The ban on non-essential travel led to mass cancellations of accommodation and tour bookings to islands along the Queensland coast.

Tour operator Hana Robinson, who lives on Fraser Island, says the World Heritage site has changed dramatically in the past few weeks.

“You sort of feel like you’re the first to ever have discovered the island,” she said.

“There are no tyre tracks … very quickly the tide just wipes away any trace of any humans ever being there.”

She says with tourists gone dingoes will likely be forced into the bush to hunt for food.

“I really hope that this teaches them some new habits, to maybe not hang around campgrounds scrounging for food,” she said.

“The other day we saw four white-bellied sea eagles, and it was absolutely amazing.

“There’s a buzz about the island … a lot more fish seem to be in the gullies, and worms in the banks.”

Coral cay turns to virtual tours

Further north, the Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort team has started sharing virtual tours of the island.

Executive assistant Amy Gash said only 15-20 staff members remain on the Island in a caretaker role, with many stood down due to coronavirus.

“So we took it as an opportunity to bring them from their living rooms out to the island through virtual tours.”

Source
Nicole Hegarty, Johanna Marie and Chloe Chomicki
ABC News