Where's Johnny Jet? Chasing Whales off Fraser Island

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Getting to Fraser Island, Australia from Noosa was an experience in itself. Natalie and I took a four-seater plane and landed on the world's longest commercial runway, which also just happens to be the only one to share common space with automobiles. Take a guess what the landing strip was? That's right ... the beach. It was sick. To see why this is one of the great sand islands of the world and why it's been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, read on.

Getting to the Island

Most people get to Fraser Island by taking the 45-minute ferry from the Urangan Boat Harbour at Hervey Bay. But Natalie and I took the most exciting method -- a plane. We arrived at the Sunshine Coast airport at 7am from Noosa Shire, which is where I left off last week. The airport was completely empty except for a few workers. I didn't see check-in for Air Fraser Island (just Virgin Blue and JetStar) so I asked one of the custodians where I could find them. The man said he had never heard of them and whistled over to his more knowledgeable colleague who quipped that Air Fraser doesn't have a check-in counter. His advice was for us to just wait down by the door and that someone would come get us. Umm ... OK. I thought that was really weird.

Our Pilot

Our flight was scheduled for 7:30am and we pulled up a seat by the window. A few minutes later, a young, blond, shaggy pilot who could've been Owen Wilson's twin, was standing behind us asking if we were the two going to Fraser Island. We nodded with our mouths wide open, Natalie's due to infatuation, mine in the hope that he was not our pilot. Don't get me wrong; the young surfer look, complete with a tattoo and soul patch was cool. He was definitely the kind of guy you would want to be friends with but not necessarily the guy you want piloting your plane.

The Plane

He walked us out to the tarmac and pointed to the smallest plane on the runway. The four-seater Cessna looked like a Mini with wings. My stomach dropped. "What happened to the eight-seater that's shown on your website?" I squeaked. "Ah mate, that plane wouldn't start this morning so I took this one," he said. Gulp. Earlier, I saw this thing land and I thought to myself, "Thank God we aren't on that flying tin can." I was seriously about to say that I don't do small planes and just back out. But where was I going to go? My itinerary had been pre-arranged and it would've cost a lot of time and money for us to make alternate plans. So I sucked it up and got in. The duct tape on the dashboard and the fear in Natalie's eyes now made my legs go numb. Before I could escape, "Shaggy" had already loaded our two bags in the back compartment and jumped in the pilot seat. I rode shotgun while Natalie was in the back. It was so tight up front that my shoulders and knees were literally touching the pilot's. Just before he cranked the engine so it was too loud to talk (the microphones were broken), he informed me that the flight controls were live so I was not to touch the wheel or foot pedals, both of which were two inches from my reach. I sat there frozen in fear, praying that my 203-pound body didn't pass out and fall limp.

The Flight

The pilot saw the fear in my eyes and said, "Don't worry mate, I don't want to die either." In no time we were airborne and after the first ten minutes of the ride being as smooth as promised, I opened my eyes to see the incredible, peaceful views of eastern Australia. Slowly, I unclenched my sweaty fists and relaxed my calves. It turned out to be the biggest surprise ever; this was one of my top flight experiences of all time. There wasn't one bump and we saw over twenty whales, a handful of giant manta rays, jellyfish and dolphins. As we approached Fraser Island, we could see 4x4 trucks cruising along the famous 75-Mile Beach. This is the beach that is also designated a national highway and runway. Can you believe this is where we landed? We zoomed in right over people fishing for Tailor fish and they didn't even look up. Aside from his appearance and the girl's phone number scrawled across his hand, our pilot could not have been any more professional. Flight time ended up being 55 minutes, 15 minutes longer than anticipated because he circled around to give us better views of the humpback whales, and all in all, it was too short. For more info about Air Fraser's services including aerial Whale Watching tours log on to www.airfraserisland.com.au.

Fraser Island

Fraser Island is 123 kilometers (76 miles) long with an average width of 15 kilometers (9 miles). The widest point is 22 kilometers (14 miles). It has a total area of 184,000 hectares making it the largest sand island in the world. The island features enormous sand dunes, some reaching up to 240 meters (787 feet) above sea level. In addition, it's home to 354 species of birds and 25 species of mammals. Fraser Island is so special that in 1992, UNESCO made it a world heritage site because there's a tall rainforest growing on sand and it has half of the world's perched freshwater dune lakes. This is a unique place and travelers love it, especially campers who are the overwhelming majority of overnight visitors.

Eurong Beach

The moment we stepped off the plane we were picked up by the lone airport coordinator, who drove us five minutes to the Eurong Beach Resort. Eurong is one of the two major resorts on the island. The other is the Kingfisher Bay Resort, about an hour drive on the Western side of the island. Both are owned by the same company. At Eurong, Natalie and I had breakfast -- eggs, hash browns, baked beans and spaghetti that tasted just like Chef Boyardee. We chased it with watered-down Tang. Eurong Beach Resort looked decent, like a typical three-star motel, but it sure wasn't eco-tourist central. Everyone staying there was lining up to either jump in an oversized 4x4 tour bus or into the SUV they had either rented or brought over on the car ferry.

4x4 Tours

Though the Eurong Beach Resort is right next to the Eastern Shore beach, you can't swim there because of dangerous currents and Tiger Sharks feeding just five to 20 meters out. Those uh, minor inconveniences, combined with the craziness of 75-Mile Beach means that no one really lounges here like at a typical beach resort. Instead, virtually everyone who comes to Fraser Island, takes a 4x4 tour since there's plenty of wilderness to be discovered. There are no paved roads but the island has about 1,500 km (932 miles) of tracks. Tour prices vary but Kingfisher Bay charges $155 AUD for adults and $85 for children four to14 years old. If you don’t bring your SUV you can rent one. Half-day, 4WD rentals begin at $155.

Private Guided Tour

We made the most of our time by hiring Hayden, a private tour guide working for the Kingfisher Bay Resort (costs $1,000 for up to 4 people.) Hayden is one of those typical, laidback Aussie sorts who love the outdoors. He began by giving us a brief introduction to the land and then we were off for our eight-hour tour that began sharply at 8:30am.

Did Your Know? Only 180 people live on Fraser and most of the workers commute daily by ferry.

75-Mile Beach

We jumped in Hayden's Toyota SUV and sped down the famous 75-Mile Beach. It's crazy driving here; the sand is knee deep, the ocean is lapping at your tires and not only do you have to make sure your car doesn't slide into oncoming traffic, but you have to avoid the fishermen, too. There's supposedly some of the best beach fishing in the world, here. Plus, there are the families camping, kids playing and ... oh yeah, planes landing. It's chaotic. And people aren't cruising at a leisurely pace either. The speed limit on 75-Mile Beach is 80km/h (50 mph). And keep in mind: guides have to plan around the tides because when high tide comes in, it washes away some of the road.

Maheno

Our first stop was at the S.S. Maheno. The 1905 luxury passenger steamship was built in Scotland exclusively for trans-Tasman crossings. In 1935, it was sold to the Japanese for scrap and en route from Melbourne to Japan, a cyclone snapped the towrope. That's how it ended up here. During World War II, the Royal Australian Air Force used the S.S. Maheno as target bombing practice and today, it's a protected monument. The 135-meter long rusty old thing is amazing to look at as it sits peacefully on the shore of the beach. Thirty-five feet of it is buried under the sand so it's not going anywhere but be sure not to touch it or climb up on it -- you'll get a steep fine.

The Pinnacles

Before going inland, we stopped by the Pinnacles. They are multicolored sand cliffs compacted and bonded by silt and clay. They are pretty to look at and the colors reminded me a lot of the Badlands in South Dakota. We made our way into the middle of the bush passing maybe two cars on the bumpy and desolate sand roads. At times, it really felt like we were out in the middle of nowhere. We stopped to see the island's largest sand blow, a real phenomenon, then headed towards the popular Lake Allom.

Lake Allom

Lake Allom is touted as a shady sanctuary of cool waters and tall forest. There are picnic tables set up, so Hayden suggested he lay out the lunch that had been prepared for us. But before eating, we walked down to the lake to see the freshwater river turtles swimming. At first they were none around because some people were swimming but after the swimmers emerged, the turtles appeared. Over lunch I drilled Hayden with questions -- I was so intrigued by the island. When I asked, "Does Fraser Island have snakes?" he practically spit out his food and said, "Why, God yes." It turns out that there are 19 species in all and only two of those are NOT poisonous. Yikes. It's also home to the top five of the world's deadliest snakes. Did you know that the world's number one most venomous snake is the Taipan? And the man still walks around in his bare feet. Is he out of his head or what? Earlier, Hayden got bit by a jumping jack ant which he said really hurt -- so all through lunch, not wanting to take any chances, Natalie and I ate standing up on the bench.

Wanggoolba Creek

Wanggoolba Creek is in an ancient rainforest valley at Central Station. It's similar to Eli Creek, which is on the other side of the island but both are fed by a natural aquifer (well). While walking along the perched boardwalk, Hayden explained to us that Fraser Island is like a sponge. The rain soaks into the ground and it doesn't come out for anywhere from five to 200 years. The average is between 80 and 100 years and it is believed that some of this water may never have been exposed to the outside environment. How do you like that for purity? It's so pure that the lakes have very few nutrients and pH varies. And it's not just a little flowing stream -- Eli Creek sends 4 million liters of fresh water into the ocean every hour.

Lake McKenzie

Driving to our last stop, Hayden explained that we were about to see nine different types of forests in the matter of minutes. He said that on the mainland it would take driving 1,000 kilometers to see this. Lake McKenzie is a 150-hectare, clear blue lake, unlike anything you've ever seen before, that is on everyone's agenda. This is the place where people pull up a beach chair, relax and go for a dip. The lake is so beautiful that it's on practically every brochure advertising Fraser Island. The color of the water against the snow-like sand is truly spectacular. What shocked me is that the soft white sand is so bright, it hurt my eyes even with sunglasses on. That sand is nearly pure silica and it is possible to polish your jewelry with it. Natalie tried it on one of her silver rings and it really worked. If you wanted, you can even wash your hair, teeth, or exfoliate your skin with it. I passed on that, but I did make sand angels -- then waded through the warm, shallow water. See the video below.

Kingfisher Bay Resort

From Lake McKenzie it was just a short drive to the Kingfisher Bay Resort. This 10-acre resort is like a mini town. There are four swimming pools, three restaurants, a spa, kids' club, tennis court, general store, post office and even a gas station. It's situated in the forest next to the beach and to keep guests protected from the dingoes (wild dogs that look harmless but aren't), it's fenced in. The only place you are not protected is on the beach.

Our Room

There two types of accommodations available -- villas or standard rooms in two separate two-level buildings. Natalie and I were in the latter and found the rooms to be pretty basic with thin walls but clean. Although you're out in the bush, rooms come with a TV, phone, air conditioning, shower/bathtub and a balcony with screened-in doors. What's nice about the Kingfisher is that everything was designed to minimize any effects on the natural environment, conserve energy and minimize waste. They have been so successful that they've won six Australian Tourism awards and won the Best Beach Resort in Australia by Discovery's Travel Channel. The resort has wireless Internet available in the enormous lobby but it wasn't free and was too slow for me to actually work.

The Food

This is definitely a family-friendly hotel so be prepared to wait in long lines at the Sand Bar Bistro when it opens at 6pm. To wait 45 minutes standing in line to just order your food, then to have it be barely edible was my biggest disappointment. Their food really was lousy ... and wasn't cheap to boot. To be fair, we didn't try either of the two fancy restaurants on site (we couldn't get a reservation) but the breakfast we had at one of them was excellent. In addition to your typical full breakfast buffet, they had a juicer and honeycomb, which you don't see every day.

Tours

The hotel offers a number of tours, day and night. Many are free but free or not, you need to make advance reservations as soon as possible. Otherwise, you could find yourself out of luck … like me. Instead of going on walks with informed rangers, I was forced to find the native birds and wildlife on my own; it wasn't difficult but it would have been nice to have had some insight. Next time, I will definitely make reservations either when I book or the moment I arrive. Room rates begin at $190AUD and hotel checkout is at 10am. If you're taking a ferry, your bags need to be ready by 8am. Kingfisher Bay Resort; for bookings call reservations at 1-800/072 555 or email reservations@kingfisherbay.com.

Whale Watching

One of the tours that Natalie and I were able to sign up for was the four-hour whale-watching excursion (adult: $100, child $55). The high-speed catamaran departs right at 8am from the Kingfisher dock and it took about an hour ride before we spotted our first whale. The ride along the coast of Fraser to Hervey Bay was relaxing and smooth. I thought we saw a lot with Hayden, cruising in his SUV, but seeing the island by boat made me realize that we'd barely even touched the rest of the island.

The Boat

The boat is your typical two-floor machine -- it's just like the ferries servicing Nantucket and Catalina Island. There was plenty of seating both indoors and out. I tend to get seasick when I go indoors on a boat so I always stay outside. The fresh air and staring at the horizon is my best remedy, though I also hear eating a green apple helps. But I didn't get sick nor did I see any of the other 100 passengers looking queasy.

Hervey Bay

Hervey Bay is supposed to be one of the best places in the world to see the more than 1,500 humpback whales migrating south from the Whitsunday Islands to the Antarctic. We learned August through October are the best months to view them. One reason it's thought that the whales travel so far is not only to give birth to their one-ton calves in warm water, but also to stay away from their predator, the Killer Whale. These gentle beasts have a miraculous 99% birth rate. What's funny is that they are the largest mammal in the ocean but they eat krill, tiny shrimp-like crustaceans, which are at the bottom of the food chain.

We saw about 15 whales in total and it was truly amazing to watch them up close. The last whales we came in contact with were a 12-meter long mother and her calf. They kept circling the boat. Then the calf would breach (jump out of the water) to the screams of all the passengers. Turns out these whales are total attention-seekers. Supposedly they like being in the spotlight. It was so incredible to see these majestic mammals, the size of school buses, move. For their size, they are so beautiful and graceful. The four-hour tour was too short and no one was ready to make the 90-minute trek back. However, the ride home was almost as remarkable and at times, the water was clear and blue, I could see marine life. Looking down, I saw small sharks, turtles and fish. What a day.

North American Humpbacks

The North American Humpbacks makes the opposite migration of the Southern Humpbacks. Ours travel from the Artic to Mexico in January, February and March. To get a better understanding, check out this link and click "start" in the bottom right of the picture.

Overall

What can I say? It all started with the incredible flight over and ended with whale breaching. Obviously, this place is special but I have to agree with National Geographic Traveler, which just featured Fraser Island in their Islands of the World ratings. They said it's one of the great sand islands of the world but that it's under threat from excessive visitor numbers and is being "loved to death" and that some machines (planes, buses and SUVs) have got to go.

Note: This trip was sponsored by Australia.com.

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