While there are distressingly regular reports of dingoes attacking people – normally young children – on K’gari (Fraser Island), most travellers still tend to think ‘it won’t happen to me’.
Certainly, 70-year-old Steve Shields – who has enormous respect for the animals – wasn’t prepared for just how threatening they could be.
Until recently, the retiree had been planning to travel solo around the country towing his Austrack off-road caravan behind his much-loved 2020 Land Rover Defender.
However, Steve’s plans changed when he met a special lady, and they decided to take shorter trips instead … and that’s how they ended up in a tent on K’gari in March.
Dingoes can cause issues for travellers on K'gari. PIC: DESI
Steve used duct tape to patch up his tent.
The pair were part of a group of seven members of the Gold Coast Land Rover Owners Club, all of senior ages, who had four separate sites in a non-fenced camping ground at Waddy Point.
But there were dingoes wandering around the area, and that eventually led to problems.
“Our tent was ripped apart twice and the air mattress punctured,” said Steve. “Fortunately, we were away the first time and not inside, and we repaired the tent with duct tape.”
On the second occasion, Steve says they were only standing about 15 metres away from the tent.
“They were not afraid of waving sticks to keep them away and the pack of about seven animals came very close, about one or two metres many times,” he said. “It was at times intimidating as you had to keep looking behind your back when three or four were around you.”
Importantly, Steve insists the group had been careful to not leave food in or around the tent and had actually left it unzipped so the dingoes could go inside and check it out.
Steve say he will camp again at K’gari .. but behind a fence.
Nonetheless, their tent and mattress were damaged beyond repair and it all led to a change of plans .
“We slept in the vehicle and the worst problem was the 50 mozzies that drank our blood during the night,” he said. “We left the next day, a day earlier than planned.”
However, Steve says he has learnt from the experience and feels no animosity towards the dingoes.
“They are just trying to survive on land that appears to offer very little to sustain them,” he said. “Of course, there are the residents, campers and fishermen who – against all regulations – feed them and ruin it for all of us, but I will camp at K’gari again … just in a fenced area!”
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