4x4 visitor need help

Fraser is definitly worth it but i would consider a more capable vehicle especially if your not used to sand driving sometimes it can be difficult to see the best of Fraser you have to go inland and some tracks are a challenge also cooloola coast tracks can be soft
when are you going ?
regards Kev

You can hire a troopy (toyota troopcarrier).
Just type FRASER HIRE into google . cheers

Rav 4's go well on sand with some air out of the tyres.

The insurance on a rental on the beach or anywhere off road is rather expensive too

Agreed. A RAV 4 would be fine on the beach, but you don't want to go to Fraser without seeing Central Station, Lake McKenzie etc. You need a 'proper' 4WD to get to these places. People try to do it in a 'soft roader', but it is very frustrating for others when they get bogged and block the narrow inland tracks.

Problem is they sink to the body in the soft sand and the drive shaft get buried in the sand between the wheel ruts.

When I was up there recently there were Hilux and similar rentals out there. Not sure which companies had them. Probably cheaper than the Troopies which are thrashed by the back packers.

It is worth the search. Fraser is a great place.

If you are worried about car hire why not book into Kingfisher resort and hire a suzuki siera for a few days. Those things just float on the sand and are light so easier to get out of bog

regards ross

thanks guys ....tons of useful info....
...we are going to be there november 28-dec 2
....what will conditions be like?
....can you swim in the ocean?
....sunbake on the beach?
...how crowded will it get?

...is cooloola beach driveable?

My advise would be to stay at sailfish apartments which are at happy valley . This is half way up the island and close to eli creek where you can swim . Do not go swimming in the ocean as its not patrolled . Fraser island is a magnificent spectacular area . You will need a week to see everything . DO NOT GO SWIMMING IN A NON PATROLLED AREA. DONT FEED THE DINGOES , TAIPANS , FUNNELWEBS , DEATH ADDERS , SHARKS , BACKPACKERS .

Hi Rescue,
Swimming in the ocean is not advisable as many drownings have occurred due to strong undercurrents and rips along these beaches.
Sunbaking on the beach is fine as long as you are well away from where cars are travelling.
If you hire a 4x4 on the island it will save you costs of the ferry ride across from the mainland.
Are you camping on Fraser? as there is plenty of resort style accommodation available e.g Eurong beach resort has about four levels of accommodation from basic to luxury.Check their website.
Cheers Mark

....how much is it to hire a 4wd on the island?
...we only have time to spend one day on the island
....what are the main attractions to see

link text

I've driven Cooloola beach (Teewah beach) in a Holden Cruze and now in my Hyundai Tuscon without any bother, including lake freashwater camping area. However, I run very, very low tyre pressures (around 10 PSI) in the Cruze and do have over 30 years experience in driving Land Rovers on Fraser. Teewah is my favourite beach to camp although I often now camp at Flinders beach on North Stradbroke Island.

I would agree with the general point here that you would be better off in a "real off roader" than a soft roader because you would have a much lower chance of getting hung up on the inland tracks

Cheers

mark T.

P.S. Enjoy your holiday in Oz

Rescue,

All the advise about hiring is fine only one other person has suggested what I think.

Pay the tour guide. You will see more and be more relaxed. The good ones will provide morning tea and lunch. They will show you the regular tourist spots which are beautiful and as good as anything on the island and they will explain what you are looking at.

I have driven Fraser myself and had a wonderful week relaxing cruising the beach and checking out the majority of the island. My week there was wonderfully enhanced by knowledge I picked up a few years earlier on a "cheesy tour". This was suplemented by some reading I did in preparing for my trip, but without the intro fromt the tour guide I would not have had a clue.

I also once did a tag-along near Coffs Harbour and even though I am very familiar with the Australian bush the tour guide pointed out heaps of stuff that I never knew beforehand.

THere is one other thing to consider. If you are unfamiliar with beach or sand driving and only have one day on the island, you could well spend most of it on a shovel rather than having fun.

Duncs

A freind of mine has taken his Mazda Tribute onto Fraser and drove all over without getting bogged.
I'm biased... but unless you are into going rock crawling and the like, why drive a big 4WD when a compact SUV will do?

Rescue

Since you're going only for a day, if I were you, I'd go with the tour to Fraser Island. If you really want to go for a drive Just go for the day at cooloola.

If you're travelling from Noosa - cross the River at the ferry in tawantin drive up (north) teewah beach, visit the red canyon, see freashwater lake (was dry two weeks ago), see the left overs of cherry venture, go up to double Island point lighthouse (you might still see some whales and dolphins.)

Go over across to rainbow beach. This area is good to go for a swim. From here you can drive to rainbow beach township for lunch (but watch those rocks) Then drive out of town along Rainbow Beach road and then turn left into Freshwater road (signposted dirt road) about 15 kms(?) out of town. Along the way is a small picniic area from where a track leads to poonah lake. Give 2 hours for the walk and a swim. It is a great lake with white sandy beaches which are usually deserted.

You can continue driving along freshwater road back to the beach. and return to the Ferry, however the track can get soft in some spots so if you don't feel confident in a soft roader, or the tides are not in you favour, go back to Rainbow beach road and drive to Gympie and then back to Noosa. Else, you can take the Fre bleep er Road back to the beach and drive the beach back to the ferry at Tawantin.

Remember to watch the tides. Don't drive on the beach within two hours of high tide

A soft roader like the RAV 4 should be fine for this trip (a small Suzuki would be better). Just drop your tyre pressures, carry a shovel, a snatch strap and some bow shackles, and make sure there are rated recovery points on your vehicle. Also check here about driving on sand

Enjoy your trip

R.