Just spent 10 days at Rainbow Beach. Took the short ferry trip to Frazer Island with a local tour operator and that was a wise move on our part. Unless you drive one of those indestructible company vehicles don't take your own pride and joy. Been a sand island everything is on sand and more sand and the roads are foot deep soft sand, if you do take your own vehicle prepare to dig it out as recovery of vehicle only can run over $1500.00 and if you take a camper and need it recovered as well then double that figure , no shopping around for a better price there is only one recovery company operator. Watched four recoveries on one day
.
The local operator guided tour was the highlight of the trip and is highly recommended to anyone going to that part f the world
We stayed at Rainbow Waters caravan park for a few nights early in August and did the same trip to the Island, and I would have to agree with Wombat 280 the operator of the local tour, I think his name with Mick does a great job, he clearly knows the area, the Island, the wildlife, and lots of entertaining tales about things you come across along the way, like the "Aboriginal message tree".
I would also recommend this tour over the other tours to the island, however be warned Mick's vehicle could surely do with some more supple suspension. After the tour you feel like a James Bond martini.
Nelly said
01:29 PM Sep 23, 2014
Is the tour expensive?
SnowT said
01:48 PM Sep 23, 2014
Hey the MOST important thing is to make sure you don't Stop in the middle of any of the creek's....
As Wombat has said the one recovery guy on the Island can charge what ever price he want's to.. Have heard of one twit that was so arrogant that by time the 4x4 Merc was just short of it axles in the flowing sand.. any deeper and it was going to be wreckers..
juergen
Peter_n_Margaret said
04:46 PM Sep 23, 2014
On the contrary, Fraser Island (with an S, not a Z) is one of the really great destinations in Australia and can easily justify a couple of weeks.
Yes, some experience and caution is required and places like this is a good reason to learn the skills.
We have been several times. Here is a slide show from 2009.
Just spent 10 days at Rainbow Beach. Took the short ferry trip to Frazer Island with a local tour operator and that was a wise move on our part. Unless you drive one of those indestructible company vehicles don't take your own pride and joy. Been a sand island everything is on sand and more sand and the roads are foot deep soft sand, if you do take your own vehicle prepare to dig it out as recovery of vehicle only can run over $1500.00 and if you take a camper and need it recovered as well then double that figure , no shopping around for a better price there is only one recovery company operator. Watched four recoveries on one day
.
The local operator guided tour was the highlight of the trip and is highly recommended to anyone going to that part f the world
love your pics, one day i'll do it too, stay safe - Fran
rockylizard said
05:24 PM Sep 23, 2014
Peter_n_Margaret wrote:
On the contrary, Fraser Island (with an S, not a Z) is one of the really great destinations in Australia and can easily justify a couple of weeks. Yes, some experience and caution is required and places like this is a good reason to learn the skills.
We have been several times. Here is a slide show from 2009.
-- Edited by rockylizard on Tuesday 23rd of September 2014 05:26:27 PM
Dougwe said
06:26 PM Sep 23, 2014
Those two pics of the dingos reminded me of 43 years ago when I was lucky enough to be in a small plane and landed on the beach. We were greeted by two dingos.
Murraman said
11:42 PM Sep 23, 2014
I've done Fraser Island a few times, about 3 in a 1982 Jackaroo and once in an 80's diesel rodeo. Drove from one end to the other. Been on the Eastern side doing some fishing also. Never once did I get bogged, Stuck yes for a few minutes as there was a huge blockade of vehicles bogged to the chassis rails heading up to Indian head.
All I did was lower my tyre pressure a bit more and off we went. I have found that the ones who got into strife were the ones who tried to run normal tyre pressures and bragged about it. All our trips were in the 80's and it was hard going at high tide then as very few sleepered areas then.
Loved the trip back via double island point, We always stayed at Happy Valley in them days. Once seen a Holden Statesman deville driving up the beach past Happy Valley. Not sure how he got off the ferry as it was really soft sand then, Or how he got on at high tide.
When we went in the Jackaroo we always stayed a fortnight so I always coated my distributor leads in Vaseline where they went into the distributor cap and onto the plugs. And spray wd40 around in distributor. Now I would never have a problem and our young son came up one year with his Hilux and I suggested he do the same with his Hilux. No way Dad that is a waste of time.
So 10 days on the island and the salt had gotten the best of his ignition system and his Hilux ground to a halt. After a lot of steel wool and then using Vaseline it was away again. The sand has a sandblasting effect on your underbody. Heaps of horses on the island at that time also.
I would love to go back as we had some great times their. Don't think the Coaster would go real well on the sand.
Just spent 10 days at Rainbow Beach. Took the short ferry trip to Frazer Island with a local tour operator and that was a wise move on our part. Unless you drive one of those indestructible company vehicles don't take your own pride and joy. Been a sand island everything is on sand and more sand and the roads are foot deep soft sand, if you do take your own vehicle prepare to dig it out as recovery of vehicle only can run over $1500.00 and if you take a camper and need it recovered as well then double that figure , no shopping around for a better price there is only one recovery company operator. Watched four recoveries on one day
.
The local operator guided tour was the highlight of the trip and is highly recommended to anyone going to that part f the world
I would also recommend this tour over the other tours to the island, however be warned Mick's vehicle could surely do with some more supple suspension. After the tour you feel like a James Bond martini.
As Wombat has said the one recovery guy on the Island can charge what ever price he want's to.. Have heard of one twit that was so arrogant that by time the 4x4 Merc was just short of it axles in the flowing sand.. any deeper and it was going to be wreckers..
juergen
Yes, some experience and caution is required and places like this is a good reason to learn the skills.
We have been several times. Here is a slide show from 2009.
s246.photobucket.com/user/Peter_n_Margaret/slideshow/09%204%20Fraser%20Island
Cheers,
Peter
love your pics, one day i'll do it too, stay safe - Fran
Gday...
Dunno why - but still not working .... see how this one goes -
http://s246.photobucket.com/user/Peter_n_Margaret/slideshow/09%204%20Fraser%20Island
Cheers - John
-- Edited by rockylizard on Tuesday 23rd of September 2014 05:26:27 PM
All I did was lower my tyre pressure a bit more and off we went. I have found that the ones who got into strife were the ones who tried to run normal tyre pressures and bragged about it. All our trips were in the 80's and it was hard going at high tide then as very few sleepered areas then.
Loved the trip back via double island point, We always stayed at Happy Valley in them days. Once seen a Holden Statesman deville driving up the beach past Happy Valley. Not sure how he got off the ferry as it was really soft sand then, Or how he got on at high tide.
When we went in the Jackaroo we always stayed a fortnight so I always coated my distributor leads in Vaseline where they went into the distributor cap and onto the plugs. And spray wd40 around in distributor. Now I would never have a problem and our young son came up one year with his Hilux and I suggested he do the same with his Hilux. No way Dad that is a waste of time.
So 10 days on the island and the salt had gotten the best of his ignition system and his Hilux ground to a halt. After a lot of steel wool and then using Vaseline it was away again. The sand has a sandblasting effect on your underbody. Heaps of horses on the island at that time also.
I would love to go back as we had some great times their. Don't think the Coaster would go real well on the sand.