Tips for Fraser Island ?

[Maxhead]

Good advice people, might have to get up there myself soon. Sounds like a fun spot.

[macca86]

it's cursed every time I try and go some one dies and stops the trip! well it happened twice so ain't keen to try again haha would love to go though. Is frazer better than moreton or straddie?

[04OFF]

Is frazer better than moreton or straddie?

They all offer different things, so It depends on how you look at it, and what you want from your trip, Fraser is the largest of the sand islands and has the best lakes, it also has a ship wreck and creeks and lots to see, the problem is in its size, it takes such a long time (and fuel if you have a 4.5L like me) to travel around the island, especially in peak times with all the tour buses/traffic on the small tracks.


Moreton is just as beutiful as fraser, it is a lot smaller so you spend less time driving to get where you want to go, it has ship wrecks galore, and the lighthouse is a much easier drive than the one on fraser, Moreton is a bit harder to get to (or more expesive i should say) so can turn people off the idea, but then some people love it most, as it generally has less crowds.


Straddie is the island i visit most, it has heaps of things to see and do , easy for me to get to, loads of accomodation, great beaches and some great tracks, a great family place.










You cant go wrong going to any of the above, if i was travelling from interstate or overseas and had to choose "one", id say go to fraser, a lot of that is to do with its status as a "place to go", not because its incredibly better than the others, frasers attributes are very commercialized compared to the other islands, so it often appears more appealing, personally ive found some of the best spots can fast loose appeal when you have to share them with 500,000 tourists.

It can also depend, on what you like to do, how much time and money you have for the trip, Best if you can get to all three islands at some stage, and dont forget about Rainbow beach/double island point as well, and i spose bribie island once you've seen the rest.

[Bigrig]

Moreton is our personal favorite - for all the things Steve listed - beautiful location, not over populated with tourists (the beaches and tracks I mean - the resort is chocka block with them, but even the beach bar there is great). You can only get beer on Friday arvo and over the weekend at Kooringal pub now (very southern tip of the island), but what a spot - you feel like you're in the middle of nowhere, yet if you cross the carpark and have a squiz through the trees, you can see Brisbane CBD across the bay!!!!

Fraser can get on your nerves if you're not good with crowds and after assisting your fourth or fifth tourist who has bogged a hire car, it tends to become frustrating and loses it's gloss ...

Straddle is certainly more "urban beach" feel but is more suited to family get aways where the missus wants to shop, you want to drink, the kids want to play and go to safe beaches within eyeshot of your accommodation etc ... Moreton and Fraser are NOT for swimming on the ocean sides - way too many noahs for that!!

Bribie is well ... boring ... lmao ... it's heavily populated and there are few times when the one section of beach you can drive on is not full of vehicles - the inland track is something that you do once, and never really want to do again, however Poverty Creek campsite on the western side off the inland track isn't a bad camping spot (not great as nothing to do but drink and fish - good for me and the missus, not so for the kids!!! lol).

[04OFF]

Very nice summary scotty, although yes bribie is somewhat boring, and very lame compared to the other places talked about, i still like to go there, my kids love to go play in the second cutting washout, plus i enjoy waiting for the incomming tide to watch the "un educated" drive through deep water.

Ive seen heaps of cars come to grief , such as this fellow in a brand new (less than 2 months old) GT Forester........

(first pic by my son)


and this kia..



This guy got though ok....




Its great for taking pics there too.

[macca86]

nice work guys cool pics too! there's another forum trip away idea or idea's

[BillsGU]

Hi guys. I have been away for the weekend and have come back to all this info !! Thanks heaps all of you. The information is very useful.

O4OFF - Is there an inland track to Orchid Beach that can be taken when the tide is not right? I have seen some tracks on Google Maps but they don't show any detail. I know I will be able to get maps up there - but do you know of any good maps online. I have had a look but again - they are not very detailed.

[04OFF]

O4OFF - Is there an inland track to Orchid Beach that can be taken when the tide is not right?.

Not that i know of mate, the only other inland track to/from orchid beach is Wathumba rd, but it joins wathumba creek (impassable to vehicles, and totally not even worth a visit), there is a ranger/fire trail off wathumba rd that heads down toward the lakes, but all those trails will be closed to traffic (locked gates) so unless you are walking, you will still have to travel via the Indian Head bypass track.

My advise is be on Fraser Island to pass Hook point, 2 hours before low tide, that gives you plenty of time to get all the way up to Orchid Beach.




Dont wait to get up to QLD to buy your map, Fraser is a popular one so most places stock it, but popular also means it can sell out fast.

You can buy online here Fraser Map

[BillsGU]

My advise is be on Fraser Island to pass Hook point, 2 hours before low tide, that gives you plenty of time to get all the way up to Orchid Beach.




Dont wait to get up to QLD to buy your map, Fraser is a popular one so most places stock it, but popular also means it can sell out fast.

You can buy online here Fraser Map

OK - I'll do that. How do you clean the salt off your car when you get off the island? Do you do it at home or is there a place you can go to spray water / oil / whatever underneath?

[04OFF]

A great place to clean your car after Fraser is here..... CAR WASH

When you get off the barge, just keep going straight through at the roundabout onto Karoonda rd, the car wash is at the end of this rd on the right hand side, they also have heaps of tyre pumps available on site to air up while you wait, (it can get busy in peak times)