It would be fair to say us Queenslanders would be guilty of a little envy over our Victorian and New South Wales friends, with all that public land hunting.

The Darling Downs Branch of the Australian Deer Association has, for some time now, run a number of interstate trips each year for its members. This is often accompanied by an annual trip that sees the branch heading overseas.

This year was to have been no different, with a full calendar planned — 14 branch opportunities in total. But as COVID–19 moved from being distant news overseas to a major issue in Australia, the year’s hunting plans started to fall apart.

First it was the white tail trip to Stewart Island, New Zealand; then the red deer roar; followed by the fallow rut; and finally the annual mentor hunts. All cancelled as travel restrictions became a real thing.

But there was a glimmer of hope.

It looked like restrictions would lift closer to September and our trip to Victoria to chase Sambar would be the one thing that saved the year from being a total write-off.

Sadly, that too was not meant to be.

When faced with such a dilemma, what’s a Queenslander to do? You may have guessed. Fishing!

What Queensland doesn’t have in public land hunting, it makes up for with amazing fishing, pristine beach camping and 4 x 4 fun.

While Victoria was locked down and the Queensland Government prevented interstate travel, the Darling Downs branch turned its attention to the tailor run that moves up the coast each spring.

So, it was planned: 10 days on K’gari (Fraser Island).

For those not aware, K’gari is the largest sand island in the world with some amazing features including crystal-clear freshwater rivers, rainforests, lagoons, coloured sands and panoramic views everywhere you go.

But the big drawcard is the tailor run.

Getting to the island is relatively simple. Assuming you can cross the infamous Inskip Point with its super-soft sand — it catches out the most experienced if you aren’t careful, and you can spend some time recovering vehicles from being bogged — the Manta Ray Barge offers a 20-minute ferry to the island, operating out of Rainbow Beach.

Once through that obstacle, and assuming you calculate the tide properly, head around Hook Point and onto the 80-mile beach and you’ll come across a fishing mecca.

After arriving at our destination, we made camp about 40 kilometres up the beach, tucked away behind the sand dunes.

Some of us were lucky enough to have the full 10 days there, while others came and went over the week.

Regardless of how much time each person had on the island, it was packed with action.

The first couple of days were wet and windy so it was decided we would tackle the hour-long 4 x 4 track to the other side of the island.

Awinya Creek has to be the most stunning camping beach I have ever seen, and a real contrast from the ocean side. Still, clear waters, pristine white sands and perfect for the kids.

It’s great fishing for the young ones (and the dads); as the tide recedes from the beach it leaves small gutters with clear water about half-a-metre deep and full of whiting — without the danger of the constant stream of cars heading up and down the beach.

The one danger that always looms is the local dingos.

K’gari is home to the purest bloodline of dingo, so you must keep a close eye on the kids. But it is manageable, and we only had a couple of close encounters.

Finally, the tailor fishing. To say it’s all action is an understatement. Once you’re on, you’re on, pulling 50 cm-plus fish every minute, sometimes two at a time.

But as fast as the run starts, it also stops. Being prepared is really important so you can get your bin full while it’s hot.

But watch out, because you can’t forget about the other fishermen. Once one person starts catching, people emerge left, right and centre and all of a sudden you’re surrounded by 100 other anglers edging in on your hot streak! It can be quite frustrating but it’s all part of the experience.

Thankfully, we had another weapon: drone fishing.

Having the ability to send baits hundreds of meters off the beach gives you the chance to catch pelagics that hunt the tailor. Giant trevally, Spanish mackerel, even sharks are all part of the fun.

With feeds of beer-battered fish most nights and plenty to take home to their families, the gang ate well.

It may not be venison, but it sure was a tasty consolation prize.

So, this year, while we sure did miss out on a lot of great deer hunting, we won’t look back on it as a complete bust; and maybe a few of our southern friends reading this short story will be casting envious eyes north.

COVID–19 has put a lot of things into perspective, I think, and exploring our own back yard has not been so bad.

K’gari is sitting on many a bucket list. If you’re interested in tagging along with our branch and ticking it off your list, feel free to contact our secretary. It’s a big island and we would be happy to host you.

Contributed by Ian Hurley.