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Fraser Island's World Heritage listing ranks it with Australia’s Uluru, Kakadu  and the Great Barrier Reef. Fraser Island is a precious part of Australia’s natural and cultural heritage, it is protected for all to appreciate and enjoy.
Fraser island is a place of exceptional beauty, with its long uninterrupted white beaches flanked by strikingly coloured sand cliffs, and over 100 freshwater lakes, some tea-coloured and others clear and blue all ringed by white sandy beaches. Ancient rainforests grow in sand along the banks of fast-flowing, crystal-clear creeks.
Fraser Island is the only place in the world where tall rainforests are found growing on sand dunes at elevations of over 200 metres. The low “wallum” heaths on the island are of particular evolutionary and ecological significance, and provide magnificent wildflower displays in spring and summer.
The immense sand blows and cliffs of coloured sands are part of the longest and most complete age sequence of coastal dune systems in the world and they are still evolving.
They are a continuous record of climatic and sea level changes over the last 700 000 years. The highest dunes on the island reach up to 240 metres above sea level.
The Great Sandy Strait, separating Fraser Island from the mainland, is listed by the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention).
The wetlands include: rare patterned ferns; mangrove colonies; sea-grass beds; and up to 40,000 migratory shorebirds. Rare, vulnerable or endangered species include dugongs, turtles, Illidge’s ant-blue butterflies and eastern curlews.
HOW TO GET THERE
Located on Queensland's east coast, Hervey Bay is the gateway to Fraser Island with an easy 45 minute catamaran crossing from Urangan Boat Harbour.
By road - Self-drive
Hervey Bay is just a 4 hour drive north of Brisbane. Travel north on the Bruce Highway to Maryborough, then follow the signs to Hervey Bay. Stay on the main road which becomes Boat Harbour Drive and follow the signs to Urangan Boat Harbour.
By road - Daily bus service from Brisbane: $60 adult one way
This scheduled daily service drops you straight to Urangan Boat Harbour in Hervey Bay to meet the fastcat to Fraser. Pick ups available from Brisbane city accommodation and Brisbane Airport.
Suntours Bus departure time (from Brisbane, Roma Street Transit Centre - Level 3, Bays 18-24) |
Kingfisher Catamaran departure time
(bus drops off to Urangan Boat Harbour) |
10.30am |
4.00pm |
1.30pm |
7.00pm |
Return from Hervey Bay to Brisbane: Catch the 7.40am catamaran from Kingfisher to meet the 8.30am bus service from the harbour (arriving back in Brisbane at approximately 1.00pm) |
Timing no good? If you can't meet the scheduled departure times, an On Demand service is available from Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast and Bundaberg.
By Coach
Greyhound, Oz Experience or any of the major coach operators have daily services to and from Hervey Bay. Transfers are available from Bay Central Coach Terminal to Urangan Boat Harbour.
By Air
Virgin Blue and Jetstar fly direct from Sydney to Hervey Bay, with easy connections from Melbourne, Adelaide and New Zealand. Sunshine Express operates several daily services from Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast to Hervey Bay.
By Rail
Tilt Train from Brisbane (from the south) or Rockhampton (from the north) to Maryborough Station with Queensland Rail coach connection direct to Urangan Boat Harbour. Visit www.traveltrain.com.au for up to date timetables and check out the Rail Pass options.
Pick up from Hervey Bay
Let us know where you're staying (minimum 24 hours notice) and we'll pick you up between 7.00 and 8.00am, nice and easy! Courtesy coach transfers are also available from Bay Central Coach Terminal to the boat harbour. A cost applies for transfers to and from Hervey Bay Airport.
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