Harry and Meghan are on a tour of Australia and grabbing attention wherever they go. But the royal couple has made a stop in a place that might be more captivating than their royal romance – the only place in the world where a rainforest is known to grow on sand, Fraser Island.
Butchulla children welcome Queensland Premier and Duke of Sussex at Pile Valley. Image by Luke Marsden
Why are Harry and Meghan visiting Fraser Island?
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited the island as part of the Queens Commonwealth Canopy (QCC) project, which is designed to conserve forests around the Commonwealth. The project began back in 2015 and is designed to preserve indigenous forests in all 53 countries. A forest on Fraser Island, the world’s largest sand island, was added to the project by the Prince of Wales in April 2018, as it is the only known rainforest that grows on sand.
Duke and Duchess of Sussex on Kingfisher Bay. Image by Luke Marsden
Prince Harry visited the island to take part in a traditional ‘Welcome to Country’ smoking ceremony with the island’s traditional owners, the Butchulla people. He also unveiled a plaque for the dedication of the Forests of K’gari to the QCC. Meghan travelled to the island along with her husband, but due to her pregnancy, opted to take a short break from the official engagements.
What makes Fraser Island unique?
The island was added to the Unesco World Heritage List in 1992 and is noted as an “outstanding example of ongoing biological, hydrological and geomorphological processes.” The island has many lakes and the world’s largest unconfined aquifer on a sand island. Some of the iconic Fraser Island satinay trees are more than 1000 years old, with canopies at more than 50 metres high. The island is the only place where rainforests grow from sand and is home to more than 200,000 acres of protected forest and a 75-mile-long beach.
It’s a top destination for travellers looking for a rugged adventure in Australia. It is also famous for its population of dingoes – and the wild canines can be spotted on the island.
Duke of Sussex at Pile Valley. Image by Luke Marsden
Want to know where Harry and Meghan will go next? See their full itinerary here.
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