SOUTH WHITE CLIFFS-
UNGOWA
Once past Boonlye Point the channel
sweeps to the east between Turkey
Island and Sheridan Flats, where the
flood tides meet over the shallowest
depths in a well-beaconed channel
amid intertidal mudflats and mangrove
islets. Beyond Sheridan Flats, the
channel comes close up against
Fraser Island in a series of delightful
anchorages at South White Cliffs and
Ungowa. All of these are snug if it’s
blowing from the north-east through to
south-west; if it’s fresh from the north,
anchor in behind nearby Bookar Island
or under Turkey. In this area, the stream
floods south and ebbs north.
Part-way along these sand cliffs is
Buff Creek, in the mangroves south of
which lie the remains of the Swordfish,
one of the many logging vessels used
during Fraser’s forestry era. Close to
the wreck, a small waterfall provides a
permanent source of excellent drinking
water for topping up a vessel’s reserves.
Nearby to the north, the hulk of the
coastal sugar steamer Palmer can be
seen a few hundred metres up the
shallow mangrove-lined estuary of
Deep Creek. North of Deep Creek, the
wreck of the Ceratodus protrudes from
the shoreline at the mouth of a small
creek that bears its name, where she
ended her days as a sand barge in the
strait.
For more than 80 years Fraser Island
was logged for its precious timbers,
and Ungowa was once the site of the
forestry headquarters. An old jetty
(now condemned and barricaded), a
boatshed and ramp are relics of this
bygone era, and the forestry residences
are now used by the NPWS service.MARY RIVER-SUSAN
RIVER-MARYBOROUGH
Just north of Ungowa is the confluence
of the Mary and Susan rivers, where
they flow out from the west below the
town of River Heads, the mainland
departure point for vehicle and
passenger ferries to Fraser Island. The
Fraser Venture runs three services daily
southward to Wanggoolba Creek and
the Kingfisher Bay runs three services
northward to the resort of that name.
There are two public boat ramps
at North Head on the end of the
peninsula: a narrow single-lane ramp
on the eastern side of the car park
and a dual-lane ramp on the more46 tradeaboat.com.au