FRASER
UNDER PRESSURE
FRASER ISLAND IS FACING ITS GREATEST CHALLENGE: BOOMING
TOURISM. HERE'S HOW TO BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION...
WORDS: LINDA LEE RATHBUN IMAGES: STEVEN DAVID MILLER / NATURAL WANDERS
Fraser Island is the biggest, and possibly the most
beautiful, sand island in the world. But it has a
problem: a lot of visitors. In 1970, 5000 people
visited the island. Numbers increased every year
and by the 1980s there was a camping and track
infrastructure to cater for visitors, numbering less
than 100,000 in 1980. Fraser was placed on the
World Heritage List in 1992; ironically, placement
on this list guaranteed a boom in tourism that
now sees about 360,000 visitors annually.
The island has seen over 120 vehicle accidents
since 2003, more than one quarter of them being
serious. Of those, 60 per cent involved foreign
drivers. In 2009, more than half the inspected
rental 4WDs did not meet the standards of a road
worthy test.
Aussies visiting Fraser make up 40 per cent of
accidents, and there are a number of things we
can do to reduce that. Obey the speed limits and
note that on the eastern beach this is 80km/h
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reduced to 40 in shared zones, such as where
light planes may be landing.
Taking into account washouts, rocks exposed
by waves, tides, patches of soft sand, 4WD tour
buses driving at maximum speeds to meet their
tight schedules, there is only one conclusion to
draw: drive defensively and below the limit at an
even, steady speed and keep your wits about you
at all times. Do not drive at night.
THE GREATEST CHALLENGE
While the beach poses the greatest danger due to
speeding and silliness, the inland tracks pose the
greatest challenge. They are narrow and can have
cavernous ruts, sharp bends and steep crests. At
rush hour, when both tours and 4WD visitors are
trying to get on and off the island all at the same
time, there can be a parade of vehicles waiting in
line for their turn to get some momentum up a hill.
To help ease the crunch, give way to 4WDs
travelling downhill, anyone towing, and to