Great Sandy National Park

Stark sandblows, high dunes and coloured sand cliffs sculpted over time by wind, water and waves, sparkling freshwater lakes, forests of towering rainforest giants, extensive woodlands, richly varied wildlife, wildflower filled wallum heaths and swamps, fern-fringed creeks, beaches sweeping into the distant haze - this is Fraser Island.

Stretching 123km along Queensland's southern coast, Fraser is the world's largest sand island. More than 98 percent of its 165 280 hectares is part of the larger Great Sandy National Park. So special are its natural features that all of Fraser Island is World Heritage-listed.

The island is managed as the Fraser Island Recreation Area for nature-based recreation where the needs of protection and recreation are carefully balanced. The island bears scattered reminders of an ancient people and many more recent enterprises yet it is amazingly intact. You'll need a four-wheel-drive vehicle to get around Fraser, which is less than an hour's ride by boat or barge from the mainland.

The best time to visit the park is in spring, with warm, sunny days and cool nights. Summer is hot, with average coastal temperatures reaching between 22-28 deg with thunderstorms. Autumn and winter bring cool, usually dry, days and nights, with temperatures ranging from 14-21 deg on the coast. Campgrounds are often crowded and beaches busy during school and public holidays. A small percentage of the beachfront is closed to fishing during tailor spawning season in August & September.