4WDing around Fraser Island
Summary
Fraser Island is the world’s largest sand island and, with practically no development, it is a truly fantastic experience when you head off for 2-3 days in a 4 wheel-drive to explore the pristine creeks, freshwater lakes and lush rainforest. Plus, it is all interlinked by the magnificent eastern stretch of beach that runs the near full 120km / 75mile length of the island and acts as the “highway”. Lake McKenzie, with its clean mesmerising colours, perfect white sand and backdrop of the rainforest, is worth the trip alone. The highlight experience of Queensland, if not all of Australia, and a must for an East Coast visit
I’ve written a few tips below, but my biggest tips are to give yourself at least 2 days, ideally 3, and to rent a 4×4 rather than taking a tour. The day tours can be good (I’ve done one before and we still had a great time), but there is something wonderfully adventurous about renting a 4×4 and heading off across the island at your own pace to go exploring. Its a very accessible chunk of paradise, so very easy to do
highlights
#1 The mesmerising coloured waters and perfect white sands of Lake McKenzie
#2 Driving along the magnificent 100km+ East Coast Beach in the 4x4 with the ocean one side and the rainforest on the other
#3 Exploring the virgin rainforest all across the island
#4 Camping in the rainforest (or staying in a bed in one of the resorts - they do exist!)
#5 Swimming and exploring the rock pools of Indian Heads
#6 Nearby Rainbow Beach, one of the 2 entry points to Fraser Island
#7 Climbing over some of the large shipwrecks that have found their way to the main beach
Travel Tips
- Renting and accessing – whilst the idea of getting a 4×4 and getting onto a sand island sounds like a bit of a logistical challenge, in reality it is very easy to do. There are two entry point ferries to the island via Hervey Bay and River Heads to the west and Rainbow Beach and Inskip Point to the south. Both have plenty of rental / tour option / general facilities and both have regular ferries leaving. Both places are geared up to help you get the most of your trip to Fraser Island
- Rent / bring your own vehicle – chances are that if you’re making your way up the East Coast that you’re driving your own vehicle. My tip is that unless you have a very good 4×4 (you are not allowed on the island without a 4×4) and are a confident driver in it, to rent one. There are various reasons, such as that the Fraser Island 4x4s are geared up specifically for the sand challenges of the island, but more than anything it just relieves the stress. The internet is full of photos showing cars bogged down in the sand and the tide sweeping in – the rental insurance covers this, whereas your insurance probably doesn’t
- You’ll get stuck – its kind of par for the course to get stuck in the sand at some point. Feels stressful at the time, but listen to the instructions of the rental company and know that it happens all the time, with very experienced drivers all across the island more than happy (in fact they kind of have to help to get by) to help
- Hervey Bay or Rainbow Beach – Hervey Bay is the more popular jump off point to the island and geared up for the backpacker crowd with heaps of bars. Rainbow Beach is more chilled out and also has some multi-coloured sand dunes. If looking to party and arrange tours, go with Hervey Bay. If not, you won’t be disappointed with Rainbow Beach
- Don’t swim on the East Coast Beach – there are plenty of Tiger Sharks very keen to say hi
- Accommodation – whilst the island has very little development, there is some, so you don’t have to camp if you don’t want to. We stayed a night in the Kingfisher Bay Resort which was nice
Experiences nearby
The below map shows experiences nearby with a colour that reflect the Overall Score of those experiences
Other 4WD adventures
Score Detail
Background - how many times have you asked someone what a travel experience was like and the response was "amazing" or "awesome"? That response is nice to know, but it makes it hard to differentiate that experience compared to others. That is exactly what these scores are trying to do - differentiate the experience by giving a score out of 10 based on 6 categories and then giving an overall experience score
This overall experience score is calculated by: take the highest of the "Culture" or "Nature" score (1-10) + "Fun factor" (1-10) + "Avoiding the crowds" (1-10) + highest of the "Unique" or "World Famous score" (1-10). Then convert into a score out of 100
Extra detail - the logic being that I find all of the 6 individual scores important, but I don't want to mark an experience down just because it doesn't cover both "Culture" and "Nature", or because it isn't both "World Famous" and "Unique". Take the examples of Safari in The Serengeti and walking through Rome - they both appeal at opposite ends of the nature / culture spectrum, and you can have a fantastic time without needing to appeal to both sides. So, their overall scores aren't penalized for their lack of one or the other, and I've done the same for "World Famous" vs "Unique". But . . . I do think that the "Fun factor" of an experience is important, irrelevant of other factors, and so is "Avoiding the Crowds" (or where there are crowds that add to the experience). So, both of these scores are standalone