Fraser Island Great Walk Reopens

[pchallen]

Thank you. For your promt reply Paul

[wombat4787]

HI,

I'm trying to convince others to do the Fraser Is Great Walk, but they want some reassurance about track conditions. I'm not talking about the track being open, we'll plan our trip around that, hopefully, the whole track will open again soon.

The feedback I'd appreciate is from others that have done the track. Given Fraser is a sand island, they are convinced the whole track will be like walking on a beach. I'm sure this may well be the case in places, but I'd like to think the track is well compacted in most places. Can I get some feedback from people that have walked the track please?

Thanks for the input,

Peter

[ULWalkingPhil]

HI,<br /><br />I'm trying to convince others to do the Fraser Is Great Walk, but they want some reassurance about track conditions. I'm not talking about the track being open, we'll plan our trip around that, hopefully, the whole track will open again soon.<br /><br />The feedback I'd appreciate is from others that have done the track. Given Fraser is a sand island, they are convinced the whole track will be like walking on a beach. I'm sure this may well be the case in places, but I'd like to think the track is well compacted in most places. Can I get some feedback from people that have walked the track please?<br /><br />Thanks for the input,<br /><br />Peter

Its compacted in most places. I regularly hike over there. Although i have not been back therr for a year. Im lraving this weekend for a 7 day hike to the island. I can report back on my return

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

[tomh]

The track usually looks like this

fraser0501.JPG (65.2 KiB) Viewed 10992 times

and this

fraser0502.JPG (57.53 KiB) Viewed 10992 times

and a typical campsite is

fraser0503.JPG (52.23 KiB) Viewed 10992 times

but sometimes you get a sand blow

fraser0504.JPG (32.65 KiB) Viewed 10992 times

and you have to be strong to cope with the arduous conditions....

fraser0505.JPG (29.93 KiB) Viewed 10992 times

[cams]

My father and his wife have been over there this week. I just got a message saying they've bailed because of the rain. I think they managed to choose the worst 4 days of winter weather ever. Strong winds at night and leaking rain gear... Looks much more pleasant in your photos tomh.

[ULWalkingPhil]

Do be prepared if your coming to Fraser Island, It does rain a lot more on the island than it does on the main land. You don't want to come here with a leaking tent.

The weather is beautiful up here at the moment. I'm heading of to the island in the next few day's.

[ULWalkingPhil]

Just arrived back home from my 9 days on the island. Completed the complete great walk, had to hike on the 4wd tracks in places.

A very successful trip, had a great time, beautiful weather, only had a few showers on the last couple of days, temps got down lower than expected, Tuesday morning at Central Station got Down to 2C.

I had taken a lot of new lightweight gear on this trip and all performed faultlessly in particular my 750 gram pack. A huge success with that pack.

I can't see this great walk opening in the near future, there's a lot of work still to be done on the great walk.

[ULWalkingPhil]

Trip Report.

viewtopic.php?f=48&t=10358

[jobell]

Hello, wondering if someone might be able to help with some info re drinking water availability on Fraser Island. I've previously walked the GW as a circuit, entering via the Kingfisher Bay Resort to Lake Mackenzie, then north to Happy Valley, hitchhiked south along the beach to Dilli Village, then walked north back to Lake Mackenzie and back out the same way I came in. It was a fantastic walk and I'd recommend it to anyone, it's a shame that big stretches are still closed at the moment. That previous time I used the drinking water available at the hiker's campgrounds. I've been wanting to return and do a bit of a different walk, but I'm not 100% familiar with whether the water in the creeks and lakes is fresh and thus able to be drunk if suitably treated. Can anyone advise?

I'm planning on taking the ferry over from Inskip Point, walking north along the track to Dilli Village over two days with a night at Jabiru Swamp, then north along the beaches up past Eli Creek as long as I feel interested camping along the back of the beach, maybe a circuit on Bowarrady Track then back down the beaches and into Central Station and spend a day or three exploring the tracks around there before heading back out via the ferry at Kingfisher Bay Resort. To that end, can anyone advise on track conditions on the Bowarrady Track?

And yet another question - my preference would be to keep my options a bit open from day to day as to where I head and camp - how do I best navigate the camping booking system to achieve this? Any thoughts?

Thanks heaps for all and any advice.

[ULWalkingPhil]

Fraser Island Great Walk camps at Lake Benaroon, Central Station, Lake McKenzie, Lake Wabby, Valley of the Giants and Lake Garawongera are open. The Great Walk camps at Jabiru Swamp and Lake Boomanjin remain closed. The section of track from Hook Point north to Lake Boomanjin remains closed. Some sections of track have been re-routed due to water inundatin. Please follow signage for re-directed routes as follows: * Although the Lake Boomanjin camp remains closed, walkers can undertake a return day walk to Lake Boomanjin from either Lake Benaroon or the eastern beach (via Markwell's Break). * Between M2 and M3 (in the vicinity of Lake Birrabeen) walkers will utilise a section of the Southern Lakes scenic drive. * Access between Valley of the Giants and Lake Garawongera is via the feeder track towards the eastern beach and then follow signage along Bogimbah Road before proceeding north along Lake Garawongera scenic drive. The section of track between Valley of the Giants , through M12 to M13 (including Petrie's Camp) remains closed. * Access from Kingfisher Bay Resort to McKenzies Jetty and Kingfisher Bay Resort to Lake McKenzie (via Dundonga Creek) remains open. Walkers must exercise caution when traversing roads and are also advised to expect fallen trees and track degradation.

[ULWalkingPhil]

The Fraser Island Great Walk is closed due to high fire danger conditions. The Great Walk will remain closed until a change in conditions reduces the fire threat. For your safety, do not enter closed tracks and please obey all signage and directions provided by QPWS staff.

The following day walks remain open:

Central Station to Pile Valley
Central Station to Lake McKenzie via Basin Lake
Lake McKenzie to Kingfisher Bay via Dundonga Creek
Kingfisher Bay to McKenzie's Jetty