From vast, coastal beauty, to tranquil rainforests and dense bushland, the diversity of K’gari (Fraser Island) is one that needs to be seen to be believed.
From dawn until dusk, an array of natural wonders each take their moment to shine, offering a preview into the many elements that make the world’s largest sand island one of Queensland’s most sought-after nature escapes.
As the sun peeks up, waves lap gently onto the shore, and a salty ocean breeze fills the air. Travellers stir to the beautiful sounds of birdlife, as the island’s many wildlife species fossick amongst the bushland and dart from one tree to the next.
As the day draws to a close, Mother Nature puts on one last show – bathing the west in a striking, mango-coloured glow before dipping below the horizon across the Great Sandy Strait.
The experience? An overcoming sense of wonderment, with travellers taking away a deeper connection to nature than when they arrived. It was this founding notion that established one of Australia’s leading Ecotourism ventures – and what Kingfisher Bay Resort strive to uphold to this day.
Designed with nature at the forefront, the resort was consciously built to integrate with the surrounding environment, not impose upon it. Following significant planning and landscaping that mirrored the surrounding vegetation, the resort opened its doors for the first time, on the 16th of August 1992.
This month marks 30 years since that significant moment; a milestone that is also shared with the 30th anniversary of the island’s UNESCO World Heritage listing, in 1992. To commemorate the occasion, and in keeping with a long-lasting connection to K’gari, leading tourism operators Kingfisher Bay Resort, K’gari Beach Resort and K’gari Explorer Tours (formerly Eurong Beach Resort and Fraser Explorer Tours respectively) have completely rebranded. A nod to the World Heritage Area and surrounding waters being renamed to K’gari late last year.
Kingfisher Bay Resort General Manager David Hay says, “K’gari is the reason we’re all here – collectively, we connect visitors with this incredible destination, and we felt this year, in line with the World Heritage anniversary, it was the perfect opportunity to embrace this wonderful name change on the island, directly across our businesses”.
Highlighting their immense passion and intricate knowledge of the destination, the team of Resort Rangers and local guides conduct daily walks, talks, and immersive activities for guests, as well as island tours and marine cruises.
These unique, nature-based experiences are strengthened by the recent launch of the K’gari Discovery Centre, in close collaboration with the Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation. Free for all visitors and open daily, the centre is an interpretative space and cultural endorsement for enhanced environmental awareness and conservation efforts on the island.
With sustainable practices implemented from day one, the resort’s current focus is the move towards renewable energy initiatives across the business. Recently, research has been undertaken, and plans have commenced to install a solar farm within the resort grounds to offset emissions, whilst K’gari Beach Resort has already implemented a 100KW solar system onto their primary accommodation building along the east coast.
With these collective efforts, the hope is that guests continue to approach their visit to K’gari with conservation at the forefront, treading lightly for years to come.
