The dunes on Fraser Island (K’gari) are far more than sand piles — the island’s tallest, Mount Bowarrady, reaches 244 metres above sea level in the northern-central interior. Elsewhere, dunes shaped by Pacific winds over hundreds of thousands of years continue to creep forward, gradually swallowing forest near Lake Wabby as they move.
It’s a slow-motion contest between desert and rainforest playing out right beside each other. Climbing one is a genuine effort — but the view from the top makes it worthwhile.
You can see this happening in real time at Lake Wabby, about 100 km south of Orchid Blue — roughly a 2-hour drive plus a 45-minute walk in — where the dunes are slowly swallowing the lake. Our Complete Guide to Lake Wabby covers the walk-in.