[dru]

For goodness sake they seem interesting enough questions.

It's an entirely sand island. No idea how that comes about here. I could explain it just slightly further north with coral quays.

Doubt the dingoes are eating anything to extinction. At least if the did it happened a long time ago, they've been here a long time ago. Meant to be the purist dingo in Australia. Don't feed them.

Tailor spawning? I'm guessing this happens up and down the east coast and they just o it well here, other than the netters.

 

[BIGKEV]

Salti,

My understanding of how Fraser came to be is that the East Australian Current also carries sand up and down the coast. On the Island are two large volcanic rock headlands which catch the sand as it travels and over thousands of years wind and waves have gradually pushed the sand further up whilst the currents continually deposit more and more. I believe Moreton and Straddie were formed in a very similar fashion.

The dingoes boomed in population through the 60's-80's when wild horses were on the island, because the horses ingested so much sand they had very short life spans providing an excellent food source for scavenging dingoes. Since they eradicated the last of the brumbies the dingoes have come to rely a bit on raiding camps and handouts from backpackers (and locals). This is an unhealthy habit for a wild dog as they inevitably end up losing their natural fear and making a nuisance of themselves harassing humans for food. Ina very sad event probably 10-15 years ago now, a 10yo boy was run down by dingoes when he and his mates had been feeding them and they ran out of food. Apparently they tried to run away which just exited the dogs and he fell and one of them bit him on the throat puncturing his jugular vein and killing the boy. Fraser dingoes should never be fed! We had a very unwelcome experience with a dingo stalking my youngest when he was just 18months old, the bloody thing refused to go away even with the child in our arms it was intent on making a meal of him, scary shit at the time.

I think the dingo population is fairly self supporting though, there are still plenty of small mammals on the island to prey on, including a healthy population of wallabies.

Not quite sure why the tailor spawn there. Authorities identified that the area between Indian Head and Waddy Point was a prime tailor spawning location and close it to all forms of fishing for August and September each year. Although this does not stop the wholesale slaughter of these fish by recreational anglers. If you really want to see the place in full swing head up there for the re-opening of the rocks or in October and watch the carnage, you don't need to be a good fisherman to catch the fish and at times it is sickening to see the numpties up there parading around in their waders bragging about how many fish they've killed.

I love the place Salti. Did you do much of the tourist thing? Creeks, Lakes, rainforests? Shame Sprocket couldn't get past Nkgala, sounds like he drives as well as he surfs.......

Kev

 

[Guest]

How was the island formed?

http://www.fraserisland.net/fraser-island-formation.html

Are the Dingoes eating the fauna to extinction? Should they be fed?

Numbers are said to be reducing. Left alone, the number will find a balance with the supply of natural prey. Artificially fed, numbers increase and this poses increased risk of over-predation, possibly reducing some fauna to unsustainable levels.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraser_Island#Dingoes
http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/parks/fraser/dingo-safe.html#never_feed_dingoes

Why do tailor spawn there?
The real question is what damage are amateurs and commercial fishos doing to Tailor supplies? Knocking off large quantities of breeding Tailor not only reduces breeding stock but also the next generation. At the risk of alienating the people who rely on Fraser Island Tailor fishing (for sport, or a living), I would support a spawning season closure so they can breed in peace. In the long term this would be better for everybody. Short term pain for long term gain.
http://www.akff.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=62056&p=654585&hilit=tailor+fraser#p654585

 

[Guest]

They are clever little buggers.

I've seen them in the scrub and on the sand at Bemm River but they seem shy of people. Do you get them around your place?

 

[Beekeeper]

I know an ex-fishing writer living on Bribie Island... years ago he told me of a dingo he raised from a pup... was a great pet, never giving trouble.

He invited an old friend over for a time, and they decided to have a swim. Until then, the visitor had worn long pants, and as they approached the water, he dropped them, revealing that he had an artificial leg.

He undid the strappings to his leg, placed it on the sand, and proceeded to hop to the water.

Bad blue!

The dingo nailed him within about half a dozen paces! Knocked him A/T and proceeded to maul him. The dog was dragged off and later destroyed.

It is the dingo's nature to attack wounded animals and to this dog, that was what the visitor represented... prey!

Although this dingo had never needed to seek prey... had been fed regularly just as are regular pet dogs, the natural instincts bred into it over generations came to the fore and it reacted swiftly.

These dogs are killers, and aren't to be messed with... should never be fed in the wild.

Big Kev... that would have been an horrific situation you experienced with your youngster... I bet it still catches you occasionally.

Cheers all... Jimbo

 

[kayakone]

You have every reason to be afraid of dingoes, on Fraser (or anywhere - see later). There have been a number of attacks on Fraser, apart from the tragic death of the lad that Kev mentioned. The supposed 'pure-breds' on Fraser are a real threat in their interaction with people.

I know of three families that have been terrorised by them, similar to Kev's experience. So frightening were the incidents, that two of those families immediately cut short their dream holiday and left the island.

My partner and I have also been terrorised by them while camping (out of sea kayaks) between Sandy Cape and Moon Point (the inland side). We even had major troubles with them in areas where people generally don't go (4 WD's banned). They are dangerous dogs.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... beach.html
http://www.news.com.au/national-news/di ... 6437501031

Away from the island, who can forget Azaria Chamberlain's death, and the documented attacks on people at Uluru preceding that tragic event.

Completely wild dingoes are usually cautious around people, but I wouldn't rely on that for my peace of mind ever, because they may not actually be pure dingoes. In my suburb Mitchelton in Brissie (9 km from the CBD), not long ago, near Lazybugger's residence, 'dingoes' were reported several times to authorities. Traps were set, and five very dingo looking animals were captured in traps, metres from residences. I personally saw one in the traps the authorities had set. It looked to me, as a lay person, very much like the Fraser Is dingoes which are supposed to be 'pure bred.' But it wasn't. All five of those captured at the time were DNA tested and found to be cross-breeds with domestic dogs, and were then destroyed.

Herein lies one of the major problems. Cross-breeds can look very much like pure-bred dingoes, but may not be at all pure-breeds (as stated previously, even the Fraser pure-breeds are dangerous). How does this affect safety for people? The cross-breeding is most likely to introduce (to some degree or another) a reduction in caution of people, and so increase the risk of attack on people.

 

[BIGKEV]

At the risk of alienating the people who rely on Fraser Island Tailor fishing (for sport, or a living), I would support a spawning season closure so they can breed in peace. In the long term this would be better for everybody. Short term pain for long term gain.
http://www.akff.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=62056&p=654585&hilit=tailor+fraser#p654585

Hey Steve, there is already a spawning season closure in place with no fishing allowed 400m south of Indian Head to 400m North of Waddy Point and 400m seaward in between these points from midday August 1 to midday September 30 each year and has been for about 10 or more years now.

The real problem is that these tailor migrate from all along the east coast and are snared in nets by the tonne well before they hit this safe haven.

 

[Guest]

At the risk of alienating the people who rely on Fraser Island Tailor fishing (for sport, or a living), I would support a spawning season closure so they can breed in peace. In the long term this would be better for everybody. Short term pain for long term gain.
http://www.akff.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=62056&p=654585&hilit=tailor+fraser#p654585

Hey Steve, there is already a spawning season closure in place with no fishing allowed 400m south of Indian Head to 400m North of Waddy Point and 400m seaward in between these points from midday August 1 to midday September 30 each year and has been for about 10 or more years now.

The real problem is that these tailor migrate from all along the east coast and are snared in nets by the tonne well before they hit this safe haven.

I wasn't aware of a closure but never did contemplate fishing Fraser so had no reason to look. I completely agree about the problem of netting Tailor during migration. Something needs to be done to stop the plunder. If that means timed closures in NSW, Victoria or elsewhere I'm for it.

 

[Barrabundy]

Off topic I know but there are wild dogs around here, I won't call them dingoes, that actually look very similar to German shepherds, really dark colouring down their backs. Safe bet they're mixed breeds and they don't last long if the neighbouring cow cockies get a bead on them.

 

[Barrabundy]

The Dingo would have come over with Aboriginals say 50 000 years ago I take it, if so they may have been a domesticated dog that went wild here in Aus? Is this correct?

Hmm, not sure about the domestication side of things but pretty sure I have read that they came over with the aborigines. I thought the aborigines actually domesticated them here....I'm no expert on these things.

 

[BIGKEV]

I believe the dingo is of Indonesian descent, not sure on the accuracy of this though. I also think they were common with the aboriginal camps but not completely domesticated, once again not sure on accuracy of this statement. Don't shoot me down, I'm just regurgitating some of the useless info I've accumulated from watching way too many documentaries.

So Salti, it is completely plausible that they could share some distant genealogy with dogs from Africa.

 

[bildad]

I don't know Dingos eating Fauna out of extinction, but if you go to Fraser I defy you to spot another animal other than humans, although I haven't wandered around at night over there.
Anybody been camping and noticed possums or bandicoots marsupial mice or anything?

 

[BIGKEV]

I don't know Dingos eating Fauna out of extinction, but if you go to Fraser I defy you to spot another animal other than humans, although I haven't wandered around at night over there.
Anybody been camping and noticed possums or bandicoots marsupial mice or anything?

Hey bildad, have spent a lot of time on the island and can verify there is heaps of other small mammals including native and European rats, a healthy population of wallabies, also lots of birds and goannas too. Dingoes are adaptable and will eat absolutely anything....

 

[bildad]

I don't know Dingos eating Fauna out of extinction, but if you go to Fraser I defy you to spot another animal other than humans, although I haven't wandered around at night over there.
Anybody been camping and noticed possums or bandicoots marsupial mice or anything?

Hey bildad, have spent a lot of time on the island and can verify there is heaps of other small mammals including native and European rats, a healthy population of wallabies, also lots of birds and goannas too. Dingoes are adaptable and will eat absolutely anything....

Thanks Kev, I was wondering cos I have only been there during the day and thought it strange that I never spotted anything on the tracks whilst driving to the east side. And looking at the wretched state of the dingos thought they must have eaten everything apart from birds.

 

[Guest]

I believe the dingo is of Indonesian descent, not sure on the accuracy of this though. I also think they were common with the aboriginal camps but not completely domesticated, once again not sure on accuracy of this statement. Don't shoot me down, I'm just regurgitating some of the useless info I've accumulated from watching way too many documentaries.

So Salti, it is completely plausible that they could share some distant genealogy with dogs from Africa.

I like Wikipedia. It answers almost everything with a consensus of the most up-to-date thinking. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dingo
There are more complete theories on Dingo migration to Australia. One has them as not migrating by boat (Both Mr Rudd and Mr Abbott would be pleased but I'm not sure whether Ms Milne might think it was cruel to make them walk all the way :lol: ). Plausibly, this theory suggests Dingos crossed a land bridge. http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/the-dingo-came-to-australia-from-southern-china.htm

 

[BIGKEV]

The study of the creation of the domestic dog and its many variants if fascinating, because it mirrors the complex spread of **** sapiens throughout the world in many respects.

Agreed, also incredibly complex too, probably a little too complex for this little fella so I'll wait for it to air on the Nat Geo channel......

 

[BIGKEV]

The basenji is the only dog that does not bark, interesting to find out wether a dingo barks.

They bark, but not very much.

Have you ever heard of Wikipedia Salti? I reckon you'd love it......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dingo#Barking

 

[Ado]

There are people down here with pet Dingoes. They are very hard work because they are so shy and wary of people. They are not aggressive in the slightest (the domesticated ones that is). Quite the opposite. You would have to be a committed dog owner to own a pure bread dingo.

 

[Zed]

Do dingos move into urban areas freely as coyotes do? As long as there are dogs cats and rabbits, coyotes will stick around. Where ever.

 

[BIGKEV]

Zed, there are dingoes in some bushland close to surburbia, but these are more wild dogs these days as they have interbred with domestic dogs. Not something you need to worry about with the coyotes I hear, they just kill and eat domestic dogs rather than breed with them......

One of Australia's most iconic breed of dog, the Blue Heeler (aka aussie cattle dog) has dingo input into their original blood lines.