Paradise in Butchulla Language — and in Reality
K'gari means "paradise" in the language of the Butchulla people, the Traditional Custodians of this island for over 5,500 years. It is a deeply fitting name. The world's largest sand island somehow supports ancient subtropical rainforest, crystal-clear perched lakes of extraordinary blue, coloured sand cliffs up to 200 metres high and a 75-mile ocean beach that doubles as a highway.
K'gari sits just offshore from Hervey Bay — one of the few places in the world where humpback whales rest and play with their calves, sheltered by the island's western coast. The Great Sandy Straits between Hervey Bay and K'gari is a protected marine park with dugongs, dolphins, sea turtles and extraordinary birdlife. Together, they form one of the most biologically rich destinations in Queensland.
