ISLAND PARADISE

NEAR THE TOP OF THE BUCKET LIST FOR EVERY AUSSIE FOUR-WHEEL DRIVER, K'GARI IS PACKED WITH STUNNING HIGHLIGHTS AND BOASTS SOME OF THE BEST BEACH DRIVING IN THE COUNTRY

- DAN GREC

FOR decades many have referred to Fraser Island as paradise, which coincidentally is the meaning of the island's original Aboriginal name K'gari, which it has recently readopted.

K'gari is the world's largest sand island, and is made of 113 cubic kilometres of the stuff. Much more than just sand, however, K'gari also boasts rainforests, wildlife, 1000-year-old trees and more than 865 species of plants. This incredible island paradise was UNESCO World Heritage Listed in 1992, and virtually the entire island can be explored with a well-equipped fourwheel drive vehicle.

Always on the lookout to include family, Katie and I meet up with my Uncle Ron, and together we load up on all the supplies we can carry in nearby Hervey Bay. We have 10 days on K'gari ahead of us, including a criss-crossing route from south to north with the aim of visiting all the highlights and out-of-the-way corners the island has to offer.

FERRY TO PARADISE

K'GARI sits barely a kilometre off the mainland, and multiple barges and ferries regularly make the crossing, transporting an armada of 4x4s and their grinning drivers. Many of the decked-out vehicles could easily be on the cover of a magazine, and they're all packed to the brim, ready for adventure.

The excitement is palpable as we join the line-up of vehicles before reversing on to the ferry. Loading the ferry in reverse means we're lined up to drive straight out on arrival, which makes life much easier. The crossing takes barely 20 minutes, and we are quickly off the ferry and on the island.

Driving on an island entirely made of sand means we need to air down to 16psi all around. At these pressures the contact patch is increased enormously and will provide plenty of grip in the soft sand. It's reassuring to know we can still go a lot lower if the need arises, but for now we'll walk the line between traction, fuel consumption and speed.