Fraser Island advice

[Annieandandy]

Hi all,

We are heading to fraser in a couple of weeks and am wanting to know if you can get to Woralie on a high tide? I know you can only cross Awinya creek on a low tide but was thinking if we can get to Woralie on a highish tide then we could head up to Awinya without crossing Awinya creek.

Cheers Andy

[edz]

Hi A & A..
Camping / staying the Eastern beach generaly North of Eli ck and South of  Zone 7 Wyuna  around Dundaburra, depending on recent weather you can generaly run the beach at high tide fairly easy to get to the Worralie track to do the island crossing ..
 If there has been lots of recent rain the lagoons and swampy bits beside the track a K of so  before the beach exit might be over the track edge ..
Once you get to the Worralie camp point  exit,  the creek is on your left and can be accessed by foot / truck  easily ..
 Just be AWARE of the Western beach as it can be  very soft in places due to patches of weed / small shells covered by sand and   quick sand spots..   If swimming Irakanji jellyfish, Crocs [ rarely seen  ] and  sharks can be around .
 
NOTE : You most likely will have the Western beach to yourselves  ... 
 
It is usualy fairly ramped in angle  closer to the waters edge .
Last pic is a small crossing  south of   Awinya ck .

[Annieandandy]

Thanks Edz,

Looks magic over on that western side. Unfortunately the two zones north of Eli creek are shut at the moment so we are thinking of spending the first night just sth of Eli and knocking over lake Mackenzie while we are down there.

Might head over to the western side on the low tide on day 2 for a couple of nights then if we come back around high tide we should be able to find a camp north of Eli and do the champagne pools etc when the tide goes out.

Cheers for the info, looking forward to it, can’t wait.

[Craig Tomkinson]

being fishing on the western side of Fraser Island a far bit, and drove there, I can not wonder what the sandflies would be like as they eat us alive when in the boat and get out of the 4wd even at Wathumba,and down further,  Craig

[Annieandandy]

being fishing on the western side of Fraser Island a far bit, and drove there, I can not wonder what the sandflies would be like as they eat us alive when in the boat and get out of the 4wd even at Wathumba,and down further,  Craig

Yep am imagining they will be thick. Will bath in bushmans for the western side for sure

[Mangrovematt]

So if the dingoes, sharks or stray croc don’t get me the sandflies will, I need a new tour guide LOL the smoke from your cooking Andy should keeps most things away,

[GBC]

You will get caught out by the exposed coffee rock ledges and there is also Bowarady creek to cross. I would never advise driving the west beach as a novice at high tide. That is where the weed hides and the soft shoulders at the creeks.

[Annieandandy]

You will get caught out by the exposed coffee rock ledges and there is also Bowarady creek to cross. I would never advise driving the west beach as a novice at high tide. That is where the weed hides and the soft shoulders at the creeks.

Cheers mate, looking at the tide times I reckon we might try leave the western beach maybe a couple of hours before low to get back over the eastern side for low. Plenty of experience on the soft stuff and there will be 3 rigs so hopefully won’t be too many dramas.

[Annieandandy]

So if the dingoes, sharks or stray croc don’t get me the sandflies will, I need a new tour guide LOL the smoke from your cooking Andy should keeps most things away,

Thought we nominated you for the cooking?

[GBC]

Cheers mate, looking at the tide times I reckon we might try leave the western beach maybe a couple of hours before low to get back over the eastern side for low. Plenty of experience on the soft stuff and there will be 3 rigs so hopefully won’t be too many dramas.

If the beach isn't weeded you'll get down at half tide. Its is an absolute doddle of a beach when mother nature has been playing fair. Other times it can be an extremely trying place. Leave plenty of space between the cars, if one goes into weed at 60 kph you don't want the others to follow. If you do hit weed, floor it and head for the ocean if you can - where the sand has ripples there can't be weed. Lessons I've learned from the old timers....

[Beachman]

I spent 2 nights camping next to Woralie Creek in May last year and had a fantastic time. First night only one other couple camping about 100m away and the 2nd night not another person sighted from 10am until 10am the next day when we left. Getting to Woralie didn’t involve crossings any creeks, but going to Awinya creek would have meant crossing a creek.

Very few mozzies, but quite a few horse flies. It was also rather cool at night as the wind was blowing from the East so the rainforest acted as a natural air-conditioner and pumped out cold air on the western side. 

I didn’t do too much driving on the western side as didn’t have any other 4WD’s with me, plus seeing it was quiet I was happy to camp where the track met the beach. 

[Annieandandy]

If the beach isn't weeded you'll get down at half tide. Its is an absolute doddle of a beach when mother nature has been playing fair. Other times it can be an extremely trying place. Leave plenty of space between the cars, if one goes into weed at 60 kph you don't want the others to follow. If you do hit weed, floor it and head for the ocean if you can - where the sand has ripples there can't be weed. Lessons I've learned from the old timers....

Cheers mate good tips. I’ll send the others in first lol

[Annieandandy]

I spent 2 nights camping next to Woralie Creek in May last year and had a fantastic time. First night only one other couple camping about 100m away and the 2nd night not another person sighted from 10am until 10am the next day when we left. Getting to Woralie didn’t involve crossings any creeks, but going to Awinya creek would have meant crossing a creek.

Very few mozzies, but quite a few horse flies. It was also rather cool at night as the wind was blowing from the East so the rainforest acted as a natural air-conditioner and pumped out cold air on the western side. 

I didn’t do too much driving on the western side as didn’t have any other 4WD’s with me, plus seeing it was quiet I was happy to camp where the track met the beach.

Sounds like a perfect place to chill for a couple of days. Do you know if you can pump yabbies over there?

[Beachman]

Sounds like a perfect place to chill for a couple of days. Do you know if you can pump yabbies over there?

Around where we camped no. But I do know certain parts of the western beach do have yabbie banks.

[Annieandandy]

Around where we camped no. But I do know certain parts of the western beach do have yabbie banks.

Sweet will take the pump and hopefully get some.

[GBC]

Cheers mate good tips. I’ll send the others in first lol

Now you are thinking that's exactly what I do haha.

Yabbies are only any good in Coongul Creek (5 odd km South of Woralie), about 2 km back from the mouth along the beach, walk through the camp sites and into the creek bed. Giving away all my secrets now. If you can worm, the beach does have them - best part in the little Bay just North of Coongul in Front of the first "Coongul camping area >" sign.
If you can cast net, the mouths of the creeks on the first of the making tide will have hardy heads waiting to push up the creeks (On a S.E.'er). I also didn't tell you that tailor work that beach after dark, and long tails off the beach are really (really!) fond of live poddy mullet.
If you want whiting, keep well back from the water's edge - they come in right to the edge, but all the back beach guys put on their waders and head straight past them haha.
Up the creeks at high tide at night the really big whiting (and occasional bonefish) will take two or three soldier crabs on a hook (from the coongul yabby banks) and it keeps the pickers away.
That's a carton now!