slightly different. Luke, is normally the content creator at Fishing, Boating and Exploring, but, for something a little different, it is my turn. My name is Gen, I am Luke’s wife & mother to both Liam & Elliot. This is my first go, at writing a BLOG, so please bear with me.
If you have followed FBE for a while, you will know how much we love Fraser Island & that we have visited on many occasions! On our most recent trip we spent 4 nights in a Villa at Kingfisher Bay Resort.
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Inspiration
We are so lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the world. People travel from all over the globe to visit Fraser Island, yet there are still, so many locals who have never visited.
We hope that this blog post will inspire you to plan a trip & give you some useful information about travelling to & staying at Kingfisher Bay Resort, on beautiful Fraser Island.
Before You Leave
You will need to organise your accommodation & transport to the island. Kingfisher Bay Resort provides most of the accommodation, including a variety of hotel rooms & villas. They also run accommodation specials quite regularly So, it does pay to keep an eye on their FaceBook page & website.
There are also some gorgeous holiday houses & private villas to suit larger families or groups. Our favourite is certainly Banksia Villa 534.
If you are planning to drive outside of the Kingfisher Bay Resort, you will also need to purchase a driving permit & make sure you have a suitable off-road vehicle. Queensland National Parks recommend a high clearance 4WD. You can organise driving permits through the Queensland National Parks website.
Getting to Kingfisher Bay Resort
There are a number of ways to reach Kingfisher Bay Resort. The most popular options involve taking the Kingfisher Bay barge, or boating across in your own vessel. Keep in mind there is no boat mooring at Kingfisher Bay Resort. However, the waters are protected & there is safe anchorage off the shore. You can also beach your boat in the shallows at the front of the resort.
We use our boat for day trips. However, when staying overnight or longer, we prefer to take the Kingfisher Bay Barge, as do most visitors. The barge leaves from River Heads which is about 15 minutes’ drive from Hervey Bay.
The barge ride is only 45 minutes long. Whilst gently cruising through the Great Sandy Strait. You can enjoy the view of Fraser Island & spot a variety of marine creatures such as turtles, dolphins, dugongs, & the very occasional whale.
Don’t Have A 4WD ?
The barge also takes walk on passengers as well as vehicles. Kingfisher Bay Resort has bitumen roads throughout. So, you do not need to have a 4WD to get around. If you choose to leave the resort however, you will need a 4WD, recovery gear & a driving permit.
We usually prefer to take a vehicle when staying at Kingfisher Bay Resort. As it allows us easy access around the resort & prevents us (by us, I mean Luke) dragging overpacked suitcases & other seemingly unnecessary items up hills. Not the fishing gear, of course. That is an absolute necessity!
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Where To Stay
We have visited Fraser Island many times. Sometimes we enjoy camping, other times we prefer to be located on the Eastern Beach at Eurong Beach Resort. Other times we like to stay at Kingfisher Bay Resort. It really depends on what we are looking for in our getaway.
For this trip, we wanted something simple to organise. A few creature comforts, lots of relaxation & not too much driving. We choose to stay for 4 nights & wanted the ability to self-cater for some of our meals. And, to have lots of space for the family to spread out.
On this occasion we choose to stay at one of our favourite 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom villas. This villa is ideally positioned with ocean views from both balconies. It is spacious, modern & fitted with every convenience we need, plus more. On this occasion it was just Luke, me & our 2 boys. However, the Villa has enough space for 2 families.
We have also stayed at the resort many times & love that the hotel rooms are close to the main resort building & its amenities. We have used these amenities when we are there for a short stay & during times when we plan to spend full days exploring the magical island.
It’s also a great way to finish off an epic camping trip with a little luxury, a long hot shower, a delicious meal & a warm cosy bed.
What To Do
When we arrive, we pick up a list of the resort’s weekly activities from the main resort reception. There is a huge variety of activities to choose from. These include short ranger guided tours around the resort, right up to full day trip tours of the whole Island.
During holiday periods there are extra activities for the kids including a Junior Eco Rangers Program, that runs in the mornings & evenings on most days.
If you have a 4WD you have the whole island to explore. Lake Mackenzie & Central station are on most visitor’s bucket list & are both quite close to resort. You can also drive across the island to the iconic 75-mile beach which gives you access to beauty spots all up & down K’Gari.
For this trip we kept all of our activities to those within walking distance of the resort. We had also planned to hire some water sports equipment from the Jetty Hut. However, the tides & winds were not suitable for this during our stay.
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Day by Day
Each day, consisted of slowly waking up to the Kookaburras call & enjoying a long breakfast with coffee in our villa. We enjoyed some of the self-guided walks around the resort. Then we would head down to the beach where we spend the remainder of the morning & early afternoon. Our time was mostly spent, exploring nature & of course fishing.
The tide was out during the middle of the day during our stay making it perfect for the kids to pump yabbies to fish with.
We travelled north towards Dundonga Creek & south towards McKenzie’s Jetty. We kept most of our walking to the beach. However, there are self-guided walking tracks in both directions through the bush that then return along the beach.
Luke of course was well prepared when it came to fishing gear, however there is also fishing gear to hire from the Jetty Hut, if you don’t have room to pack your own.
Where To Eat
We had great intentions to self-cater all our meals. However, with prices being so reasonable & there being many great restaurants to choose from. We ended up enjoying a few meals out as well.
It was hard to pass up a quick lunch at the Sandbar as we walked back from our morning of fishing with 2 ravenous boys. We even ordered some take-away pizzas from there on one evening when we were too tired to cook.
On one evening, we enjoyed a very special family dinner at the Maheno Restaurant in the main Kingfisher Bay Resort complex. So many delicious choices, including seafood towers to share & a scrumptious buffet (including a huge assortment of desserts). Which had our boys eyes popping out of their heads.
My Final Thoughts
If Fraser Island is on your bucket list, then so too should be visiting Kingfisher Bay Resort. Regardless of which accommodation option you decide upon while on Fraser Island. Kingfisher Bay Resort is at the very least worth a day trip visit. We quite often stop by for lunch at the Sandbar while boating. Or when returning from a camping trip we deliberately plan to arrive at the resort early to catch our barge so that we can enjoy a nice meal & a swim before leaving Fraser Island.
The resort grounds simply provide enough options to cater for any form of visitor. The pools are inviting on a hot day, the food is excellent & there is so much to do.
But, let’s be honest, every now & again you need to spoil yourself & the family. Kingfisher Bay Resort, nestled amongst the natural bushland on Fraser Island is the perfect remedy.
Essential Tips
Book ferry in advance in holiday periods – car spots are limited
Dingo safety – Never let the kids out of sight.
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