A walk from K'gari Station provides access to a stunning section of the famous Eastern Beach, and a chance to discover incredible wildlife and coastal plants.

Beachfront

Soak up the beauty of K'gari's surf beach, with its sweeping stretch of white sandy beach and outstanding views of the Pacific Ocean. The beach is not suitable for swimming due to strong currents, sharks and marine stingers.

Beach life

The shifting inter-tidal sands at the front of Dilli Village are full of life. Look for Pipis (shellfish), moon snails, ghost crabs, and sand-bubbler crab colonies with their telltale patterns of tiny sand balls.

Did you know: Humpback whales can be seen playing in the ocean just offshore from the Dilli beach during their annual migration from June to October.

Vegetation

See the Island's changing landscapes, from beach to coastal woodland, with a walk from the station through coastal sand dunes to K'gari's famous Eastern Beach.

The foredunes are held together by salt-tolerant pioneer plants such as Pigface, Goatsfoot and Beach Spinifex, that creep over the dunes and trap sand swept from the beach by the wind.

Towards the station, the vegetation begins to change with small, hardy trees such as Horsetail She-oaks, coastal Banksia and Pandanus providing a more permanent stabilising force on the dunes.

These pioneer plants begin nutrient and soil development vital to the Island's unique plant succession, and protect the Wattles, Hopbush, Tuckeroo and stunted Eucalyptus trees found further inland from salt-laden winds.

Birdlife

The ocean and sand dunes near the station provide food and habitat for a diverse number of birds. On the beach look for:
Red-capped Plover
Pied Oyster Catcher
White-Bellied Sea Eagle
Crested Tern
Caspian Tern

At the station and surrounding coastal forests, search for:

Bush Stone Curlew
Bar Shouldered Dove
White Cheeked Honeyeater
Blue-faced Honeyeater
Lewins Honeyeater
Masked Lapwing
Noisy Friar Bird
Magpie Lark

Waterhole

Just outside the station fence is a beautiful waterhole that is alive with fish, freshwater turtles, birds and frogs, including species of the Island's rare Acid Frogs, which have adapted to survive in its fresh, yet highly acidic water.

Wildlife

Wildlife around the station includes:

• Swamp wallabies
• Dingoes
• Goannas
• Echidnas
• Native bees
• Fruit and micro bats
• Acid frogs and other frog species
• Snakes, including death adder and red-bellied blacks
• Fresh water turtles

Historical sand mining site

Evidence of the Island's short-lived sand mining history can be found near the station, which was once the centre of operations for the Dillingham Mining company.

From 1975-77, around 100 hectares was mined for Rutile and Zircon within about 2km of the station.

Visit the rehabilitation area behind the machinery shed to see the impact of mining on the Island's soil and plant communities.

K'gari Research Station

A base to explore, research, learn and stay on the world’s largest sand island - uniquely located on a UNESCO World Heritage site at the northern end of three neighbouring biospheres.