# QLD: 24/04 - 02/05 Fraser Island



## Bdahm (Dec 5, 2009)

I thought I would let people know about my recent trip to Fraser.

It wasn't strictly a kayaking trip, more a fishing/camping/4WDing trip with some kayaking thrown in, but I've seen that a few people have done or been thinking about a similar trip, so I thought there would be a bit of interest.

It was just my brother and I, camping fairly light. We've grown up having holidays on Fraser at least once a year, so there isn't much of the island that we hadn't seen, but on this trip the plan was to spend some time up the more remote northern end of the island away from the tourists, and to use the kayaks to find a few different experiences.

It was an awesome trip - great weather, good fishing and a bit of adventure thrown in - hope you find it interesting.

Day 1 - Saturday 24 April

Up at sparrow-fart, with a good low tide run up the coast to our first campsite for the trip - the camp ground off the beach behind Waddy Point (one of the two rocky headlands on the island, about ¾ of the way up). We made the trip from the Gold Coast to Waddy in about 6 hours, which was a pretty good time.

























After lunch and setting up camp, it was back down to the beach to sort out a few fish for dinner. Using pipis that we had collected lower down the island, we ended up with a few dart and trevally off the eastern side of the Waddy Point rocks (one of my favourite fishing spots) - this is pretty standard fare for this time of year - too early for the tailor run - kept a few of the larger ones for tea.


















*Day 2 - Sunday 25 April - Anzac Day*

Up early to walk down to the beach to check on the ocean, and there's a dawn service being held in the lower campground that I tag along to.









The ocean's pretty flat, but not quite flat enough for us to take the kayaks out. We're new to this kayaking thing, with no ocean experience, and Fraser's not the best location for a couple of amateurs to be practising. Would have been great though for anyone who has spent some time out in the surf. In any event, the fish are still biting off the headland, so we keep a few dart for breakfast.

After breakfast we head north for a bit of reconnaissance, because the next planned camp site is up the top of the island - Sandy Cape, and there are a few coffee rock outcrops that aren't always passable (indeed we had been told by a bloke on the beach that he thought cars weren't getting through). Turns out to be okay though, and we are able to have lunch and do a bit of fishing north of Ngkala Rocks (one of the more significant outcrops).









There was an awesome low tide gutter formation that we found, two deep holes on either side of a wave washed bank, with a little drain along the front that was full of whiting - we could see them take off as we drove past. We catch a few sandworms from the bank, and break out the little rods and catch unlimited whiting on unweighted worm baits in the drain - just letting the wave action take the bait to the fish - good fun on light gear.









We keep enough for tea, and then head back south when the tide turns. We pick up the kayaks from camp, stop off at one of the only creeks up that end of the island - that drains from a hind dune lake - Ocean Lake. It isn't always flowing but there has obviously been a lot of rain on the island recently, so it provides a good opportunity to get the kayaks wet. It's also something I've never done before on Fraser, so it's a good experience. We paddle up the creek, as it gets thinner and thinner, but don't manage to reach the lake before the reeds close out the creek. Very peaceful - plenty of birds (and lots of spiders) - and I disturb a wallaby - which is a pretty rare sight for Fraser.

















Then it's back to camp for some sweet fresh whiting for dinner.

To be continued...


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## Bdahm (Dec 5, 2009)

*Day 3 - Monday 26 April*

Up early again. The ocean is looking even better, but still not good enough for us to take out the kayaks.









Pick-up a few good dart for breakfast, and then we pack up camp, and head north. A good low tide run over Ngkala Rocks, and then a few further kms north - Browns Rocks. Browns is a bit tricker, as it doesn't get as much traffic as Ngkala so there isn't as clear a defined path.









But we take it slow, with me spotting and little brother driving and soon enough we are over, and on to one of the best beaches of Fraser. This far north (and with the rocks discouraging a few people) there is hardly any traffic, so its just Fraser as it has been for eons.

We drive round the tip of the island, and find a good spot in the deserted camping zone. We are now the most northern people on Fraser, and aside from a couple of rangers based at the lighthouse, and a few intrepid day trippers that are only here a couple of hours either side of low tide - we don't have to share the place with anybody.

















We are now in the sheltered waters of the very top of Hervey Bay, so I'm keen to do a bit of kayaking up here. After lunch we head further round the island, as I want to launch at the edge of the vehicle restriction zone that starts near the lighthouse, and paddle along parts of Fraser that see even less cars than the remote tip.

On the way there we spot a school of trevally feeding in close, so again we break out the little rods and have a lot of fun catching them on little poppers.

















We keep a few for dinner, and with that sorted, we can take our time with the afternoon paddle. We set-up and launch into some of the flattest, clearest, greenest water you'll ever see - but we soon get a bit of an education into how the food-chain works up here.

We had been paddling along for about an hour or two, chasing a few schools of fish, and attracting a few that followed the kayaks along (I had a pair of beautiful big golden trevally that tagged along with me for a while - ignoring everything I waved in-front of them).

















We were about 50m off shore, in about 5m of crystal clear water and I get buzzed by something big and black. It was moving very fast, so I don't get a good look, but I'm left with the impression of a big blunt head, fat body, and big - 3m+. At this stage I'm thinking either a big bull, or a female tiger - neither of which are good options.

I call out to little brother - but he hasn't seen it - I paddle over, and we have a bit of a nervous chat, but we can't see it anymore, so we paddle on. In about another 100m metres, I look back, and I can spot it again, holding position about 20m behind us. As we slow to watch it, it moves in again. I fumble for the camera, and squeeze off a few shots as it approaches, but it accelerates again as it gets close and buzzes under us again - at this point my photography is suffering.

















My brother gets a look this time, and with the benefit of another look we're calling it for a tiger. I'm feeling that I still have a size advantage in the quest, but my brother's pacer is dwarfed. It disappears again, but a few more strokes later its back in its holding position, 20m behind me - and hold on - my brother's kayak has picked up a tail also. So now there's two, and they move in together for the third pass - I leave the camera stowed this time - they accelerate under the kayaks again, but this time one turns on its side right beside my kayak, and I get a good look at it in profile - big black eye, white belly, good sized dorsal.

At this stage we pull the pin - as in my mind this classifies as aggressive behaviour - the speed, the flash of colour and the fact that there are now two competing for position - it was time for a leg stretch anyway. A short time later after a leisurely, calm  - (note the sarcasm green) paddle back to the beach, we are on dry land, and the big black shapes are no-where to be seen.

After a bit of a pep-talk, we hit the water to head back, but we stay close to shore, just behind the shore-break, and we don't see them again. It's a fairly uneventful trip back - but we are fairly subdued - we have both fished/dived/snorkelled/spearfished/swum all our lives - and we have interacted with a fair number of sharks - but that was the first time we have both been that uncomfortable. It isn't until later that evening back at camp that we can start to appreciate the experience of it.

To be continued...


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## Bdahm (Dec 5, 2009)

*Day 4 - Tuesday 27 April*

The day starts with a walk along the beach, chucking little HBs in a search for breakfast. I manage to get a couple of dart and an average flathead out of the ravenous hordes of long toms roaming the shore break.









After breakfast we set off for a planned all-day paddle - with a bit of a pep-talk required after yesterday's experience. And we needed to repeat the talk, driving to the launch site - we spot another one of those big black shapes cruising the deep water line.

















Learning from yesterday, we again hug the shore break - sure enough, a little while into the trip we pick-up an escort - with a big shark holding position with us on the deep water line. He follows us for a couple of hundred metres, but doesn't come into the shallower water, so we are fairly comfortable with our plan to stay shallow. Of course, this doesn't stop me gazing longingly at the many bust-ups that happened out in the deeper water - but I told myself we don't want big fish anyway - meal-sized fish are just perfect.

It was great paddle - we didn't cover any great distance - with my little brother setting the pace in the renowned touring kayak - his lime green pacer (and with flat bladed paddles!), but there was still plenty to see - lots of rays, shovel-nose sharks, turtles, dolphins, little bronze whalers, and the fish and birds feeding in the deeper water.

















Plenty of fish to be caught also - I had to stop trolling to cover any sort of distance, as the little dart were thick.

















Lunch was under a tree on a deserted beach, and then we headed back to camp for a leisurely afternoon and dinner.


























To be continued...


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## Bdahm (Dec 5, 2009)

*Day 5 - Wednesday 28 April*

Another walk with the fishing rod to catch breakfast this morning - and there were a few better fish to be had. I donated a new stiffy minnow to a good flathead that got through my leader before I could get him through the shorebreak, but I also cleaned up a good trevally and a couple of dart as well.

















We decided to go back around to the surf beach for the day for a different experience to yesterday. It was a good trip down our private beach - we haven't seen anyone else for almost two days.

We stop at one of the many good looking gutters, catch a few worms at a nearby sandbank and turn them into a few dart and whiting for dinner. For a bit of fun I rig up one of the whiting on a larger rod and set it up to sit in front of one of the deeper holes while we are having lunch. I'm dreaming of a big jew (but usually the sharks find it first).









Sure enough it takes off after a little while, and after a good fight I've got a 1.5m bronze whaler at my feet - I get a good look at it, but it finally manages to get through the wire trace and self releases before I get a good photo.


















We then head back up to the Cape, driving slow to see if we can spot any big fish cruising the shallows for a bit of sight casting - no joy however. We end-up climbing the big sand blow at the Cape to see if we can spot any schools of fish - again the water is fairly clear, and we do see another one of those big black shapes - this one's enormous - longer than the car.

Then it's back to camp for another fish dinner.

*Day 6 - Thursday 29 April*

Another beautiful morning, another stroll along our deserted beach, fishing rod in hand, looking for breakfast. Broke out the soft plastics this morning, and proved that dart will eat anything (as will long toms). Dart aren't spectacular fish, but they are good fun on light gear and they are a good breakfast size.









After breakfast we broke camp, as it was time for another relocation. This time it's back down the beach and back over the rocks to Orchid Beach (a township just north of Waddy Point).









From there its inland over to Wathumba Creek (a large creek and estuary on the western side of the island). This is a great kayaking location - but be ready for the bugs - they are something else.

After setting up camp and a bit of lunch, we head out in the kayaks to take care of dinner. Its dead low tide, so the estuary is empty and we head out to the mouth of the creek to troll the holes for the lurking flathead. Sure enough, it goes to plan and dinner is sorted.

















It is then back to camp, to clean the fish, and to bait and set the crab-pots that we had been lugging around all week. A word of advice (learnt the hard way) - the Wathumba dingoes are experienced crab bait stealers.









A good feed of flathead for tea, and off to bed - serenaded by the local dingo pack.

To be continued...


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## Bdahm (Dec 5, 2009)

*Day 7 - Friday 30 April*

We wake up to another perfect morning (we really cracked it with the weather this week).

















Its a short walk to check the crab pots. One pot had obviously been cleaned out by the dingoes before the tide came in, but the other one held a good buck muddie.

















After a delicious mud crab breakfast, we head off for a bit of a paddle in the estuary. We head up the creek with the incoming tide, and back out when the tide turns - fishing each way.


























Plenty of whiting and flathead to be caught, and my brother pulled a cute little estuary cod out of a snag. A couple of the flathead are kept - so dinner is sorted again.









Lunch is held on one of the many deserted beaches, on a bit of a rise overlooking the estuary on one side, and the bay on the other.

















Time for a swim and then its back to camp. Little brother has a bit of a snooze, and I go for a walk in the drained estuary - fishing a few of the deeper holes that are now cut off from the main channel - catching little trevally and flathead that are marooned in the holes.

Mindful of the dingoes, I wait until as late as possible to set the pots - and head a little further a field in search of good mud crab territory (of which there is plenty).

Fresh flathead for dinner again (bugger!)

To be continued...


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## Rhino (Dec 17, 2007)

Awesome report and pics. That was a cracker flathead too. 8)


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## bungy (Jan 1, 2008)

Hi ya Fella's 
Great story and pics ,thanks for sharing your trip with me.
Cheers
Stevo..


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## Shoey (Aug 30, 2005)

Great report of a really good trip. Thanks.


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## Bdahm (Dec 5, 2009)

*Day 8 - Saturday 1 May*

Hit the jackpot with the crabs over night - 4 big buck muddies - so that's breakfast and dinner sorted.

























After breakfast, we take the kayaks out to the mouth of the estuary on the incoming tide, hopefully to catch some of the bigger fish cruising the flats. Part A of the plan works well with schools of GTs spotted, and some big golden trevally cruising around in the clear water - but we fail with the execution of Part B - no matter what we put in front of the fish - we get no interest - other than a little bull shark that would follow the lures to the kayak, before peeling off.

















It's then back to camp, to pack up and head back over to the eastern beach to shorten the journey home tomorrow.

We have lunch and a swim at Wyuna Creek (one of the larger creeks up the northern half of the island on the eastern side) and then it's a low tide burn down the beach. Sharing the beach with other cars is an unfamiliar feeling.









We set up camp in a great spot just south of Poyungan Rocks, and head for an evening swim in at Lake Wabby - we head in late, after the tourists have left and have the place to ourselves (but have to hike back out in the dark).









*
Day 9 - Sunday 2 May*

Up early to break camp and head back down the beach before the tide came in too far. The weather had turned - so it seemed to be a good day to head home.

















All-in-all - a great trip - consistent fishing (although no spectacular fish) and good weather. I would recommend it to anyone else considering something similar, but the lesson is if kayaking up at the Cape - be ready to deal with the big sharks.

Thanks for reading

Tony


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## breamfish (May 19, 2009)

Awesome Report definitely one of the best I've read. You did well in the fish and crabs as well.

Thanks for sharing


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## kikid (Dec 8, 2008)

That report sure does get the travel/camping juices flowing - a great trip!! - wish I was there


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## grinner (May 15, 2008)

gee thats a great report fellas and will win the trip report comp i would say.

a couple of questions.

do you think you had some blood in the quest which might have gone out thru the mirage drive and attracted those tigers.? 
cousin was once caught on a sandbank fishing and some big tigers moved into the gutter behind him. that was back in the day when everyone cleaned fish at the shoreline

can you drive round to wathumba via sandy cape or is that north west part of the island impassable?

with the rocks you nearly got hung up on are they that crumbly stuff you can belt with a shovel or are they pretty solid ?

the poor old dingoes are starving up there since they got rid of the brumbies.

great report great pics.

just throw in one of wathumba which is one of the great secrets of fraser. 
thanks again for you report


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## gcfisho (Oct 31, 2009)

Sounds like a great time . Thats what its all about for me , a bit of nature some fishing and some new experiences . Although the sharks may not be the experience you were looking for !


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## Red Herring (Dec 18, 2006)

Wow, thats an fantastic trip report. Great work. 

RH


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## Bdahm (Dec 5, 2009)

Thanks guys

Grinner - in answer to your queries -



grinner said:


> do you think you had some blood in the quest which might have gone out thru the mirage drive and attracted those tigers.?
> cousin was once caught on a sandbank fishing and some big tigers moved into the gutter behind him. that was back in the day when everyone cleaned fish at the shoreline


Nah - the kayak was pretty clean - hadn't caught any fish from it on the trip yet. That was one of the factors making us uncomfortable - no obvious reason for their behaviour, and in water that clear they could have checked us out from miles away (and as a side note - the quest is paddle not peddle )



grinner said:


> can you drive round to wathumba via sandy cape or is that north west part of the island impassable?


Physically it would be possible (and a lot quicker), but they have closed that beach (and the road access to the northern side of Wathumba) to all general public car traffic.



grinner said:


> with the rocks you nearly got hung up on are they that crumbly stuff you can belt with a shovel or are they pretty solid ?


All coffee rock so you can shape it if needed - but if we were going to touch we would have just re-inflated the tyres a bit and gained an inch - we had them pretty soft for the sand driving.



grinner said:


> the poor old dingoes are starving up there since they got rid of the brumbies.


They're doing alright - saw plenty on this trip and all looked in good shape - and judging by the howling there's certainly a healthy pack size at Wathumba.

Tony


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## BIGKEV (Aug 18, 2007)

Top report Tony.

I have been to Fraser many times but mostly with the the family on holidays, but this year I'm lucky enough to be heading up there twice. Once with the family staying in a house at Orchid for two weeks in September/October and once on a boys fishing trip in August for five days. I have been unsure whether to take the kayak or not but this has definately inspired me to try and get it up there somehow for at least one of the trips. I might look at borrowing a mates shark sheild first though.... ;-)

Kev


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## clarkey (Jan 13, 2009)

Cool report Tony,never been up their myself,it looks awesome.Your brothers game man in the pacer,not the quickest of yaks.
Good to see you found the trevally and plenty of them.  
Clarkey


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## Dodge (Oct 12, 2005)

Tony what a cracker of a report mate,really enjoyable and you both certainly got some nice seafood while there.


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## FishFeeder (Jul 22, 2008)

Great trip report, thanks for going to the trouble. Some terrific photos too.


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## craig51063 (May 30, 2008)

BLOODY FANTASTIC stuff mate

i cant wait to get to fraser island and its only a matter of time .

craig


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## HiRAEdd (Nov 12, 2005)

Awesome report for an awesome trip!


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## feel the sting (Aug 8, 2006)

Guys.

Your trip brought back some great memories. In 1999 towed the stinker to wathumba ck and had an absolute ball on spotties, northern blues, golden trevally, cobes, all those estuary species and eating that many muddies we had to release most of them.

thanks for the report, I really enjoyed it


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## Cricket (Jan 23, 2010)

That looked like a good trip. :mrgreen:

How big were thoughs flathead :?:


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## mehi (May 25, 2009)

Great report Tony, glad you and the bro had a good time

Have fished up that end of Frazer a few times in my Tinny and as far as Tiger Sharks go thay seem to be everywhere


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## mrwalker (Feb 23, 2009)

fantastic report, a real boys own adventure, thanks a lot,cheers, Dave.


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## madkeenfisher (Jul 24, 2008)

GREAT REPORT THERE FELLAS. ITS AMAZING HOW QUICKLY IT CHANGES UP NORTH OF WADDY POINT. WE WENT UP AUGUST LAST YEAR AND HAD NO CHANCE OF GETTING UP NORTH AS THE CYCLONES HAD WASHED OUT ALL THE BEACH AROUND THE ROCKS MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO PASS. WE ARE HEADING UP AGAIN THIS AUGUST, 10 GUYS 4 TRUCKS SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET UP NORTH AND ACROSS TO THE WESTERN SIDE.

CHEERS

KEITH


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## whoohoo (Feb 3, 2006)

That a great report mate. I was up at Sandy Cape for a week last year and had a ball. Caught some nice mackeral at the reefy area about 1km offshore and the biggest stingray I've ever seen (on a piece of mackeral) The stingray woud have been over 2 metres long. I used my Purglass castmaster rod with a 20lb tip and a Penn 49. It took over an hour to land. The bait was paddled out using the Tomski. Fantastic place to fish!

We should organise a trip up there - I guess there'd be a few boys interested


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## murd (Jan 27, 2008)

Nice write-up, really motivational and had me thinking about going to the NT again on another barra bash. Nothing beats going to a place and not seeing another soul. I was interested in that crocodile sign for Fraser Island - I'm sure it's only there to suck the backpackers in!

Well done guys, now lets get some more great adventure reports on the forum like this one as they've been somewhat lacking lately


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## mentally-unsound (Apr 17, 2007)

great report, loved it.
i have tried many a times to con the wife into letting me live there, but no such luck. have to wait till november to get back, with family in tow.
good to see you caught a few fish, that flatty is a stonker.

loved it

dave


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## Bdahm (Dec 5, 2009)

murd said:


> I was interested in that crocodile sign for Fraser Island - I'm sure it's only there to suck the backpackers in!


Hey Murd - the jury is still out as to whether or not there are crocs in Hervey Bay. I'm sure there were once (and given enough time, probably will be again), and the southern end of the bay against Fraser is perfect for them (miles and miles of mud, mangroves and bugger all people).

There have been a few (unconfirmed) recent sightings. You can read about them on the DERM website (http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/wildlife-eco ... tings.html) - but no photos of crocs/slidemarks/nests etc have been taken.

Had a bit of a funny moment when I was cleaning one of the larger flathead for dinner at Wathumba - there was something odd in its gut, and when I cut into it, a scaly tail, back and front legs slid out. Hang on - if I've got a flathead eating baby crocs, then that must mean they are breeding on fraser (as flathead aren't exactly renowned pelagics). When I got to its head though, it was fairly obvious that it was just a good sized skink that must have fallen off a log in the wrong spot.

Pics are below if you are interested. Click to enlarge, but just a warning - they may offend vegetarians.


















What do you reckon - think I should still try to sell them to a current affair? :lol:

Tony


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## Stealthfisha (Jul 21, 2009)

Awesome read!

Someone tell me why I live in SA? :?


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