Why you should try Bareboating K’gari (Fraser Island) with a baby

With its white-sand cays, sheltered bays and vast turquoise ocean teeming with kaleidoscopic fish, K’gari is the ultimate destination to explore by boat, even with a baby on board, writes Emma Shaw.

A bareboat charter provides a sense of freedom unlike any other.

As skipper of your own boat, you can head in whichever direction you choose. You’ll stumble across hidden beaches and private sand cays.

There’s no time to keep, nowhere important to be – it’s just you, your family and the sea. You simply plan your days around the wind forecast, hopping from beach to deserted beach, jumping in for a swim whenever you get too warm and soaking up breathtaking views that are all yours to enjoy.

K’gari (formerly Fraser Island) is the perfect place to do all of the above. Not only will you reconnect with your family, but you’re exploring one of Australia’s most pristine playgrounds.

Read: The best things to do on K’Gari with kids

Getting to K’gari

The World Heritage-listed K’gari (Fraser Island) is roughly two and a half hours north of the Sunshine Coast, and a 40-minute boat ride from Hervey Bay. Stretching about 120 kilometres in length, it is the largest sand island in the world.

Fraser Island Boat Charters

We began our charter at the Hervey Bay Boat Club marina. Our vessel is the 12-metre K’gari Breeze. With four double cabins, it boasts plenty of room for a family.

The Fraser Island Boat Charters team begins by taking you through a comprehensive lesson in bareboating. You don’t require a boat licence to operate a double-hulled sailing catamaran, and the staff teach you everything you could possibly need to know. The lesson includes helming the yacht, putting up the sails,where to anchor, understanding weather patterns and maps, as well as pointing out all the not-to-be-missed spots.

Bareboating with a seven-month-old baby

For us, it was the first time we were taking our seven-month-old baby, Macey, on a boat – and she took to it like she was made for it.

Between the waves rocking her to sleep for her naps and an abundance of beautiful white, sandy beaches for her to dig her fingers and toes into and practice crawling, she was absolutely in her element.

Days were spent in the fresh air, playing on the back lounge, and taking Macey in the tender to shore – where she loved trying to eat a sneaky handful of sand whenever she thought we weren’t looking.

Macey also loved sitting in the captain’s chair and moving the steering wheel, watching the dolphins jump alongside the boat and, of course, cuddles under a blanket as the sun went down.

Why you should try Bareboating K’gari with a baby

A bareboat charter will allow you to see more of K’gari than you ever expected. Between the diverse and unique beaches explored during the day and the spectacular sunsets that the Fraser Coast serves up each evening, we couldn’t have asked for a more magical way to spend a holiday.

Where to visit on K’gari

Wathumba Creek

Sail to Wathumba Creek, on the western side of K’gari. We swam in the sparkling blue water and gazed across the picturesque white-sand beach that stretches as far as the eye can see. You can jump into the sea straight off the boat. Or take the tender to shore for the ultimate beach day running across the sandbanks into the water.

Keep an eye out for turtles and stingrays swimming in the shallows, too.

Pelican Banks

To enjoy your own private sand cay, head to Pelican Banks. The island only a short distance from our favourite overnight anchorages; Moon Point and Big Woody Island.

During high tide, you’re likely to find yourself alone, aside from the pelicans roaming around one side; the other side offers perfect swimming conditions.

Arch Cliffs

Next stop is Arch Cliffs, also known as the coloured sand dunes. Visit at sunset to be treated to a spectacular light show.

If you arrive at least an hour before the end of the day you can watch the sand dunes change colour, from orange and yellow to red, during golden hour. It’s also a great spot for fishing or crabbing if you’re keen to catch dinner.

Kingfisher Bay Resort

If you start craving some time on land, head up to Kingfisher Bay Resort for a good meal, a spot of fishing or a cocktail on the beach as the sun goes down at the aptly named Sunset Bar. Take a walk a little further down the beach to explore McKenzie’s Jetty, but keep an eye out for dingoes – they love to run along the sand here.

Celebrating the renaming of Fraser Island

In 2021 Fraser Island was renamed to its original name of K’gari. It is the Butchulla Peoples’ traditional name for the island. In English K’gari means paradise

Tips for bareboating with a baby

• Beds on yachts are raised, and there is limited space for a porta cot in the cabins, so bring along a portable bed rail.
• Ensure you get a baby life jacket fitted correctly before you leave.
• Consider travelling with other family members, or friends, if it’s your first time sailing.
• Create a safe play space on board, with plenty of shade to sit, sleep and have fun in.
• Bring a portable booster chair for meals.
• Drink plenty of water. Children dehydrate at a faster rate than adults and staying hydrated can also help deter seasickness.
• Always have the phone number of the boating hire company on hand, in case of an emergency.

This article originally appeared in Holidays with Kids magazine. Subscribe to the latest issue here.

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