A day on the beach

Words and Images by Danielle Lancaster

I awoke yesterday to grey skies and rain gently falling on the roof. Thankfully this did not spell doom and gloom for our day on the beach as by the time we manoeuvred the 4WD down (after a short stop in the Scribbly Gum forest) onto the beach clear skies were there to greet us.

Fraser Island’s Seventy File Beach has become a major drawcard for anglers, campers and four wheel drivers. Being a Sunday there were plenty of people throwing in lines, families relaxing along the pristine Eli Creek and plenty of four wheel drivers weaving their way back and forwards.

The beach itself is a designated road, as are all the tracks on Fraser so normal road rules apply. The only difference to this section of beach is you share the ‘road’ with planes which have right away.

The Pinnacles are most probably the best examples of coloured sands on the island. For those keen shutter bugs morning is the best time to visit while the sun still shines on their multi-coloured layers.

Our stop at the Maheno was perfectly timed. A landmark of the beach, its rusting hull seems to have everyone pulling out cameras. Thankfully we timed our stop so we had the old ship to ourselves. Due to its state getting in close is warned against though one can still capture fabulous images of its textures from the recommended 3m distance simply by zooming in. 

 

The rusting hull of the Maheno on Fraser Island 

The day was topped off by a dingo sighting and a top tick on most lists to see while visiting the island. The dog happily trotted around are vehicle and others, sniffing at tyres and bull bars and when satisfied there was nothing there for him, continued his jaunt down the beach. 

A lone Dingo dog trots along the beach.

With sand in our toes, a touch of red in our cheeks we headed back for ‘home’ (currently Kingfisher Bay Resort) and toasted the Gods of Fraser for our great day out on the beach.

 Bolts and coloured rust of the Maheno gives fabulous textures

Another Day in Heaven

Fraser Island's forests have always delighted me. Within them towering satinays dwarf piccabeen palms, ancient ferns fringe creeks that flow silently over their sandy beds and animals relish in their protected environment. They are without a doubt a remarkable feature of the island.

The forest is looking in need of a drink at the moment and overnight showers no doubt will be providing a welcomed watering.

Though the island was once heavily logged, tall stands of satinays, kauri pines and brush box remain untouched by man showcasing the unique vegetation of the island. Pile Valley, between Central Station and Lake McKenzie, where much of the logging took place, has the tallest of the towering satinay and brush box. 

If you have never been here make sure you earmark a walk along Wanggoolba Creek at Central Station, where you can easily see the magnificent angiopteris fern, which has the largest fern fronds in the world. The angiopteris fern is notable due to its use of water pressure rather than structural tissue to keep its fronds erect.

There is more than tall forest to lure the naturalist. Fungi is one that is assured to delight and a favourite of mine to photograph here. Maybe it's because they sit still, don't fidget or run away. For those with a keen eye there is an array of species to be found and each year that I come I seem to discover another that I've never seen sprouting from the forest floor or the rotting remains of fallen timbers.

So when you take a work through the forest, look closely and you will be rewarded.

A fungi found on our walk yesterday through Pile Valley

One of my companions captures another fungi

On a previous walk I found this tiny fungi sprouting from the bottom of a large Satinay