Great Sandy Biosphere Reserve, Australia

Great Sandy Biosphere Reserve Travel Guide

Trek Zone

National park

Facts and practical information

Located in the Queensland region of Australia, the Great Sandy Biosphere Reserve is a nature lover's paradise. With its diverse ecosystems and stunning landscapes, this reserve offers a unique and immersive experience for visitors.

One of the main highlights of the Great Sandy Biosphere Reserve is its expansive sandy beaches. Stretching for miles along the coast, these beaches are perfect for sunbathing, picnicking, and enjoying water activities such as swimming and surfing. The crystal-clear waters provide the perfect backdrop for a relaxing day by the sea.

For those looking to explore beyond the beaches, the reserve is also home to the iconic Fraser Island. This World Heritage-listed site is the largest sand island in the world and offers a range of activities for nature enthusiasts. Take a guided tour and discover the island's pristine rainforests, freshwater lakes, and unique wildlife. Don't miss the opportunity to visit Lake McKenzie, a breathtakingly beautiful lake with crystal-clear waters and pure white sand.

Nature lovers will also appreciate the diverse range of flora and fauna found within the reserve. From the towering eucalyptus trees to the colorful wildflowers, there is always something captivating to discover. Keep an eye out for the resident wildlife, including kangaroos, wallabies, and a variety of bird species. Birdwatchers will be delighted by the chance to spot rare and endangered species in their natural habitat.

In addition to its natural beauty, the Great Sandy Biosphere Reserve also offers a range of cultural experiences. Visit the local indigenous communities and learn about their rich history and traditions. Participate in traditional dances, taste authentic bush tucker, and gain a deeper understanding of the connection between the land and its people.

Established: 1977 (47 years ago)Visitors per year: 950 thous.Elevation: 23 ft a.s.l.Coordinates: 25°25'31"S, 152°49'41"E

Location

QueenslandAustralia

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Great Sandy Biosphere Reserve Top Attractions

Great Sandy Biosphere Reserve Attractions - What to See and Explore

Great Sandy Biosphere Reserve offers many attractions and places to visit. Here are the most important ones: Double Island Point Light, Gympie Cemetery, Pacific Islander Hospital and Cemetery site, Hervey Bay Botanic Gardens. Below you will find a complete list of places worth visiting.

Lighthouse • Vernacular architecture
Double Island Point Light
Double Island Point Light is an active lighthouse located at the summit of Double Island Point, a coastal headland within the Cooloola section of the Great Sandy National Park. It is located at the southern end of Wide Bay, 70 kilometres north of Noosa Heads, Queensland, Australia.
Cemetery
Gympie Cemetery
Gympie Cemetery is the cemetery for Gympie, Queensland, Australia. The cemetery is located on Corella Road and is managed by the Gympie Cemetery Trust.
Archaeological site
Pacific Islander Hospital and Cemetery site
Pacific Islander Hospital and Cemetery site is a heritage-listed archaeological site of a former hospital and private cemetery at the corner of Bluebell Road East and Gernich Road, Tinana, Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia.

25°17'24"S • 152°53'35"E
Hervey Bay Botanic Gardens
Garden • Park
Memorial
Howard War Memorial
Howard War Memorial is a heritage-listed memorial at William Street, Howard, Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. It was built in 1921. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.
Piers and boardwalks
Urangan Pier
Urangan Pier is a historic pier in Urangan, Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia. It is a former deep-water, cargo-handling facility originally built to facilitate the export of sugar, timber and coal.
Memorial
Traveston Powder Magazine
Traveston Powder Magazine is a heritage-listed gunpowder magazine incorporated within the Traveston Soldiers' Memorial Hall at 7 Traveston Road, Traveston, Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia.
Archaeological site
Original Maryborough Town Site
Original Maryborough Town Site is a heritage-listed archaeological site at Russell Street, Maryborough, Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 4 September 2007.
Cemetery
Commissioner Bidwill's Grave
Commissioner Bidwill's Grave is a heritage-listed lone grave of John Carne Bidwill at Cran Road, Tinana, Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. It was built in 1853. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 30 April 1997.
Cemetery
Maryborough Cemetery
Maryborough Cemetery is a cemetery in Walker Street, Maryborough West, Maryborough, Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. The cemetery and its heritage-listed Mortuary Chapel have importance to the local community as the principal place of public burial in Maryborough for over 120 years.
Natural attraction • Protected area
Mount Bauple National Park
Mount Bauple is a scientific national park in Queensland, Australia, 190 km north of Brisbane. The park's main purpose is to protect the area's exceptional scientific values.
Natural attraction • Protected area
Mount Pinbarren National Park
Mount Pinbarren is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 129 km north of Brisbane. It is located in Pinbarren, a locality in the Shire of Noosa. Mount Pinbarren lies within the South East Queensland bioregion and the Mary River catchment area. The park protects the naturally vegetated slopes of Mount Pinbarren.
Harbor
Port of Maryborough
The Port of Maryborough, Queensland, was opened in 1847 and in 1859 it was declared a port of entry, meaning that overseas and intercolonial vessels could arrive and depart direct, although there appears to have been considerable uncertainty about the name of the port outside Queensland for some years.
25°18'50"S • 152°33'54"E
Brooklyn House
Brooklyn House is a heritage-listed residence at 11 William Street, Howard, Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. It is associated with Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly Colin Rankin and his daughter Australian Senator Annabelle Rankin.
Dam
Cedar Pocket Dam
The Cedar Pocket Dam is a partially concrete gravity and rock and earth-fill embankment dam with an un-gated spillway located across the Deep Creek in the Wide Bay–Burnett region of Queensland, Australia.
Neighbourhood
Great Sandy Strait
The Great Sandy Strait is a strait in the Australian state of Queensland of 70 kilometres length which separates mainland Queensland from Fraser Island. It is also a locality in the Fraser Coast Region local government area. In the 2016 census, Great Sandy Strait had a population of 4 people.
25°31'37"S • 152°40'23"E
Baddow House
Baddow House is a heritage-listed detached house at 366 Queen Street, Maryborough, Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Willoughby Powell and built in 1883 by F Kinne.
25°33'40"S • 152°36'58"E
Yengarie Sugar Refinery Ruins
Yengarie Sugar Refinery is a heritage-listed refinery at Old Mill Road, Yengarie, Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. It was built from c. 1867 to c. 1883. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.
25°32'2"S • 152°38'6"E
Central Sugar Mill Ruins
Central Sugar Mill Ruins is a heritage-listed former sugar cane mill at Old Mill Road, Yengarie, Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1866 to 1890s. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 5 December 2005.

Day trips

Great Sandy Biosphere Reserve – popular in the area (distance from the center)

In the vicinity of Great Sandy Biosphere Reserve, it's worth seeing attractions such as: Lake Wabby (Fraser Island), Lake McKenzie (Fraser Island), Pialba Memorial Cenotaph (Hervey Bay).

19 milesE
Natural attraction, Body of water, Park
Lake Wabby, Fraser Island
Lake Wabby is a small freshwater, green colored lake. It is located in the Great Sandy National Park on the eastern side of K'gari off the coast of Queensland, Australia.
14 milesE
Pure water lake with white sand beaches
Lake McKenzie, Fraser Island
Lake McKenzie is a perched lake on K'gari in Queensland, Australia. The lake is located in the Great Sandy National Park. The lake is located 6.2 km southeast of Kingfisher Resort. It is 1,200 metres long and up to 930 metres wide. It is approximately 150 hectares in area.
9.9 miN
Memorial
Pialba Memorial Cenotaph, Hervey Bay
Pialba Memorial Cenotaph is a heritage-listed memorial at Freedom Park, Main Street, Pialba, Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Philip Oliver Ellard Hawkes and built from 1918 to 1921 by Frederick William Webb. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 6 May 2016.
49 milesNW
City hall
Bundaberg Post Office, Bundaberg
Bundaberg Post Office is a heritage-listed post office at 155a Bourbong Street, Bundaberg Central, Bundaberg, Bundaberg Region, Queensland, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 8 November 2011.
35 milesW
Outdoor activities, Park, Zoo
Snakes Down Under Reptile Park and Zoo, Childers
Snakes Downunder Reptile Park and Zoo is a zoo situated in Childers, Queensland, Australia. The zoo features Australian reptiles, amphibians and marsupials as well as meerkats.