Top Ten Australia Off-the-Beaten-Path Adventures

Point Reyes National Seashore Photo Gallery

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Fraser Island, north of Brisbane, is the largest sand island in the world. However, it is grown over with tall trees and verdant greenery, belying its sandy soils. Jewel-like lakes nestle amid white hills of sand, or are rimmed by rich, thick jungle. Blue-water breakers curl in and crash along its 80-plus miles of Pacific beachfront, while whales, dugongs (similar to a manatee), and turtles cruise and cavort in the protected waters between the island and the mainland.

A World Heritage Area, most of Fraser is designated national-park land. While the island once supported sand mining and forestry, both these industries have faded; instead of chainsaws and backhoes, these days you'll hear only the soft shuffle of bare feet on sand and the hum of four-wheel-drive vehicles cruising the main ocean beach.

Central Station and the six small resorts that dot the island can be crowded but, for those willing to try a little harder, a stretch of beach or a small white sand-rimmed lake can be had for camping, surf fishing, or just as a spot to build your own private castle in the sand.