K’gari Fraser Island should be on every off-road fanatic’s bucket list. Here’s why.
I’ve long been told that Fraser Island, or K’gari, the traditional name it’s now known by, is a bucket list destination in our own backyard. Advertised as a sandy paradise with pristine freshwater lakes, untouched wildlife, and lush vegetation, Fraser Island is a window into the prehistoric era.
While all that nature is part of the allure, it’s also an off-roader’s Mecca – there are over 700km of trails – and all but a few are unpaved. A perfect task for a dual-cab ute such as the Mazda BT-50, then.
Mazda invited Drive along to sample the BT-50 on Fraser Island over a couple days, flying media in to a non-descript air strip south of the island’s main township and resort area, Kingfisher Bay.
Without getting too far into Fraser Island’s rich history, it received its name from explorers James and Eliza Fraser whose ship ran aground in 1836. Captain Fraser died during the ordeal, leaving Eliza living among the local native population.
Eliza was eventually found on the island by British settlers and subsequently told lurid tales of the way the Butchulla traditional owners lived. However, many dispute Fraser’s version of events due to the mismatching stories she told; this is part of the reason why the island has progressively returned to its traditional name, K’gari.
As it stands now, the island is a major tourist destination for four-wheel-drive fanatics and is sparsely populated by full-time inhabitants. There’s a massive conservation effort shared by all that land on the island, helping to preserve the island’s unique UNESCO World Heritage-listed status.
The first thing you’ll notice upon arrival is the tall tree canopies and prehistoric fern coverage – you wouldn’t normally see this elsewhere in Australia, not least down in Sydney and Melbourne anyway.
Immediately as you come onto the island, you’re driving on sand tracks that snake through dense forest. The forest changes frequently as well: between more traditional Australian bush, then to lush, green rainforest.
Fraser Island was ravaged by intense bushfire through 2020, which wiped out much of the north half of the island. However, thanks to a few relenting years, vegetation has made a surprising recovery. Foliage has grown back well, and tree canopies have a good head start on rejuvenation.
Inland driving is generally limited to 30km/h, and you wouldn’t want to be going much faster anyway. Travelling at such low speeds really does put into perspective how easily we travel on freeways on mainland Australia. Journeys regularly take more than twice as long as they would on paved road thanks to the slow progress over sand.
The corrugations and undulations of the sand take their toll after a few hours. While the BT-50 eats them up without jolting too abruptly, it does get tiring after extended periods.
To keep from bouncing about, you’re constantly bracing knees against the transmission tunnel and door card.
Keep in mind, too, that fuel stops on the island are hard to come by, and expensive when you do. We saw diesel cost $3.50/litre at one spot in Happy Valley, which can hurt when fuel consumption sits around 10.3L/100km.
The sand of the inland tracks is generally more compacted than when on the beach, which means you’ve got little to worry about when traversing across the island.
Armed with sand driving tips and tricks, we hit the beach before too long. Speed limits open up to 80km/h, but keep in mind tourist hot spots are limited to 40km/h.
When entering the beach for the first time, you must power through the soft, chopped-up sand to make it across onto the beach. This wasn’t much of a problem for the BT-50, but we made sure to engage four-wheel drive. A locked differential or low-range wasn’t strictly necessary, but is handy to have come worst case.
Driving on the more expansive beaches feels like a bit of a free-for-all at first, with cars seemingly running all over the beach, but you quickly settle back into a highway-style rhythm. Drive on the left, indicate which way you’ll pass other cars, and keep appropriate stopping distances to cars in front.
Beaches aren’t recommended for swimming due to common rips and shark sightings, but it’s beautiful landscape all the same. Driving up the eastern coast of the island you’ll come across the S.S. Maheno shipwreck that sits right on the shoreline.
The Maheno was a luxury passenger ship that ran aground in the 1930s while being towed through a cyclone. Its decrepit condition looked suitably sinister in the subdued ocean spray lighting, and is well worth stopping by for a few quick pics.
If you’re into swimming, be sure to sample one of K’gari’s freshwater lakes. There are more than a hundred on the island, but most famous is Lake McKenzie, which has stunning clear blue water and pure white silica sand.
Back to four-wheel driving, the going never really gets too tough if you stick to the more popular tracks. The BT-50 is a comfortable companion and highlights how capable dual-cab utes are these days, even on highway-terrain tyres.
K’gari Fraser Island isn’t your typical holiday destination – there aren’t that many headline attractions or theme parks to get excited about. But what it does offer is a look back at the Australia of yesteryear. The vast array of untouched landscapes including lush green vegetation, white sandy beaches, and even chance spots of wildlife (including dingoes!) won’t be seen anywhere else.
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