Shop/reception – 8am to 5pm (6pm in high season)
Check in – 2pm to 5pm (6pm in high season)
About Cathedrals on Fraser
Centrally located, dingo-fenced campground on World Heritage listed Fraser Island
Our campground is fully dingo-fenced, so you can relax and enjoy a true Fraser Island camping experience knowing the kids are safe. Unlike beach camping, you can enjoy a campfire in our designated fire rings (or you’re welcome to bring your own firepit – provided it captures its own coals).
We offer a wide variety of on-site services and facilities including a well-stocked general store with hot food and freshly ground coffee, a fuel station, hot showers, laundry facilities, and much more! We also offer a variety of accommodation options to suit any budget, including cabins, permanent tents, and powered or unpowered campsites.
Centrally-located on Fraser Island’s east coast, Cathedrals on Fraser is the perfect destination for a relaxing getaway or an action-packed holiday. From the campground, you’re only a short walk to the beach with some of the Island’s best fishing spots and picturesque coloured sand dunes. You’re also just a short drive from the Island’s most popular tourist attractions including Eli Creek, the Maheno shipwreck and Champagne Pools.
If you prefer a more relaxing getaway, the campground offers a peaceful sanctuary, allowing you to kick back and read a book or watch the wildlife – particularly the cheeky goannas and kookaburras. With 90 species of birds recorded on the property, including the elusive Black-breasted Buttonquail, as well as native orchids and a vast array of fungi, Cathedrals on Fraser is a nature-lovers paradise! If you feel like stretching your legs, we also have private access to the Corrigin Sand blow.
Cathedrals on Fraser is family-owned and run and provides all the essentials for a great Island camping experience! So gather your family, round up your friends, and make Cathedrals on Fraser the home base for your next Fraser Island getaway!
History of Cathedrals on Fraser
Geoff and Norma Hannant, 15-year residents of the island, came across this idyllic camping spot near the towering coloured sand pinnacles just off Cathedral Beach in 1975 and applied for a land grant to open the campground. Originally, it was known as “Cathedral Beach Resort” and has undergone a few name changes since then, but the founding principals have remained intact. For over 40 years this campground has been a nature enthusiast’s retreat, a peaceful piece of island paradise where you can truly get away from the hustle and bustle and soak up the natural beauty of the World Heritage park.
As word began to spread about Cathedrals on Fraser, the campground grew in popularity. Today, there are many groups of friends and families who return to their favourite campsites each year for their cherished annual holiday.
In June 2016, Jack and Michelle took over the reins, with fresh eyes and renewed enthusiasm. Their daughter, Maggie, was born a few months later, and the family have made Fraser Island their home. With a background in environmental science and education, and a love of the outdoors, they look forward to enhancing your experience at Cathedrals on Fraser.
About Fraser Island
At 122km long and 22km wide, Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world. It is rich with cultural and colonial history, flora and fauna. A magical paradise containing half the worlds perched freshwater dune lakes, spectacular coloured sands, immense sand blows, lush rainforests growing on sand dunes (a phenomenon believed to be unique in the world and part of the Queens Commonwealth Canopy) and abundant wildlife, Fraser Island is truly a miracle of nature. In recognition of its outstanding natural values, it is inscribed on the World Heritage list.
Brief History
The island was formed approximately 5,000 years ago when rising sea levels flooded the low-lying surrounding areas. The Butchulla people are the traditional owners of Fraser Island and lived here for at least 5,000 years. Their traditional name for the island is K’gari, derived from a creation story in which a beautiful spirit finds the location so agreeable, she lays down and is turned into the island itself. Captain Cook first sighted the Butchella people on Fraser Island in 1770, naming Indian Head after the islanders. European colonisation caused great conflict with the Aboriginal people as land was cleared for forestry and agricultural practices and their native way of life was greatly disturbed. The Island achieved World Heritage listing in 1992, which ensured the end of all forestry, agricultural and sand mining practices.
Wildlife
Fraser Island and its surrounding waters are home to many species of wildlife, including the purest breed of dingo remaining in Australia. There are 414 species of birds, 90 species of mammals, 102 species of reptiles and 29 species of amphibians (figures courtesy of WildNet database). The waters surrounding Fraser Island are home to dolphins, rays, turtles, dugongs, and from July to November you can often spot humpback whales on their migration.
Please be knowledgeable about how to respond appropriately to wildlife encounters before you arrive on the island. Remember, you’re coming into their home for your holiday! Please minimise your impact by not feeding or making food available to wildlife.