May 4th and 5th were the dates of this year’s FINIA annual tour of K’gari. Each year FINIA aims to have one two-day meeting on K’gari. FINIA is a community-based partnership dedicated to the protection of the K’gari World Heritage Area’s natural integrity and ecological assets to help ensure that all stakeholders are successfully cooperating in caring for K’gari.
This year we missed our unfailingly enthusiastic chair, Sue Sargent. We await her return with Matthew. Congratulations to the newlyweds from the FINIA family.
After an early morning barge crossing from Hervey Bay Boat Harbour, participants disembarked at Wanggoolba Creek. There we met up for carpooling and set off for the first stop of the tour, the former forestry headquarters, Central Station. Two local ABC Radio Wide Bay staff, Lucy and Patrick, accompanied the group for both days.
Butchulla custodian Travis performs a smoking ceremony as part of the welcome to the island (Photo: FIDO) 
FIDO leader Peter Shooter shows the coral creeper, an invasive weed around Eurong (Photo: FIDO) 
The brightly coloured but very toxic seeds of Crab’s Eye Creeper are a danger to children and animals (Photo: FIDO) 
Firefighter Winston Williams demonstrates the direction of the fire that threatened Happy Valley in 2020 (Photo: FIDO) 
Volunteers planted a hillside with pandanus seedings as part of the tour (Photo: FIDO) 
FIDO volunteer Maureen discusses progress with Butchulla Ranger Shantel. Volunteer weeders were pleased to meet traditional custodians (Photo: FIDO) 
The Discovery Centre is a must to visit at the Kingfisher resort complex (Photo: FIDO)
At Central Station, the group met up with Shantel Ah Kit, one of the Butchulla Land and Sea Rangers who has attended several Bioblitzes at Rainbow Beach. She introduced her colleague Travis ‘Dinka Dinka’ Page who performed a Welcome to Country and a cleansing smoking ceremony using the smoke of selected native leaves. Travis also performed on the yidaki (didgeridoo) and delivered an insightful talk about the three Butchulla laws:
What is good for country must come first.
Do not touch or take whatever does not belong to you.
If you have plenty you must share.
An important aspect of the tour was to see threats to biosecurity and the measures being taken to control them. After sharing morning tea at Central Station, the group travelled on to the settlement of Eurong. There they investigated a site badly infested with a weed called Coral Creeper which escaped from residents’ gardens years before. Local resident David Anderson and FIDO led by Sue Dawson has been battling this invasive species for years, but it is proving very difficult to eradicate.
Further south at Happy Valley, FIDO Acting Chairman Peter Shooter showed a weed that has spread out from the settlement there. Crab’s Eye Creeper, (Abrus precatorius subsp. Africanus) has brightly coloured red and black seeds which are extremely toxic. Recent volunteering trips have removed over 130 kilos of toxic seed from areas adjacent to the Happy Valley settlement. Groups gathered for lunch at Happy Valley where a lot of productive discussion took place. Happy Valley Community Association’s Scott Bell shared a report from Red Ash Consulting, which documented progress in reducing the prevalence of Abrus and Easter cassia in areas around the settlement since FIDO took over. Aerial maps showed a very significant reduction in infestations of both weeds in the targeted areas.
During the afternoon the convoy travelled North to a coastal site where Pandanus trees have been infested with the Pandanus leafhopper (Jamella australiae). Some healthy seedlings were planted on the site in the hope that they will grow and recolonise the area.
After lurching all day over sandy tracks, participants spent a comfortable night at Dilli Village, a former sand mining accommodation centre now retrofitted and leased by the University of the Sunshine Coast. Chef Graham served some delicious meals, and everyone enjoyed a warm shower and an informative presentation by Sandy Cape volunteer Don Bradley. Don showed some recent work involving tagging male turtles and the resultant maps that describe the turtles’ travels, giving valuable insight for scientists into where they travel and feed.
On day 2 after breakfast, a round table discussion took place chaired by Eurong resident David Anderson. This allowed each person to introduce themselves and explain their connection with K’gari.
Jenna Tapply from QPWS joined the group for a presentation and Butchulla ranger Shantel Ah Kit took everyone outside for a demonstration of how a cultural burn should be conducted. She stressed the need for a slow and low flame which enables those attending it to avoid damaging culturally important artefacts such as scarred trees. Orchid Beach fire chief Winston Williams was present and some wonderful sharing of ancient and modern fire control emerged.
On the second afternoon, the group crossed back to the mainland side of the island to wait at Kingfisher Bay for the return barge. Most visited the Discovery Centre, a partnership between Kingfisher Resort, the Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation, and the University of the Sunshine Coast. It was designed to help visitors appreciate the unique features of the island and behave safely and appropriately, with colourful displays explaining the significance of World Heritage status, special features and safe behaviours around wongari (dingoes).
The whole experience gave a strong overall picture of the varied beauty of K’gari, the threats to her well-being as well as the determined efforts of those who work to keep her safe and beautiful.
Article contributed by Zela Bissett and Article contributed by Peter Shooter, K’gari (Fraser Island) Defenders Organisation (FIDO)
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