Fraser Island
Holiday Heaven
Fraser Island
Location
Some pictures of the amazing island!
Historical Infomation
It is not known how long Fraser Island has been occupied by the Butchulla people, there is evidence that suggests it was more than 5,500 years but maybe up to 20,000 years.
Captain Cook first sighted the Butchulla people on Fraser Island during 1770. Matthew Flinders was one of the first white men to make contact with the Butchulla people.
When the Europeans began settling on the island they caused many conflicts with the Aboriginal people because the Europeans did not understand or respect their tribal boundaries or how important the environment was to them.
During this time land began to be cleared and farming practices were set up. But this disturbed the natural supply of food to the native people of the island. This meant that traditions and hunting methods had to be changed for the Butchulla people to survive.
Logging begun on Fraser Island in 1863 and continued until December 1991 when the Island was nominated for "World Heritage Listing".
Fauna on Fraser Island
There are many different species of mammals on Fraser Island including the Swamp Wallaby, Small Eared Mountain Possum, the Sugar Glider and Echidnas.
Dingoes were once common on Fraser Island but are now decreasing. The Fraser Island dingo is known to be the last remaining pure dingoes in Eastern Australia.
There have been more than 354 species of birds sighted on Fraser Island. The island has a wide range of habitats providing different food sources, nesting and breeding areas.
Fraser Island has 79 species of reptiles including 19 kinds of snakes. The Sand Monitor and the Lace Monitor lizards are the most commonly seen reptiles.
The "Acid" frog, which is a rare species can be seen and heard in the swamps. This particular frog has adapted to survive in a difficult environment.
Flora on Fraser Island
The Flora on Fraser Island is unique and varied. There are more than 865 species of plants on the island. It is the only place on Earth where rainforests grow in sand.
The dominant trees in the rainforest areas are the Fraser Island Satinay and the Brush Box.
The western side of Fraser Island seems to have plenty of flowering plants. You can find the Wide Bay Boronia which has seasonal purple flowers and is common in the wetter areas and thought to be found only in the Great Sandy region.
The southwest coast of Fraser Island is dominated by mangroves.