Cruising Fraser Island

On November 28, we left Bundaberg, stowed the dock lines, and started making way for Fraser Island. Lying just off the coast and over 120 kilometers north to south, Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world and the only place where one can find rain forest growing on sand.

We cruised south in the sandy straits between Fraser Island and the mainland. Though the island blocks ocean swell, there is plenty of room for winds from the north or south to sweep through as well as a southerly current that can make for tricky navigation. But compared to ocean passage making, day sails through the sandy straits felt like we were on easy street the whole way.

We kept an easy rhythm—hopping south along the island’s anchorages in the morning, getting off the boat and exploring the island in the afternoon. The anchorages were sandy, making for excellent holding without any mud to clean off the anchor chain. The coastline was mostly flat and lined with mangroves, with a few areas of dramatic sand bluffs that made an excellent canvas for sunset watercolors. Our easy schedule gave us the chance to scope out some amazing birds, lizards, dingoes, and spiders in the process.