JUST like its more famous cousin, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia, also offers never-ending stretches of golden beaches and blue ocean waters alongside trendy streets spotted with chic cafes and eateries.

But instead of adrenaline-pumping theme parks and other glitzy tourist attractions, the quieter side of Queensland's most famous coastal beaches is home to a plethora of natural attractions, the most magnificent being Fraser Island.

Situated just north of the Sunshine Coast, Fraser Island is the world's largest sand island, and a Unesco World Heritage listed destination.

Touted as 'a miracle of nature', the island is home to an intricate ecosystem comprising ancient rainforests, freshwater lakes and windblown sand dunes. The island is also one of the best places to spot the Australian dingo, while its surrounding waters support a variety of rich marine life including dolphins, dugong turtles and humpback whales.

The Kingfisher Bay Resort

Island escape

My island adventure began at the Kingfisher Bay Resort, one of only two accommodation choices on the island. Room rates start at AU$270 (S$329), which might seem pricey, but is worth it for the experience it has to offer.

Upon check-in, it is immediately obvious why this resort won six Australian Tourism Awards and was named Australia's Best Beach Resort by Discovery's Travel Channel.

Sitting in the midst of Fraser Island's wilderness, one can observe that the resort has incorporated many of the island's natural features in its design. Pools of freshwater lakes gleam in the gentle moonlight during the evenings, and the rich surrounding rainforest vegetation creates the illusion that each resort room is perched precariously atop a lush canopy of trees.

Some visitors prefer to explore on their feet

Island exploration

Merely relaxing in the beautiful resort would, however, be scratching the surface of what Fraser Island has to offer. The island is relatively large, with a total area of about 1,630 sq km, and exploring it only on foot would be close to impossible.

Four-wheel drive (4WD) vehicles are the only mode of transport allowed on the island - there are no tarred roads outside the Kingfisher Bay Resort; just bumpy dirt tracks that are impossible to navigate without a 4WD.

There are barges that will transport your 4WD from the mainland to Fraser Island (AU$130 return for up to four people. Additional passengers pay AU$9 each). You can also rent a 4WD from the resort if you do not mind paying extra.

A full-day's rental will set you back by AU$235, excluding national park fees and petrol.

I found, however, that the best way to get an overview of the island and all its best spots was to let the expert rangers at the Kingfisher Bay Resort lead the way. The resort offers several tours, but the most popular is the Fraser Island Beauty Spots Full-Day Tour, which starts at AU$145 per adult and AU$75 per child.

Island beauty

The Maheno Shipwreck

Seated comfortably in a 4WD bus together with about 30 other nature seekers, we began the tour with a leisurely cruise along the 75-Mile Beach, a vast expanse of beach where fine yellow sands meet white foamy waves and warm sea waters. It is supposedly a favourite frolicking playpool of the mighty great white shark.

The next pitstop was Eli Creek, where I happily took off my slippers and waded through the cool fresh waters that snaked through a dense tropical rainforest. We also made a brief stop to look at the Maheno Shipwreck, the unfortunate remains of a luxury sea-liner that ran aground.

Step into paradise at Lake McKenzie

The highlight of the tour however, was something that the rangers on our tour had saved for the very last - a luxurious afternoon by the sapphire blue Lake McKenzie. The island's most beautiful perched lake is ringed by soft white sand and filled with silky blue waters.

The full-day tour lasted eight hours. It was a whole day of hiking, trekking and wading in the sparkling waters of Fraser Island. Taking in the many wondrous sights of nature's creations was exhausting. But the exhilaration that I experienced was worth it.

Photos: Tourism Queensland

How to get there

Hervey Bay is the most popular access point to Fraser Island. This laidback town is a scenic three-and-a-half hour drive from Brisbane, in Australia.

If driving seems too much of a hassle, there are several domestic airline services to the Fraser Coast Airport at Hervey Bay, from major cities in the country, including Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.

From Hervey Bay

Fraser Island is accessible via a 45-minute ride on a catamaran (AU$50 per adult) from the Urangan Boat Harbour in the town of Hervey Bay, a scenic three-anda-half hour drive from Brisbane. There are six services daily. Call +617-4120-3333 or e-mail reservations@kingfisherbay.com

Air Fraser, the only airline licensed to land on the beaches of Fraser Island, has daily services to the island from Hervey Bay and Sunshine Coast Airport. The airline also offers 15-minute joy flights from the island's 75-Mile Beach. Call +617-4125-3600.