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Car Forum / Australian Car Forums / 4x4 Cars (Australian group) / December 2006Fraser Island
Anyone here been to Fraser for a weekend of late. I want to get there early next year (Feb with luck) with the 4runner. Is there fuel available on the island or do you take fuel drums with you? How difficult is it to get to the lake? Whats the cost of getting there (from the cheapest point or most conveinient) Thanks in advance. Fuel is available from a few places on Fraser. Get yourself a decent map (something a bit better than the freebies from RACQ) and it will show fuel outlets. I don't think we were able to get premium unleaded, but we just put normal unleaded in our Disco and it was fine. Which lake to you want to get to. There are a few! The cost of getting there will depend where you take the barge from. As for most convenient, it depends on where you're coming from. Don't forget to factor in the cost of the island permit. Give us a bit more info and we'll give some better answers. Oh and try to go for a bit more of a weekend otherwise you'll be weeping on the barge back because you haven't spent enough time there! > Anyone here been to Fraser for a weekend of late. I want to get there > early next year (Feb with luck) with the 4runner. Is there fuel available [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Thanks in advance. > Fuel is available from a few places on Fraser. Get yourself a decent map > (something a bit better than the freebies from RACQ) and it will show fuel [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > Oh and try to go for a bit more of a weekend otherwise you'll be weeping > on the barge back because you haven't spent enough time there! Thanks, comming from Brisbane. 4Runner takes standard Unleaded. The big lake? What all the relevant costs for say a four day weekend tenting at a camping ground, dont factor in fuel, food drink etc, just wanna knwo what the other costs will be such as permit, barge etc. THanks > Anyone here been to Fraser for a weekend of late. I want to get there early > next year (Feb with luck) with the 4runner. Is there fuel available on the [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Thanks in advance. Scotty get the barge at Inskip point, you can go via the beach from Tewantin and up to double Island/Rainbow Beach(but probably not if you only have one weekend) or go up to Gympie, get fuel at Gympie as it will be much cheaper than Rainbow you can get fuel on the Island at Eurong Village, along with anything else you might need, bit resort there now with bitumen road through the village, this is also the main track into Central Station, which you must go and visit(pay hot showers are here also) Which lake are you wanting to visit Lake McKenzie(most popular can be accessed from Central Station or Dilli Village as are the other southern lakes Check you tide times and plan your travelling to match them, there are inland tracks but they are much slower going than good low tide beach running, not much beach at the southern end of the Island and almost impassible at high tide for good detailed info with GPS coords and all go to http://www.exploroz.com/TrekNotes/QldCoast/Fraser_Island.asp even gives approx fuel usage Kev You can also buy fuel at Kingfisher Bay and Orchid Beach, but be prepared to pay for it. Last October it was $2.40 per litre at Orchid Beach. Kingfisher Bay and Orchid beach also have supplies and ice if you want it, but again be prepared to pay up to 3 times what you are used too. As for the barge you have the choices of Inskip Point, River Heads or Hervey Bay. River Heads goes direct to Kingfisher Bay resort which is a very good starting point for most of the popular attractions. Hervey Bay goes to Moon Point and is good if you want to explore the northern end of the Island. As well as your ferry ticket you will also need a vehicle permit and camping permits too. Best regards Garry PS: If you go by your own boat, and sleep on your own boat, then there are no permits, no camping fee's and no ferry cost's. This can save you a couple of hundred dollars and is worth thinking about. The downside is that you don't have your car to drive around and explore with. <edit> Permits, available from 160 Ann St here in the city, or the QPWS office at Rainbow are $35 (or thereabouts). The Manta Ray barge (it's the green one) from Inskip is $75 return. If you head up the beach via Tewantin it's definately better then the boring road from Gympie. Just need to ring the QPWS office at Rainbow day before and see if the Mudlo rocks are passable. Rule of thumb is an hour each side of low tide. Permits are not required for Cooloola and Rainbow beach driving, only Fraser. As for the island, fuel is available at Eurong, Happy Valley and Orchid Beach plus Kingfisher. Price is about $1.83 atm. Being a weekend trip I recommend only doing the southern part of the island (Lake McKenzie etc). Leave Orchid Beach till when you have more time. When you do get up that way, camp there and look at doing a day at Sandy Cape. Beautiful. Be cautious when doing Ngkala rocks though when going to Sandy Cape. Some other things to remember while there: Watch out for backpacker rental vehicles. They are loaded to the gunnals and none of them know how to drive. Know your tide times, all travel depends on it unless you want to take hours on inland tracks. Look out for speccy white Nissan Patrols as the local constabulory works out of Eurong and can breathalise anywhere. Pay your camping permits. I work for QPWS and the amount of people who think that the few dollars they have to pay they can skimp on, is ridiculous. And finally, don't feed the dingo's. But I guess you know that one. Other than that enjoy. It's my favourite place. Cheers, Pete > <edit> > [quoted text clipped - 37 lines] > > Pete Exactly what I was after, thanks Pete. Yeah I plan on going early February to avoid the school holidays. As far as fuel is concerned, is it worth taking 40 litres in drums to save on $$ getting it there or is the weight cost gunna outweigh the benifits. (The 4runners not THAT powerful). I dont mind paying the extra for the fuel really, as Id rather not carry so much inside the car. Would a full tank of juice last two days mucking abotu up there if I fill at Rainbow and again on return? Camping, I take it that there are showers etc there at some cost. What I really want to do is get out of Brissie for 4 days, do some 4x4ing, see Lake MacKenzie, etc. Its gunna be a short fun trip rather than sightseeing I'll leave that till the family comes with me one day. Mudlo Rocks, last time I drove over them I didnt know it as they were covered with Sand, how bad to they get at this time of the year? I have seen the wall of Shame at Rainbow Pub so Im aware that they do get hairey as some stage. Ive been told that if I get there and the rocks are impassable that the Freshwater track is avilable, is that a Viable option? I dont mind the driving as that what Im out to do for the weekend. Any other tips etc that you know of would be appreciated. Many thanks Scotty ete > Exactly what I was after, thanks Pete. > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > juice last two days mucking abotu up there if I fill at Rainbow and again on > return? get a couple of jerry cans(the red plastic ones will do, the weight will only be about 30-35kg all up so it's not that much extra, the cost of fuel at Rainbow isn't that cheap either considering the short distance it is from Gympie > Camping, I take it that there are showers etc there at some cost. What I > really want to do is get out of Brissie for 4 days, do some 4x4ing, see Lake > MacKenzie, etc. Its gunna be a short fun trip rather than sightseeing I'll > leave that till the family comes with me one day. Hot showers are at Central Station camping ground, you need some $1 coins for that > Mudlo Rocks, last time I drove over them I didnt know it as they were > covered with Sand, how bad to they get at this time of the year? I have seen > the wall of Shame at Rainbow Pub so Im aware that they do get hairey as some > stage. Ive been told that if I get there and the rocks are impassable that > the Freshwater track is avilable, is that a Viable option? I dont mind the > driving as that what Im out to do for the weekend. Well if 4X4ing is what you want then the first part of the Freshwater will give you some moderate 4X4ing, very soft sand on the entry(if it hasn't rained, and again near the swimming hole carpark, then a steepish climbe up from the carpark > Any other tips etc that you know of would be appreciated. of course be on the lookout for the kids running about as you would expect, and the braindeads with fishing rods in their hands blindly walking across the beach as if they are the only ones there and last of all the the pink tipped white pointers, some of these you need to watch very carefully, some don't like people staring :) Kev The comments about backpackers not being able to drive their rental vehicles is unfair. They have probably driven a tiny car around London and of course that makes them experts at driving large vehicles on sand! As you work at QPWS is there nothing that can be done to clamp down on these hoons, not to mention the idiots who rent out the unsafe cars? > <edit> > [quoted text clipped - 37 lines] > > Pete > The comments about backpackers not being able to drive their rental > vehicles is unfair. They have probably driven a tiny car around London > and of course that makes them experts at driving large vehicles on sand! > As you work at QPWS is there nothing that can be done to clamp down on > these hoons, not to mention the idiots who rent out the unsafe cars? Any suggestions Vivianne? I'd say that they should be banned unless they have an Australian licence that can be revoked with bad behaviour or pass a written and practical exam about driving on sand/off road. >> The comments about backpackers not being able to drive their rental >> vehicles is unfair. They have probably driven a tiny car around London [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > that can be revoked with bad behaviour or pass a written and practical > exam about driving on sand/off road. Biggest problem with the rental vehicles, mainly troopies I might add, is that they overload them. They then are told to stay out of the salt water etc and not to go past Indian Head (though I have seen them at Orchid). This leads them to driving in the soft sand and with a top heavy load, they can come to grief. Smaller rental vehicles aren't usually a problem. Other thing I mainly notice with them is that the tend to "keep right" being from Europe. So as they come towards you and you indicate that you're moving off to the left, they'll indicate right and come towards you. Can be scary. Not uncommon on Aussie roads (or UK I guess), with European drivers. As for hoons, yeah they do get some. I notice it's mainly show off blokes trying to impress the backpacker girls etc.At Happy Valley recently they thought they'd takeover the intersection outside the pub etc. Then couldn't understand why everyone was getting the sh.ts with them. The whole "look at me" factor happening. They thought they looked cool but were really embarrassing themselves. Remember there are dozens of vehicles on the island each day from rental companies, so you can expect to get some stupid actions happening. As for the compaines that rent them, you must understand the polictics of Australia's most favourite NP. The competing forces are the traditional owners, conservationists, the tourist industry (major pull), plus federal bodies. On top of that QPWS try to manage it the best they can with what resources are available. I think they do a good job considering everything they have to balance. Of course I have my own opinions on some things on the island, but I don't manage it and so leave it to the people who do. >>> The comments about backpackers not being able to drive their rental >>> vehicles is unfair. They have probably driven a tiny car around London [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] >to the left, they'll indicate right and come towards you. Can be scary. Not >uncommon on Aussie roads (or UK I guess), with European drivers. Or conversly of course some of the happenings when we Aussies or british drivers go to Europe and try to drive on the left..... Under normal driving conditions usually no problems.... Now if there are no other or very few others on the road that can become a trick when you just pull out onto the road doing what comes naturally.... >As for hoons, yeah they do get some. I notice it's mainly show off blokes >trying to impress the backpacker girls etc.At Happy Valley recently they [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >they have to balance. Of course I have my own opinions on some things on the >island, but I don't manage it and so leave it to the people who do. |
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