Dingo Pups And Paperbarks Make Their Mark On Our Fraser Summer...

Fraser Island has many unique natural values and the diversity of our flora and fauna continues to wow first timers to our sandy shores. Another wow factor comes when guests spot a purebred Fraser Island dingo (Canis dingo) - the apex predator that keeps our sandy ecosystem in balance. At this time of the year, young dingoes become playful and more independent and can be spotted out and about as they learn the fundamentals of hunting from the pack – much to the delight of our guests down on the western beach (outside the dingo fence) and on our Beauty Spots off-road day tours – particularly around Central Station in the heart of the island.

Puppy Love! @Gregorsnell has captured this beautifully

DID YOU KNOW Fraser Island’s dingoes are part of the island’s ecology and are protected by law?  Their survival relies on three management factors—education, engineering and enforcement.

Both Kingfisher Bay Resort and Eurong Beach Resort are surrounded by dingo fences to keep our famous dingoes from being loved too much (that’s the engineering part).  If you’re new to the island, please check out these few simple tips to help you remain DINGO SAFE when you’re in the Great Sandy National Park (education in action) and please don’t feed these animals as heavy fines apply (you guessed it, enforcement!).

A little closer to the resort, recent rainfall has been welcomed by the team and indeed by all across drought-stricken Queensland. On island, it has hardened up the tracks nicely as we head towards the busy Christmas holidays on Fraser. Summer also means blue skies and plenty of sun, which provides the perfect conditions to head out on our Ranger-guided canoe paddles or on our guided walks to spot some of Fraser’s weird and wonderful critters, including our Acid Frogs.  Creek Lilly Pillies (Acmena smithii) are also fruiting this month – their branches weighted down with the mass of berries which is bringing in many fruit eating birds and a few resort rangers.

Paperbarks make for stunning shots at Lake McKenzie

Another iconic Australian species that attracts attention is the Paperbark Tea Tree (Melaleuca quinquenervia), which is commonly found around the resort and on the island.  This species is easily spotted by its paper-like bark – hence the name - and can literally be pulled away from the tree in sheets (not that we advocate this).  You might recognise the shot of Lake McKenzie with the iconic paperbark taking centre stage (pictured left).

The Paperbark was a staple in the Butchulla medicine cabinet - tea tree oil (from the leaves) is a fantastic antiseptic; powder contained in the bark can be used as an antiseptic powder; and the sheets of bark themselves can be used as bandages.

Paperbark is also used in cooking - replacing aluminium foil for dishes like baked fish (just ask our Chefs in our signature, Seabelle restaurant, who have perfected a bush-inspired baked barramundi in paperbark on the menu).

Stonetool Sandblow. Picture: Peter Meyer Photography

RANGER FACT: Nectar from the bottlebrush-like flowers can be mixed with water to make a natural cordial. 

December is also the time that we welcome our visiting “sand man” and one of the country’s leading geomorphologists, Dr. Errol Stock, back to the resort for a series of guest presentations on how earth scientists use their magic to reveal the secrets of Fraser’s dunes.

According to Doctor Errol, it’s easy to fall under the spell of Fraser Island’s dunes. In pulses linked to geological and climatic cycles, and for more than two million years, sand has accumulated on a hard basement of sedimentary and volcanic rocks so that only a few headlands and small outcrops remain visible to hint at nature’s cloaking magic. It’s fascinating stuff – especially for us tree huggers - and we’ll be sharing more in the coming weeks on our blog.

As you can see, it’s been an action-packed few months here on Fraser and we are looking forward to a bright new year filled with plants, animals, beach and sun!  Merry Christmas everybody, cheers Ranger Bec.