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10 Tips To Know Before Visiting Eli Creek In Fraser Island

Getting ready to explore K’gari, formerly Fraser Island and wanting to visit Eli Creek? As a World Heritage-listed site and one of the most popular stops on the East Coast of Australia, Eli Creek is one of the main attractions that brings thousands of visitors here each year.

Before you visit, here’s our tips you need to know before you make the effort to visit this incredible creek in Fraser Island.


What makes Eli Creek special?

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Eli Creek is the largest freshwater creek in Fraser Island, located at 75 Mile Beach and pouring up to an impressive four million litres of fresh water into the ocean every hour!

This freshwater creek is a popular spot for visitors, known for its crystal-clear waters and serene environment, and offering a unique experience where you can literally float down the creek towards the ocean. It’s a super popular swimming spot for all ages and popular for families having a picnic next to the picturesque backdrop.

It’s rich in history and an important place for the Butchulla people – the traditional owners of the land – and where local Aboriginal women baptised their children.

However, to make the most of your visit, there are several tips you should know before heading to Eli Creek. To check out our full list of for the whole of the island, read our 15 Tips Before Planning Your Fraser Island Trip!


1. Best Time to Visit

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Timing is crucial when planning a visit to the fresh water Eli Creek. The best time to visit Fraser Island, and by for swimming in Eli Creek, is during winter (June to August). During this period, the weather is mild and pleasant, especially with the fewer march flies. Additionally, this is the time when the island is less crowded, allowing for a more peaceful experience at the creek.

The temperature actually stays the same 19C all year around at Eli Creek, so no matter what time you visit, the temp won’t change. Many people on our tour thought it was too cold, but I really enjoyed it.


2. Getting There

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Fraser Island is accessible only by ferry from Hervey Bay mainland, and once on the island, the terrain requires a 4WD vehicle as you’ll be entering the world’s largest sand island.

There are several options for getting to Eli Creek, so you might like to check out my Best Fraser Island Tours vs Tag-Along Tours vs Self Driving Options. In the guide, I break down the tours, and the pros and cons of the various ways to see the island.


3. Keep an eye on kids when you’re there

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The current, although gentle, can be tricky for young children or weak swimmers. Even though the water is very shallow, always supervise children when you’re there as well as when you explore Fraser Island.


4. What to Bring

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When you’re visiting Eli Creek in Fraser Island, make sure you bring a floatie unless you’re doing the K’gari Explorer Tour like we did. We actually went to Kmart before we drove up from our home in Sunshine Coast and bought a couple of floaties for Eli Creek. But it turns out we didn’t need them in the end because the tour actually provides them and blows them up as well!

I do wish I bought a waterproof bag for my phone. We walked down the boardwalk to the starting point of the creek (it’s only a five minute walk) to take some photos, then walked back to the bus to put our cameras away before then enjoying a ride down the creek.


5. Look out for dingoes around Eli Creek

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Before you walk onto the boardwalk to the start of the creek, you’ll notice there are dingo sticks to use for safety if needed. We actually saw a couple of dingos hanging around at the end of the creek by the ocean where everyone had parked up. This could be due to people having BBQs outside their cars, so dingoes were hanging around.

It kinda baffled me how people weren’t that bothered by the dingoes, so just be super careful here. You’ll notice the dingos will be tagged and some might have collars on them to be tracked.


7. Explore the nearby sights near to Eli Creek

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While Eli Creek is a highlight, the area around it is also worth exploring along the famous 75 Mile Highway. Check out our guide for the 31 Best Things To Do In Fraser Island to see our top picks! The Maheno Shipwreck and the colored sands of The Pinnacles are nearby attractions that really shouldn’t be missed!


8. Where NOT to swim in Fraser Island

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If there’s anywhere you should 100% avoid swimming in Fraser Island, it’s the ocean at Eurong and Seventy Five Mile Beach, the eastern beach on the island. It’s off bounds because this is a shark infested area, so please do not attempt to swim here.


9. Places you can swim in Fraser Island

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If you’re looking for more places to swim in Fraser Island, go for a swim at one of the many lakes, including the famous Lake Mckenzie and Lake Wabby. Both are spectacular swimming spots. Wanggoolba Creek at Central Station is another incredible creek but it’s too shallow to swim here.


10. More Fraser Island guides to help you plan your trip!

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Check out our other Fraser Island travel guides to inspire you to plan your next trip here!


Tips for visiting Eli Creek

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