Fraser Island - Dingoes

[mark electric]

Hiking on Fraser Is next week, I am still a bit concerned about Dingo not being afraid of humans.
Read all the Dingo safety.
Any one been over there recently are they a threat / problem?

[Gadgetgeek]

I've been over a few times via 4x4, and have had a few encounters. as long as you practice some good camp discipline, have your eyes open, you should be fine. I'm not going to say its all good, they are wild animals, and can be hard to predict, but that being said, I wouldn't say they are a problem. Take it seriously, and you'll be in much better shape than those who disregard the warnings.

[weeds]

I would leave the tent in-attended for extended periods (night time mainly) with food in it as the buggers can be quite determined to get the food.

Other than that I have been to Fraser three time over a 20 year period and didn't have an issue....sorry I haven't been recently.

[RonK]

Read the information on the Fraser Island Great Walk web site, in particular the dingo advice in the Fraser Island Conditions Report.

There is some risk involved with walking solo but if you follow the advice you should be ok.

[mark electric]

Thanks very much for replies, I will post images on return, leave for island today. 6 days, wanggoolba,central, wabby, giants, wabby, McKenzie then leave from kingfisher.

[mark electric]

Just finished 3 days walking on Fraser Is. Heard dingoes one morning at Central, saw paw prints on the 4x4 tracks in the wheel ruts but didnt see any. QLD parks have closed the walking tracks and walkers camps pretty much as I arrived. I still made a trip out of it, I could only book Central station, but I stayed at Mckenzie one night. I will post my route map showing me using 4x4 tracks when I had to. They are not shared tracks, but I could hear vehicles coming a long way off and made sure I was always well off the track. I still made a great trip out of it. The rangers new I was on the Island and my progress which was good (they were supportive). Some pic's.

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Amended route.

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Wild life grid, electric trip wires. Central station camp site.

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Wild life monitoring of grid. Central station camp site.

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Cages to lock food away, Central station camp site.

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Central station camp site.

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2 m dingo fence surrounding Central station camp site.

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Lake Mckenzie

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Walkers camp Mckenzie, this camp site is dingo fenced as well.

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[north-north-west]

Are you saying all those other areas were closed due to dingoes? Wouldn't have thought they'd be a danger to an adult.

[mark electric]

Hello, No not closed because of dingoes. I dont know the reason and neither did the rangers I talked to. A local of 20 years told me the main reason they close the trails and camps is because of back burning / fire.

[danthewanderer]

Hi Mark,
We completed the Fraser Island Great Walk over a 7 day period, walking north to south early last month & didn't see a single dingo...no sure we even heard one. Thought for sure we'd see one at popular spots like Lake McKenzie. The day we got back to the mainland, was an article in the Courier Mail on the fate of the Fraser Island dingo & their possible demise on the island within a few years.

[mark electric]

OK, Thanks for that. I followed paw prints from Mckenzie to the Ruins on the west side in the 4 x 4 ruts. The rangers asked me if id seen any dingoes or snakes, I said no.