Taking an Australian adventure vacation is all about combining an exciting location with a comfortable mode of travel, and Fraser Island is home to a number of tours offering just the right combination. Located just northeast of Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, the island is a nature-dense place described by locals as “strictly 4-wheel-drive country,” and home to a number of the most popular nature tours and off-road experiences that a traveler could ask for.
High-comfort luxury SUVs and off-road vehicles are available to explore the many sand paths that stretch off of the Seventy Mile Highway and through the island’s interior, allowing for a delightful experience driving through the densely-canopied beauty of the natural forests. Popular destinations include the sand blows, which are miniature mud volcanoes formed when sand flows down onto lower-lying water that then forces itself up through small cracks in the surface. There are also the massive, towering sand cliffs located off The Cathedrals.
Those looking for a chance to unwind and relax after their exciting drive through the island can take advantage of the many ways to have a soothing swim. Travelers can take a lazy float down the slow but steady Eli Creek, a trip that drifts all the way down to the ocean at one side. Alternatively, they can swing by the Champagne Pools, an intriguing series of seawater pockets filled with bubbling waters as air rises up from the earth beneath.
Throughout the entire trip, there is the main point of any good adventure vacation — observing the local wildlife. Canoe tours around the island offer the chance to see majestic predatory birds above, and the local stingray wildlife in the sands below. More than 300 species of birds can be seen across the islands, and local rangers are glad to offer walking tours that highlight these gorgeous animals. Last but not least, humpback whales are frequently visible off the coasts, breaching and crashing into the water in powerful displays sure to satisfy the eager nature watcher.
