Fraser Island, Australia: Sharks patrol these waters!

Fraser Island made it onto the world heritage list in 1992. Its the worlds largest sand island and thanks to the protection offered by its status as a National Park, remains an area of stunning natural beauty.

When I look at this image, I frequently think about a conversation I had with a German traveler about the spot. She was wondering why nobody went swimming in the beach at this location when she was there. The assumption she and her family had made was that the water was too cold for Australians at the time of year. As a result she and her family happily had the water to themselves.

The real reason why you're unlikely to find swimmers in the water off Fraser island is that its notorious for being frequented by tiger sharks. A warning given to most 4WD tours is: "Don't swim anywhere on the East coast of Fraser Island". The two main risks being dangerous rip currents and tiger sharks.

Most trips to Fraser include a visit to this place: Indian head. If you climb to the top of the rocks you get a perfect vantage for watching bird-life such as sea eagles, ospreys and kites, whales (if you're lucky) and quite frequently sharks feeding on an abundance of smaller fish.

If you want to go for a swim, a far better choice is at Lake McKenzie or one of the other freshwater lakes.

Daily Travel Photo: Fraser Island, Queensland Australia.