Burrum Coast National Park- Overnight hike, Queensland Australia (images)

**Phillipsart** · 10-10-2011, 01:00

Covering 23,100 hectares, Burrum Coast National Park on the central Queensland Coast near Woodgate.

Diverse plant and animal communities including the Kangaroo, with mangrove-lined riverbanks, wallum heath with spectacular wildflowers (unfortunately the wildflowers was not in season) and tea tree-dominated swamps where Livistona palms reach above the canopy. Areas of deeper soil support eucalypt forests, including the vulnerable Goodwood gum.

I started my walk at Walkers Point picnic area on the banks of the Burrum River, The hiking trail i'm taking is called Melaleuca track it's a 12.3 Km circuit. Half way into this trail is a National Park camp ground near the shores overlooking Fraser Island my destination for the night..

I took a 800 metre side track 3.3 Km into the hike to look at a bird hide overlooking a lake. Early morning/late afternoon is the best time to view birds from the bird hide, it was approaching mid day there was not a lot of wildlife to view, as It was a very warm day.

Arrived at Camp just after mid day, set up my Blackbird and Superfly, than strolled down to the beach, looked for a shady tree and had lunch overlooking the waters to Fraser Island. Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world, has lot's of great hiking trails. The unique thing about Fraser Island is the Rainforest, I believe it's the only place in the world where rainforest can grow and survive in sand.

Later in the day I went for a easy 3Km stroll along the beach, arrived back at camp just before the sun set. Cooked up one of my dehydrated meals I prepared a few weeks back. Than laid in my Blackbird hammock reading Hammock Camping by Ed Speer. Had one of the best sleeps in my Warbonnet Blackbird. Woke up once during the night, as I had a visitor to my camp site, A Kangaroo decided to check out my camp.

Woke up just as the sun was rising, I'm happy and relieved the Warbonnet Blackbird has a netting over it. the mossies had to be seen to believe just how many there where swarming around me trying to bite me. Snug and cossie in my brand new 3-season Hammock Gear Burrow Top quilt and Warbonnet 3-season Yeti under quilt, not one mossie was able to bite me. Soon after the breeze picked up and off the mossies went.

Packed up and returned back to vehicle, via another track passing the birdhide.
Returned back home just after lunch, cleaned up my gear, and here I am writing up a trip report. Took lot's of photos. Hope you enjoy.

I will return when the wildflowers are in bloom, which should be in another 3 to 4 weeks time.

**Phillipsart** · 10-10-2011, 01:03

Here's some more images from day one of my overnight hike.

**Phillipsart** · 10-10-2011, 01:03

The following images are from day two.

**Phillipsart** · 10-10-2011, 01:29

More images from day two.

**Bruciehi5** · 10-10-2011, 02:34

Fraser Island is one of the most amazing places! How it started as a small sand bar and now it has real rain forest and creeks. What do you know about the dingos on Fraser. I heard that you have to leave your tent (if you are silly enough to have one) open so the dingos can go in and look for food. If you don’t leave it open, they will eat through the tent. If I go there will they eat through my beloved hammock?

It looks like there would be plenty of those nasty mozzies there. Looks like good kayaking water. Very nice! Thanks Phillipsart!

**Phillipsart** · 10-10-2011, 03:40

Originally Posted by Bruciehi5

Fraser Island is one of the most amazing places! How it started as a small sand bar and now it has real rain forest and creeks. What do you know about the dingos on Fraser. I heard that you have to leave your tent (if you are silly enough to have one) open so the dingos can go in and look for food. If you don’t leave it open, they will eat through the tent. If I go there will they eat through my beloved hammock?

It looks like there would be plenty of those nasty mozzies there. Looks like good kayaking water. Very nice! Thanks Phillipsart!

The dingoes on Fraser Island?

Yes, a issue indeed.

I've been going there for 30 years on a almost yearly basis, spending a week or more, Last time there apx 6 months ago.

The dingoes never used to be a problem, There where many there, a lot more than there is now. It was very common particularly in the central station area, I would be sitting down on my fold up chair and a dingo would come up to me, Lay down under me for the shade and go to sleep. Unfortunately the dingoes on Fraser Island have no fear for people, the reason I believe is because of visitors to the island used to feed the dingoes. Many times I've seen visitors hand feeding the dingoes.

Than the government finally woken up to this, way to late in my opinion and introduced serious fines for those that feed dingoes. This had a dramatic effect on the dingoes on Fraser Island as there prime source of food was than taken away from them, in my opinion this has caused them to be more aggressive to visitors.

I don't believe there is no where near enough natural food on the island to sustain the dingo population there was at the time. If you see a dingo now, you would notice just how lean they are with hardly a stomach, some say this is how they should look naturally, I don't believe this. I think they look like this because there starving, hence more aggravation shown to visitors on the island.

I am sure many of you's are aware of the tragic death of a young boy some time ago, taken by a dingo on Fraser island. Many dingoes have now been culled since this tragic day.

In regards to camping there now, depending on where you camp.
The popular camping sites at Fraser Island including some of the camp sites on the Great Walk for hikers are dingo proof. There is a large 6 foot high fence surrounding the camp sites to keep the dingoes out. Also camp sites have lockable metal containers so you can lock your pack and food away from dingoes and any other wildlife.

I would never keep food inside a tent, even inside a dingo proof fence, because the other wildlife such as Rats and Sand Goanas will have a meal of your tent.

If your camping away from designated camp sites, you do have to be more careful where you locate your food, I would advice something similar to what those in the US use to keep food away from Bears.

In regards to hiking on your own, I hike on my own almost every visit, never had a problem with dingoes. If you see one, just ignore it. and keep walking, if it shows interest in you, shout, throw sticks at it. Good idea to take a hiking pole with you, just incase, but like I said, I've hiked there for many years and never have I had a dingo show any aggression to me.

You probably noticed in the above paragraph "if you see one" many people don't see a dingo. There's not that many over there anymore, on my last trip 6 months ago, I hiked part of the Great Walk, the only sign of a dingo I saw, was some tracks on the last day of my hike.

The dingoes on Fraser Island, appear to me now tend to congregate around area's where there are more visitors, Such as along the western beach etc.

There's plenty of trees over there to hang a hammock, no need to take a tent.
I always kept my tent closed, but don't leave any gear in my tent, snakes and unwanted visitors could decide to make your tent a home, particularly if you have a nice cosy down sleeping bag in the tent.

**Bruciehi5** · 10-10-2011, 04:09

Thanks for your answer to my dingo question, Phillipsart! You answered it from a few different angles, which has given me a good understanding of how to deal with them when I go there. I did notice that you typed “if you see one” and explaining that further was much appreciated! I’ve got the Great Walk in mind, it’s good to know there are plenty of trees. I’ll be reading and rereading what you typed. It’s very much inside info, years of experience, all boiled down.

Thank you!

**Phillipsart** · 10-10-2011, 04:15

Originally Posted by Bruciehi5

Thanks for your answer to my dingo question, Phillipsart! You answered it from a few different angles, which has given me a good understanding of how to deal with them when I go there. I did notice that you typed “if you see one” and explaining that further was much appreciated! I’ve got the Great Walk in mind, it’s good to know there are plenty of trees. I’ll be reading and rereading what you typed. It’s very much inside info, years of experience, all boiled down.

Thank you!

Currently only half of the Great Walk is open, the other half is inundated with water from all the rain we had at the start of the year. In 30 year's I've never seen the water in the lakes as high as it is now.

I think it will be a long time before the rest of the great walk is open, because the only way that water will disappear is by evaporation, and that takes a while.

However some of the best parts of Fraser Island in in the section that is open. So your not going to miss out to much.

**Phillipsart** · 10-10-2011, 04:24

May I suggest, while the closure of half the Great Walk on Fraser Island.

Take the barge from River heads to Wangoolba Creek at Fraser Island, than hike to Central Station, Have a good explore around Central Station and hike to Lake Wabby the following day, Than hike to Valley of the Giants, stay two nights there and return back to Lake Wabby. from lake wabby hike to Lake McKenzie, stay one night there than hike to King Fisher Bay resort the following day. Take the barge back to River Heads from Kingfisher Bay.

The hike from Lake Wabby to Valley of the Giants is a long hike, There's lot's to see and do at Valley of the Giants, hence why I suggest to stay there for two nights.

Also, security car parking is available at River Heads through the local Real Estate there for a small fee.

**Holger** · 10-10-2011, 04:24

We Kayak / fish every year from Urang to Fraser and up the west coast as far as we get,depending on fishing & weather. Next trip starts in three weeks. Nice on the north west coast as there is no beach driving and hardly any tracks comming through so it is very peaceful and nature pure. The only people we see in Wathumba.
We see Dingos on a daily basis (on their beach patrol) but never had problems. All food is hung up in the trees. Except on out rest day we move every day and camp at the beach.
We once had a hole in a drybag with food somebody left on the kayak, but otherwise they are quite shy there, and don't come closer than 50 -100m.
If we have a fish frame we either leave it at sea, or walk a km down the beach and throw it in the waves there. The Dingos will get it there, but not make a connection between people / camps and food. Just remember they are wild animals, not pets. I love but respect them.

http://yakass.net/articles/expeditio...ition-20092010