** This Blog was written as part of a post ATE famil organised by Tourism Noosa and Fraser Coast Tourism & Events, held from May 2 to May 7, 2025 **
Guided by Stacey Willis, Tourism Manager for Fraser Coast Tourism & Events, we leave shortly after midday, following a relaxing beachfront brunch at Salt Cafe Urangan and a stroll along the historic Urangan Pier, at the eastern end of Hervey Bay. The sun is high but gentle, casting sparkles across the waters as we board at River Heads - 20 km south of Hervey Bay - the SeaLink ferry at 1:00pm, bound for K’gari. The vessel hums softly as it glides over the Great Sandy Strait, the two-deck ferry offering snacks, drinks, and a steady view of the ocean merging with sky. Our destination is K'gari, formerly known as Fraser Island, a name officially changed in 2023 to honor the Butchulla people's millennia-long connection to the land and a legend tied to the world's creation, K'gari meaning... paradise !
As we cross the strait, the deep blue waters gradually shift to emerald shallows, fringed by a dense wall of rainforest that seems to rise directly from the dunes. K’gari appears ahead like a mirage of sand and forest, suspended between sky and sea. It’s not uncommon to spot dolphins riding the ferry’s wake here — and from mid-July to late October, this very stretch becomes a resting ground for humpback whales, arriving from Antarctica to give birth. By August, the calm waters of the Great Sandy Strait, nestled between the mainland and K'gari, often cradle mothers and their calves in serene silence.
It’s just after 2:00pm when we step off the ferry and set foot on K’gari. The air is heavier here — in a good way. Humid, fragrant, alive. We’re greeted by the team from Kingfisher Bay Resort, a sprawling eco-retreat tucked discreetly into the natural contours of the island. Elevated boardwalks wind between bushland and lagoon, leading us toward check-in.
There’s no towering hotel block here. The accommodation is spread out in low timber lodges and villas, each blending into the surrounding forest. Some rooms face the bay, others the still waters of the wetlands. All are designed to disappear into the landscape rather than dominate it — a conscious approach that’s been the philosophy of the resort since its opening in the early 1990s. Now owned by SeaLink, the complex continues to evolve, with future plans for immersive cultural experiences and low-impact eco-pods — but the vision remains rooted in preserving the island’s fragile beauty.
The resort offers a range of accommodations, from hotel-style rooms to spacious villas and holiday houses, all built using natural materials and offering views of the bay, forest, or lagoon. Guests can choose from several dining options including the Dune Restaurant, featuring an Asian-fusion dining experience, as well as more casual venues like Sand & Wood, serving modern Australian cuisine with Asian and Pacific influences, or The Sand Bar, a casual and family-friendly venue.
Amenities include a spa, four swimming pools, tennis courts, and a nature interpretation centre. Daily guided tours allow guests to explore K'gari’s unique environment with experienced rangers and naturalists.
Looking ahead, SeaLink has announced plans to enhance the guest experience while continuing to protect the island’s fragile ecosystem. Future developments include the addition of new glamping-style eco-pods and the expansion of Indigenous cultural experiences developed in consultation with the Butchulla people, aiming to further embed traditional knowledge and storytelling into the visitor journey.
At 4:00pm, we gather for the Bush Tucker Talk & Taste Experience, held under a shaded canopy near the wetland boardwalk. Our guide — a ranger with the resort — and the in-house chef invite us to sample native ingredients like lemon myrtle, native berries, and bush tomato. Some are sweet, others citrusy or peppery, and each comes with a story — of traditional Butchulla use, of seasonal cycles, of Queensland unique biodiversity.
Then, as the sun dips behind the trees, we move toward Dune Restaurant for dinner. The space is refined yet relaxed, with Asian-fusion menu that highlights fresh local seafood, aromatic spices, and native ingredients. Tonight, we savour dishes like Stir-Fried Moreton Bay Bugs, small lobsters native to Queensland, cooked with garlic, ginger, and oyster sauce, finished with cognac, paired with Queensland wines and crisp beers from local craft breweries.
But the evening doesn’t end there. Once night has fallen, we’re led down another boardwalk, this time into the wetlands. Lanterns light our way. A hush settles as we arrive in a clearing. Then, the lights go out — and Illumina begins, a show created by light artist Bruce Ramus, and developed in collaboration with the Butchulla people.
At first, all is dark. Then, slowly, soft glimmers of light awaken in the trees, like ancient spirits stirring. A low, rhythmic beat begins to pulse from the earth itself, and towering steel arches glow, outlining invisible gateways between past and present. The laser-cut fern pillars shimmer in green and gold, as if breathing with the forest.
The story begins — not in words, but through shifting lights and textured soundscapes that ripple through the trees. You’re not just watching a show — you’re inside it. Fire flickers in waves across the wetlands, evoking the traditional fire practices of the Butchulla people. Then comes the rain — not literal rain, but a dance of blue and silver beams cascading around us, bringing with them a palpable sense of renewal.
For a moment, everyone is still. The crowd is silent, entranced. It feels sacred — not in a religious sense, but in a raw, elemental way. The scent of eucalyptus, the hush of the mangroves, the slow swell of sound — everything conspires to make you forget the outside world. It’s as if the island itself is speaking, reminding us that this land is alive, and that we are only visitors passing through its story.
The next morning, we join a small group at 8 am for the Beauty Spots 4WD Tour, a full-day adventure operated daily by Kingfisher Bay Resort. Our guide for the day is Peter Meyer, a seasoned ranger and acclaimed photographer living on the island, who has been exploring and capturing the essence of K'gari for over 30 years.
Peter's deep knowledge and passion for the island are evident as he navigates the sandy tracks with ease, sharing insights into the island's unique ecology and history. His photographs, which adorn the resort's rooms and are featured in the on-site gallery, provide a visual narrative of K'gari's diverse landscapes and wildlife.
We board a specially designed 4WD bus, built to handle K’gari’s sandy interior tracks — because here, there are no paved roads. The moment we leave the resort, we understand why. The vehicle hums and sways through dense forest, over dunes, and along tracks that look more like dry riverbeds than roads. Peter navigates it all effortlessly, describing not just where we are, but why this island is so unique: a rainforest growing entirely on sand, fed by ancient aquifers and shaped by thousands of years of natural balance.
One of our stops is the iconic Lake McKenzie, renowned for its crystal-clear waters and pure silica sands. Swimming in the lake feels like immersing oneself in a natural spa, the water's clarity revealing every detail beneath the surface.
We venture into the heart of the island to explore the towering rainforest of Pile Valley. Walking among ancient satinay trees, Peter explains how these rainforests thrive on sand, a phenomenon unique to K'gari.
We stop also to explore the haunting Maheno Shipwreck, rusted and half-buried along the beach of of 75 Mile Beach, slowly succumbing to time and salt. Once a luxury liner, it was blown ashore by a cyclone in 1935. Now, it's a monument to impermanence — and one of K’gari’s most photographed sites.
Our journey continues to The Pinnacles, where multicolored sand cliffs display a palette of reds, yellows, and oranges. Peter shares the Butchulla people's legend of these sands, stained with the colors of a warrior’s blood, spilled during a battle to save his beloved from a jealous rival.
Our final stop is Eli Creek, a freshwater stream that flows directly into the ocean. We kick off our shoes and float slowly downstream, letting the cool tea-tree–infused water carry us through pandanus palms and banksias. It’s playful, childlike.
As our Beauty Spots Tour wraps up in the late afternoon, we make our way back across the island toward Kingfisher Bay Resort’s jetty. The sun hangs low, casting a golden haze over the calm waters of the strait. At 5:15pm, we board the return SeaLink ferry to the mainland. The breeze is softer now. We’re quieter too — not from exhaustion, but from that particular kind of fullness you feel after a long day of discovery.
The crossing takes about 50 minutes. As the ferry docks, a transfer is waiting to take us to our hotel for the night: Ramada Hervey Bay, a modern waterfront hotel with spacious rooms, a lagoon-style pool, and easy access to the marina — just a short 5-minute walk.
At 7:15pm, another short transfer brings us to Odyssey Bistro, one of Hervey Bay’s best-kept culinary secrets. The co-owner and chef, Jason England, is passionate about what he calls “thoughtful food” — dishes that respect local produce and play with texture and flavour. Tonight’s menu is no exception. Over the dinner of several courses, we’re treated to a journey that’s both inventive and grounded. A creamy local burrata topped with pickled bush tomato. Perfectly seared scallops on a parsnip purée. A lamb dish with native herbs that lingers long after the last bite.
By 9:30pm, we return to the Ramada. The night is still and cool.
** Stay tuned in our Blog for Part 2, where we'll delve deeper into K'gari's natural wonders and cultural heritage **
