K'gari, Sand island in Queensland, Australia
K'gari is a sand island off the southeast coast of Australia along the Queensland shore, stretching over 120 kilometers in length. Lakes of clear freshwater sit nestled among dunes, while rainforest sections grow directly from the sand that forms the entire surface.
European navigators charted the island in the early 19th century after a shipwreck brought local communities into contact with stranded crew members. Official renaming occurred in 2023 to recognize the Butchulla people's connection to the land spanning thousands of years.
The original name means paradise in the Butchulla language and reflects the deep spiritual bond indigenous communities still hold with this sand formation. Ceremonial sites remain scattered across the terrain, visible today as shell middens and stone arrangements near freshwater springs.
Ferries link the mainland to the island from two main departure points, with crossings taking around 30 to 50 minutes. Only vehicles with four-wheel drive can navigate the sandy tracks, so a permit for driving is required in advance.
Tall rainforests thrive here on pure sand dunes with no underlying soil layer, a phenomenon observed nowhere else on Earth. Some of these trees reach heights exceeding 45 meters and root directly in the mineral-rich sand that builds nutrients through organic decomposition.
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