Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world. It is protected as a part of the Great Sandy National Park. The name of the island had been Great Sandy Island for a short period. Then the present name was adopted from the stories of a woman named Eliza Fraser who survived a shipwreck on the island.
The island is filled with the most unusual natural phenomena. For instance, it is the only place on Earth where rainforests grow on sand dunes, rising to more than 200 metres. Half of the perched lakes in the world can also be found here. These are formed when depressions on dunes are permanently filled with rainwater. Fraser Island is home to the purest strain of dingoes in Eastern Australia.
Humans have lived on Fraser Island for nearly 5000 years. Explorer James Cook sailed by the island in 1770 and Matthew Flinders landed near the northern tip of the island in 1802. Added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1992, the island is a popular tourist destination. In addition to the spectacular scenery, it is also a great spot to watch female humpback whales and their babies.
Picture Credit : Google
