Sat, 11th Nov, 2023 Central Station Campground, Fraser Island National Park, Qld

Warmer night, 18 degrees min, forecast for max of 27. We ran the truck for half hour to top up the batteries.

Headed out and westward to check out Ungowa. Cloudier today. Onto the one way track which we will take when heading out with the camper back to the barge.

Onto the two way part and then turned off to head southward through natural scrub.

Crossed a little wooden bridge over Rocky Creek with clear but tannin-stained water.

Continued along the track. Met a vehicle with just enough room for us to pass.

Over Alligator Creek.

Another small creek then two chaps on motorbikes came up so Steve pulled over for them. They stopped to say thanks and explain they would be slow any case as they were looking for their mate’s phone that came off his bike somewhere along one of the tracks today - good luck with that as it would have just disappeared into the soft sand.

Climbed up and around a hill then down through trees.

Open marsh land next where we can see across to the water but I didn’t get a photo.

Into Ungowa where there is a picnic area and a couple of camp spots, toilets and an old boat shed. No information expect for the national park stuff re dingoes and rubbish.

I had phone service here so Googled it. Ungowa was a regular island access point from Hervey Bay and a thriving forestry department base. The boat ramp down from the boat shed has collapsed down the bank and the jetty has seen better days too. There was light rail tramways throughout the island that the forestry put in and used from 1905 to 1933 till motor transport took over. There is a good history of it written by John Kerr - A History of the Fraser Island Tramways, online.

Also found out about Fraser Island’s name - it came from the master of the ‘Stirling Castle’, Captain James Fraser, who was shipwrecked and died on the island in early August 1836. The settlers who came here in 1847 named it Fraser Island. Originally the Batchulla People called it K’gari and after many years got the name changed back.

The boat shed, boat launching area (or maybe it connected with the jetty) and the old jetty.

The mainland and little islands are much closer here.

We followed a track along the cliff.

Walked out onto a small point and saw a boat and what looks like a jetty down further.

Had a cuppa with mozzies, march flies and sandflies but the Bushmans kept them at bay. Heard a boat and it was the Mantra Ray barge which ferries everyone between Hook and Inskip Points. Must have had to do a different delivery to Kingfisher Bay. These are drive through barges - no backing onto them.

A bird must have deposited the seed of this fig tree as I haven’t seen any others around.

Headed back out passed a road heading down to Gary’s Anchorage further south from here but no signs on the tracks. When I looked on the map they are authorised vehicles only.

Back to Wanggoolba Creek Road then back past Central Station to head around to Kingfisher Bay area so we can find the Commando Camp David told us about so a bit of backtracking to be done.

The track is softer as it dries out from the recent rain but still good. A dark cloud over us dropped a few drops of rain, enough to put on the wipers. We decided to call in and zip up the camper and then the sun came out. We closed up just in case.

Back on the track to Lake McKenzie for a swim and lunch. I had found out that it is named after a pioneering timber merchant who had the mill and jetty we are going to check out soon.

Steve in first this time. Going across to check out the ‘island’. It’s a bit cool but there are a lot of people enjoying the lake.

It isn’t an island, just a point. Wandered along in the shallow water where I got wet and Steve got hold of the camera!

Back to the main beach for another dip then we headed up for lunch.

In the ‘enclosure’ we saw the goanna come down the tree. Another goanna came around and they met at the base of the tree. Unfortunately I left my camera in the truck so just watched what they were going to do. It was fascinating - they met and seem to be doing a dance so not sure it was mating or fighting. They didn’t bite each other but after a bit of dancing then they grabbed each other and wrestled. Eventually the one from the tree had the other one pinned on the ground. Was amazing to watch. He let the other guy go who just walked off and sat in the sun. (I googled it later and it was fighting - look it up, fascinating to watch as it is more wrestling than fighting).

Back onto Bennetts Road which is two way but we didn’t meet any other vehicles which was good. It is a 3km walk to McKenzie Jetty from the sign posted spot but we spotted a track near Kingfisher that will make it a shorter walk.

There is a fire control trail off the edge of a corner in the track. The corner was built up with sand so Steve had a bit of fun getting over it and onto the flat.

We saw a water truck come down from Kingfisher Bay watering the track. Obviously it is getting softer as it dries out and that would make it harder for the buses to get up the hill.

David had given us a few maps.

We followed the track up and down till we reached part of the Great Walk. 

Markers showed us the way to the beach which is called North White Cliffs. The resort is north of us. Nice views from here. That rain that came over before is hanging over the mainland. It is quite warm here now. Looks like the resort has some visitors.

Went back to the main track and continued along till we found another track heading in. Spotted some old timber bits. This might be the entry/guard hut. Not that easy trying to work out things from the map.

Continued on and found an information board all about the secret training camp here. Some of the men trained here were the ‘Z Force’ (as we called them) that were based at the House on the Hill in Cairns before they did the sneak bombing raid in Singapore. Googled - During WW2, the military commandeered ‘Fairview House’ on Fairview Farm at Mooroobool in Cairns. The address was used as a training facility for Z Special Operations Commandos, and its secretive nature led to the home becoming known as ‘The House on the Hill’. I didn’t know that’s how it got its name - we learn something new every day.

Nice memorial area. (Afterwards David told me the centre is a 'relief' map of Singapore Harbour.)

Lots of bits and pieces of machinery, slabs of concrete etc left over from the camp here. (David said the machinery was from the logging camp here after the Commandos. When the Commandos left there was only the concrete slabs and a few stumps left.)

Fenced off area with a shed that has seen better days. Lots of trees growing out of tyres.

Out to the cliff, looking down on an old boiler. Steve thinks those are tram rails.

The Commandos paddled to Woody Island and across and up the Mary River.

Continued southward along the high bank. I wonder what this tree had grown around.

Up again then and intersection with no signs. We headed down the track towards the beach. Figured the other was just the Great Walk track. (Should have read the previous info board better as it said to walk up the other side to see where the mill was. We saw a picnic table and thought that was all that was there!)

Found the old McKenzie Jetty and a dead tractor. A sign says 2.9km walk back to Kingfisher Bay resort. I googled some info - In 1918, timber merchant Hepburn McKenzie of Sydney, NSW, bought the rights to log 4000 hectares of land for 10 years and immediately began building the first and only timber mill on Fraser Island.

On Dave’s map it says this is Berilbee Creek.

Wandered under the jetty. Spotted some more posts further along.

We walked back along the beach. The poor tractor.

Looking back up the hillside where we were before.

Steve thought he saw tram tracks here but it is just rock. Further over he found some old tram rails.

Another long line of rock.

Spotted a soldier crab. We had been following this chap’s foot prints too. He would be easy to track down by the size of his big toe.

Nice walk but it is getting quite warm now as there is no breeze. Found a lure.

Back to where we first met the cliff before. Climbed up the sand so we could walk back to the truck. There were a few ducks wandering along the water’s edge too. Sunshine looks pretty on the water.

Back to the truck where we made a cuppa. A few cars came around the corner looking at us and wondering why we were parked there I suppose - we just waved.

We turned around a bit further up and headed back out. Lots of vehicles heading to Kingfisher Bay so we pulled over lots but a few pulled over for us.

Onto a new track called Northern Road (small section of it as most of it further north) as we headed back to camp. It is the smoothest track we have been on so far. Nice tunnel drive through the trees too.

Steep descent to the Lake McKenzie Road intersection which we crossed and continued down past Pile Valley. There was a pile of cars and two tour buses clogging the road as the tourists meandered not worrying about the cars trying to pass on the narrow track. The driver of one bus tried to direct traffic but he hadn’t seen the two cars coming the other way and nearly got run over himself. Should have taken a photo! Eventually everyone got through and we continued on.

More traffic at the next intersection - the island is getting busier being a weekend maybe.

Down the connecting narrow track between to the two main tracks. Glad we didn’t meet anyone on this one as it is two way and no room - just a lot of backing up would be needed.

Back to camp but we had to stop as a huge group of Indian tourists were spread out over the track having drinks and nibbles with the Indian music playing. They moved their tables etc and we got past with lots of laughter.

We are not doing big kilometres but it is all slow going inland. Had our drinks by the camper - should have gone down and joined the party.

The other group were back too so it was a noisy night between the two groups with lots of laughter, cheering and music.