Kingfisher Bay Resort on World Heritage-listed Fraser Island opened in 1992, setting benchmarks now aspired to by ecotourism ventures worldwide.
Owned by Queensland company Kingfisher Bay Resort & Village Pty Ltd, the fully-integrated ecotourism resort attracts more than 145,000 guests each year.
Kingfisher Bay holds nine Advanced Ecotourism Certifications from Ecotourism Australia for its tours and accommodation. Most rangers hold Eco Guide Certification from Ecotourism Australia. We've also been credited as a 'Green Travel Leader' by Ecotourism Australia - this is a badge we wear with honour as it means we're a trail blazer in responsible travel and have been ECO certified for more than 10 years.
The resort holds six Australian Tourism Awards and nine Queensland Tourism Awards for Ecotourism and Development and won a place in the Queensland Tourism Awards Hall of Fame after winning the 2006 Steve Irwin Ecotourism Award.
The resort was designed to integrate with the environment - not impose upon it. The process of ensuring the highest ecotourism standards started with the original survey and environmental impact assessment, continued with thorough landscape planning and architectural standards and now involves energy and waste minimisation.
The Queensland-style wooden buildings with open verandas have curving tin roofs, imitating the rolling sand dunes. The greens, burgundy and golden browns of resort buildings are those of the surrounding vegetation so that the resort blends with its natural bush surrounds.
Buildings are below the tree line, limited to two levels and, wherever possible, designed around major trees to increase the feeling of environmental harmony. Impact on the dunal system is minimised through the resort buildings being floated on piles sunk up to 16 metres.
