K'gari: the ferry, the lakes and 75 Mile Beach

1. River Heads ferry~30 min at the stop

Island Connections carries vehicles and foot passengers to K'gari from here: about 50 minutes to Kingfisher Bay, about 30 to Wanggoolba Creek. Book ahead; tickets aren't sold on site.

Worth knowing: Permits no longer go on the windscreen: cameras on the island read number plates.

Tip: Check in 30 minutes before departure. Buy the QPWS vehicle permit online before the trip, you cannot buy one on the island.

↓ ferry · 45 min · 12 km

2. Kingfisher Bay~30 min at the stop

The resort on the calm west coast and the ferry landing. The sand tracks start here.

Tip: The resort roads are sealed, everything else is high-clearance 4WD only. Engage 4WD and lock the hubs before the sand.

↓ drive · 45 min · 15 km

3. Lake McKenzie (Boorangoora)~2 h at the stop

A freshwater perched lake in the dunes, fed only by rain, with shores of almost pure silica sand. The island's signature swim.

Worth knowing: It is a perched lake, sitting on a layer of compacted sand and organic matter 100 m above sea level and fed only by rain. The white beach sand is almost pure silica.

Tip: It is busiest 10:30–15:00. Bring only water to the shore, food and drinks are banned because of dingoes.

↓ drive · 30 min · 8 km

4. Central Station~1 h at the stop

The old forestry station in the rainforest. The Wanggoolba Creek boardwalk runs over perfectly clear water.

Tip: The short Wanggoolba Creek loop takes about an hour. Sleep at Kingfisher Bay or in a dingo-fenced campground.

5. Eurong~20 min at the stop

East-coast settlement with fuel, a store and access to 75 Mile Beach. The beach is officially a road and an airstrip: give way to landing planes.

Tip: Drive the beach at low tide or within about two hours of it. The limit is 80 km/h on the beach and 30 km/h inland.

↓ drive · 35 min · 26 km

6. Eli Creek~1 h at the stop

The largest freshwater creek on the east coast: about 80 million litres a day run straight onto the beach. Walk up the boardwalk and float back down.

Tip: Keep children within arm's reach. Outside fenced areas walk as a group and carry a dingo stick.

↓ drive · 8 min · 4 km

7. SS Maheno wreck~30 min at the stop

The hull of a 120 m liner built in Scotland in 1905. In WWI she served as New Zealand's hospital ship, carrying wounded from Gallipoli.

Worth knowing: In 1935 the retired liner was being towed to a Japanese shipbreaker when the towline snapped in a cyclone on 7 July; she was found beached on K'gari on 10 July. In WWII pilots and commandos trained on the hull, and today nearly three and a half decks lie under the sand.

Tip: Photograph from the sand and stay off the rusting hull.

↓ drive · 5 min · 3.5 km

8. The Pinnacles~20 min at the stop

A cliff of coloured sands above the beach, banded white to deep red. The colour comes from hematite, which stained and cemented the sand over thousands of years.

Tip: The light is best late in the day. Head back to camp before dark and with the tide in mind.

9. Indian Head~45 min at the stop

A volcanic headland over the ocean, named by James Cook after he saw Aboriginal people gathered on it. Turtles, sharks and rays are often visible from the top.

Tip: The climb is short but rocky. Wear shoes, not thongs.

↓ drive · 5 min · 2 km

10. Champagne Pools~1 h at the stop

Rock pools where waves fizz over the rocks. The one saltwater swim on the east coast.

Tip: Swim at low tide in a calm sea. The drive back to the ferry is about 3 hours on beach and inland tracks, so leave well before the evening sailing.