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General => Previous Member Trips => Trips, Tracks, Touring and Reports => 2012 MySwag Members Trip "Fraser Island" => Topic started by: yogi on February 27, 2012, 06:32:14 PM
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Barge options for getting onto Fraser Island :-
If heading from the south.
Inskip Point Rainbow Beach
http://mantarayfraserislandbarge.com.au/ (http://mantarayfraserislandbarge.com.au/)
If heading from the north.
Fraser Venture Barge ex River Heads to Wanggoolba Creek
Kingfisher Bay Ferry ex River Heads to Kingfisher Bay Resort
Fraser Dawn Barge ex Urangan Boat Harbour to Moon Point
http://www.fraserislandferry.com.au/barges.html (http://www.fraserislandferry.com.au/barges.html)
I recommend going via Inskip Point as the best entry point. However if you chose one of the other options please be aware the exit to Kingfisher is steep and rough. Most of the inland tracks are rough, one lane wide with 2 way traffic. Since the bush fires have been through there are a few tracks that are now seeing sunlight that have not seen light for a long time and are becoming very dry and boggy. Also make sure you can reverse with your trailer as tour buses have right of way and don't budge an inch.
Please try and pair up with another member for travel on the Island that way you have someone who can help you and they have someone who can help them in the event you get bogged ect.
Inskip Point :-
Day of arrival Thursday 26/07
yogi
jetcrew
DAZnBEC
paul4nat
nick 08
sablesoft
bundyfamily (depart 30/07)
Rusty (depart 30/07)
Day of arrival Friday 27/07
Bugone
Day of arrival Saturday 28/07
cancan
Niley
UTE 701
Day of arrival not confirmed
Frostd
Nomad
River Heads :-
No one so far
Urangan :-
No one so far
yogi
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Yogi, last time I went to Fraser (about 2 yrs ago) we went across from River heads to Wanggoolba creek as I remember the track across to the eastern side of the island was huge it was two lanes wide. Also there was toilets and a rest stop at a spot I think was called Central station? About half way across. We found this pretty easy going with no camper but this time will be traveling with camper in tow, any suggestions as to which would be the easyiest route with a camper across to the east side of the island?
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Leon ..... I can't remember what your tug was but you have a Jayco right ? Beach is usually the easiest place to tow. Having said that we did have several people who towed CT's and got the barge from River Heads last
Fraser Members trip. I would recommend what ever way you get to the camp spot try and arrange to travel with at least one other vehicle of similar size / weight if possible.
yogi
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Yogi,,
We are going Inskip way we are tailing DaznBec and i think you ;D
Nat
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Bundyfamily go the same way again by far the best track coming from the western side as you said 2 way road 95% of the way, we do this way every year out of river heads don't go from kingfisher it a good track for towing.
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paul4nat ..... maybe the rest of us should be affraid now that I know who you guy's are ;D
yogi
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Yogi, We'll be coming in through Inskip Point as well. Not sure if it will be Thursday or Friday at this point. We'll know closer to the date.
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Hi yogi,
We will be crossing via Inskip Point, on a Mantaray Barge, one hour or so before low tide so we have a good run up the beach. properly Thursday. My Maxtrax will get their first outing.
Ray & Glenda
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pretty sure the barge from urangan isnt running anymore plus it would be a bit of a mission to tow a camper on that happy valley road. the track from wanggoolba creek is generally in pretty good condition
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I'll be going from Inskip. Don't know when. I am used to chewing sand so if anyone isn't sure about the beach I am happy to buddy up for the trip up.
Cheers Nomad.
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We are going from Inskip. Will be on the Saturday but my parents live half way between Gympie and Tin can bay so will leave early and visit them first if possible. More than happy to meet anyone at Inskip.
Also if anyone is travelling a bit and need a place to pitch the camper close to Rainbow let me know.
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Coming from the north we have always been thru river heads to kingfisher last couple of yrs but last year came thru wangoolba creek and we will be coming that way this yr very easy and wide tracks and quick run over to the east
We may be going over the day before if anyone wants to travel with us.
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Yep yogi n boo boo we r coming with u hehe just pick us up on your way past would be great cause Someone wise told me if we get STUCK u r the friendliest recovery person / vehicle ever and not costly either lol
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We can discuss charges when your bogged ;D
yogi
PS(hope I don't get stuck)
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It will be the manta ray for us, and hopefully no bogging this time as I will just run straight over JT ;D
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No jayco this time yogi but we are looking at hiring a camper in Harvey Bay, possibly a jonno's camper or similar, if any one has some suggestions of camper trailers to hire in this area (Marybrough / Harvey Bay) would be appreciated. Our tug is a GU patrol with lift, you may have seen it at Sandy creek, it's the one with the Vic number plates, even after living in qld for years.
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Yogi,
We will enter via inskip. Are you planning to have a group meet on the friday morning. If so what time. Never done Fraser and never pulled a CT on sand, just a bit of beach stuff on north shore. I would feel more comfortable with a group if thats OK.
Neil
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No jayco this time yogi but we are looking at hiring a camper in Harvey Bay, possibly a jonno's camper or similar, if any one has some suggestions of camper trailers to hire in this area (Marybrough / Harvey Bay) would be appreciated. Our tug is a GU patrol with lift, you may have seen it at Sandy creek, it's the one with the Vic number plates, even after living in qld for years.
We hav friends that hired a Jonno's camper and it survived 4 weeks to the cape and back so u should be right :D
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Niley ........ I will be getting there on the Thursday to try and find a suitable camp spot before everyone turns up. But I am more than happy to take a run down the beach back to the barge drop off point to meet up with any interested parties. Low tide is at 8:00ish.
yogi
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As well as what Barge we are taking can we make a note of what day. we were hoping to take the barge on Saturday but if everyone is going Friday then we will change our plans and I need to book my work flights 3 months ahead...although there is a little bit of time on my side
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Niley ........ I will be getting there on the Thursday to try and find a suitable camp spot before everyone turns up. But I am more than happy to take a run down the beach back to the barge drop off point to meet up with any interested parties. Low tide is at 8:00ish.
yogi
Hi Yogi,
We be looking at catching the Mantaray barge around them so maybe we can run up with you ?
Ray
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Hey Yogi,
Thanks for the offer to come down on Friday, but i think a few swaggers may be hitting the barge around 8am on Friday. So at this stage we might wait and see who is travelling Friday and coordinate a meet and time. i think Calvin is considering Friday.
Thanks
Neil
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Yogi, I have been in discussions with rusty and we are looking at heading down on the Thursday, I am thinking that rusty and I will be going across from river heads. I think that this would be the easiest way across the island for us unless someone knows an easier way. We are talking at the moment on a Sunday departure off the island.
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Go through river heads bundyfamily and get on the barge into the creek best way for you guys coming from the north
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Yogi, I have been in discussions with rusty and we are looking at heading down on the Thursday, I am thinking that rusty and I will be going across from river heads. I think that this would be the easiest way across the island for us unless someone knows an easier way. We are talking at the moment on a Sunday departure off the island.
i will be towing my jayco outback eagle will this be the best way to go have not been to the island since grade 7 (25 years ago)
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Rusty ..... from what gregnleanne have said it sounds like a good way for people coming from up north to get onto the eastern beach. The worst thing that could happen is getting bogged so since your travelling with bundyfamily as long as you have recovery gear it should be a safe bet.
gregnleanne ........ do you guy's come out at Eurong when you go this way ?
yogi
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Yeh yogi it's a 2 way track for 90% of the trip across you go past central station and come in to the back of eurong. I'm pretty sure there is no barge to Moon point anymore the only other barge is into Kingfisher but the track to the eastern beach isn't very trailer friendly and depending on what time you come across its busy with tourist buses and they hate to give way to 4x4"s. Hope this helps :cheers:
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Thanks guy's ..... so Rusty just check you can still land at Moon Point other wise you might be better of driving down to Inskip Point.
yogi
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No mate don't go moon point I don't think there is a barge there anymore. You want to go to River Heads and get the barge that goes to Wanggoolba creek through past central and into the back of Eurong.
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Just been looking at http://www.fraserislandferry.com.au/ (http://www.fraserislandferry.com.au/) and saw this ....
Barges and ferry services run daily from River Heads, south of Hervey Bay, and from Urangan Boat Harbour in Hervey Bay to World Heritage-listed Fraser Island.
From River Heads the Fraser Venture runs three services daily to Wanggoolba Creek* and the Kingfisher Bay Ferry runs three services to Kingfisher Bay Resort.
From Urangan Boat Harbour the Fraser Dawn operates to Moon Point. This is not a scheduled service, so please make contact with us to check sailing times.
I'm waiting to see the tide times ( or better still ; what time I would get there ) , as a high tide would make it better to go this way .
I don't believe it's any longer from the south ... is it ?
Maybe a one way ticket going up and come back to Inskip , etc .
Interesting the varying rates for Trailers between the two barges ....
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Ute you have to take into account it's 3 hr drive to hervey bay so from bris I'd go Rainbow beach. The only reason we go through River Heads is all our family are in the bay and we stay in town the night before we go over so we are all together. All the barges from River heads are now owned by Kingfisher Bay resort.
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I know the RACQ Trip Planner can be inaccurate at times , but it says :
Brisbane : Rainbow Beach = 3.15
Brisbane : Urangan = 3.30
Plus you can fill up with reasonable priced fuel at Hervey Bay , and be much further north ...
I might ring them about the Moon Point run ??
Just looking at all options , that's all .
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Mate unless you know the western side of Fraser with its creeks and tracks it not an option IMO
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I know the RACQ Trip Planner can be inaccurate at times , but it says :
Brisbane : Rainbow Beach = 3.15
Brisbane : Urangan = 3.30
Plus you can fill up with reasonable priced fuel at Hervey Bay , and be much further north ...
I might ring them about the Moon Point run ??
Just looking at all options , that's all .
Salisbury in Brisbane to the Rainbow turnoff on the highway at Gympie takes me pretty much right on 2hrs (non peak period and no accidents), Rainbow is roughly 45 minutes further on from there. the Matilda servo on the highway as you come into Gympie is usually cheaper then Brisbane when it comes to Diesel pricing if you want somewhere cheap along the way for fuel.
i've towed my camper trailer and our old 13ft 1970's Millard poptop caravan up Fraser numerous times via Inskip Point, i'd be going that route any day over dragging a trailer across the middle of the island if coming from the South. time your run for 2hrs before lowtide and the only soft sand you'll have to cross will be about 200mtrs worth going out to the barge at Inkip, and whatever you come across getting off the beach to your campsite further up the island. the going is so easy at that time frame, i used to tow in 2wd for the most part, the hard sand was like driving on concrete. obviously if the sand looked soft up ahead i'd shift into H4 on the run, but that wasn't very often that i needed to do that.
(http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk237/qld-bundy-drinker/fraser%20island%20fishing%20expo/IMG_2429Small.jpg)
(http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk237/qld-bundy-drinker/fraser%20island%20fishing%20expo/tn_IMG_1320.jpg)
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even if the moon point barge is running at that time the moon point happy valley road is rubbish, the worralie rd is alot better but unless you know coongul creek i would not advise crossing it, many vehicles have been lost trying. As i have said before the road from the creek to eurong is quite good and would be easy to tow a trailer on, it usually is around half an hour to cross so maybe 40 mins with a trailer.
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Thanks Guys ....
Once again , proof that My Swag is the superior web site , in that you can assume and think something , throw the question out there , and get friendly advice to show you the best way ....
Thank You .
( now I just need help in getting my family up at 3 am to make the first barge on the Friday morning to work the low tide run ;D )
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As others have said …… anyone thinking about driving on the beach on the western side of Fraser Island I would strongly recommend you don’t as the creeks are mostly tidle and some are very deep. Not to mention there is a lot of mangroves and very soft sand in places. If towing I would make your travel options as easy as possible ;D
yogi
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I know the RACQ Trip Planner can be inaccurate at times , but it says :
Brisbane : Rainbow Beach = 3.15
Brisbane : Urangan = 3.30
Plus you can fill up with reasonable priced fuel at Hervey Bay , and be much further north ...
I might ring them about the Moon Point run ??
Just looking at all options , that's all .
So darryl which way will you be going ? We are in Caloundra and planning to travel on friday morning so we would be keen on partnering up for the journey.
Neil
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G'day Neil ,
Due to the fact we are taking enough time already off work and school for the week , at this stage we might look at heading up Saturday morning .
And we will go Gympie , Rainbow and Inskip Point thanks to the info here .
Saturday will give us a low tide one hour and quarter later than Friday .
The only trouble with that is we will probably be last in , and therefore get the spot closest to the toilet or something .... :(
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I prefer Saturday...this allows me Friday to get organised and drive to parents farm which is 20min from rainbow. Can catch up on route.....make note try to arrive in front of Ute so we don't get the toilet spot
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I would not worry to much about when you get there as if everone who has advised there coming turn up and we all beach camp, were going to have to be spread out a fair bit for all of us to fit in. But we will all have beach views and easy beach access ;D
yogi
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Oh , that's good .
Then can I request a place away from Jetcrew ... ( you know how he loses his pants through the night and can't remember anything about them .... :laugh: )
And CanCan , I'll be happy to be behind you and that Thumpin' big Hemi !
As long as you stop to pull me out ... hold on , maybe you could just tow me the whole way , so I can keep up ! :laugh:
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That's if we get the hemi ..want to sell the audi by Sunday week otherwise Will keep it which means we Will swap cars with my parents and i Will use there 100series for Fraser.
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Well it looks like we will travel on the saturday with Ute701 and Cancan as there is no need to rush for a spot. So yogi book us for Saturday to Wed/thursday. Departure to be confirmed.
Darryl, got a flag for the 4B so we can spot you!
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Do you mean flag or flag pole ...... :laugh: ( my flag pole is the biggest ! )
Let me decide where , when it gets closer ....
I'll have a UHF by then , or just do mobile numbers .
In the past , on early getaways , we have stopped for breakfast at either the Matilda at Kybong , or the Hungry Jacks at Gympie .
Low tide on the Saturday is 9.45 am , so this will work out fine .
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hi yogi can you put me down for inskip point on the Thursday morning will try for around 7.00am
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Hey yogi,
After discussions with Rusty we will be traveling together, we will be leaving from In skip point should be there around 7:00am, it should be around a 2 hour run for us from Bundy. We are going over on the Thursday 26th? And at this stage departing on the Sunday.
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You guy's should have a good run up the beach at that time also good to see you guy's have buddied up for the drive 8) .... I will be posting up a rough how to get there guide from Inskip to the camp spot a bit closer to the date.
yogi
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Do you mean flag or flag pole ...... :laugh: ( my flag pole is the biggest ! )
Let me decide where , when it gets closer ....
I'll have a UHF by then , or just do mobile numbers .
In the past , on early getaways , we have stopped for breakfast at either the Matilda at Kybong , or the Hungry Jacks at Gympie .
Low tide on the Saturday is 9.45 am , so this will work out fine .
Darryl, stop bragging about your pole! :laugh:
Two Irishmen were standing at the base of a flagpole,
looking up.
A blonde walks by and asked them what they were doing.
Paddy replied, 'We're supposed to be finding the fook'n height of
this flagpole, but we don't have a fook'n ladder.'
The blonde took out an adjustable spanner from her bag,
loosened a few bolts and laid the flagpole down.
She got a tape measure out of her pocket, took a few
measurements, and announced that it was 18 feet 6 inches.
Then, she walked off.
Mick said to Paddy, 'Isn't that just like a blonde!
We need the fook'n height and she gives us the fook'n length.
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Hi Yogi
I will be coming from inskip point , dont know date or time yet i will try to come with rusty and bundyfamiley , i told them going across the island would be silly towing a trailer, As it is not that much further to get to inskip Point and run strait up the beach to dundaburra.
Can you still come off the barge and head right around hook point , some one told me you now have to go up the inland road for first 5klms or so is this correct.
On my experience of fraser you would only do this if you get the wrong tide anyway hope i can get away from work as i havn't been to fraser for about 14yrs And am looking forward to it .
:cheers: ehsc
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esch ...... Hook point is still the go as long as the tide is right.
yogi
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ehsc,
Keep you eye on this update. http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/register/p01663aa.pdf (http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/register/p01663aa.pdf)
You know how quick things can change on a beach like, particularly Fraser.
Looks like Ngkala Rocks could be fun at the moment
:cheers:
Nomad
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Yogi we will go down to rainbow now as its only an extra 80kms from harvey through tincan bay.
The tides dont line up with barge times on the thur from river heads so we will be at Inskip early thur morn if any one needs to Tagalong with us.
Nick
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Looks like Ngkala Rocks could be fun at the moment
:cheers:
Nomad
Nomad, at christmas yogi and I were at Fraser with JT and Ngkala was interesting as there were the initial rock crawling, then reverse up the side towarded the ocean (as going straight ahead wasn't an option with the erosion from the high tides etc. only left approx 1 metre, then drive up a soft powdery dune over to the other side of the dune and continue along Ngkala to the beach. Yogi made it without any problems but other vehicles we were with with would have possibly experienced a few problems.
You are correct in how fast things change, as we were only there in October and could drive straight over Ngkala - which we took the camper right up to Sandy Cape. Just a magic spot and Yogi couldn't be happier or in his element catching all types of fish.
A vehicle before us had to be winched up the dune.
Amanda
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Hey Amanda,
Yeah you never really now what your going to get until your there, and unless your there all the time and can read the place really well its a lottery.
Given Fraser is the natural sand dump for the east coast its amazing how things can change over weeks and months. Given all the swell that Fraser has copped from cyclones and strong swells over the last few months no wonder its hard work. Hopefully in winter after moderate weather they'll get a bit of sand around...........only cos I dont have a lift kit lol........
What ever its like as long as it is fun.........
:cheers:
Nomad
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Hey Nomad
Thanks for the link great info Thanks ehsc
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Some encouraging words and pic's of the Inskip barge landing point ;D
http://myswag.org/forum/index.php?topic=20989.0 (http://myswag.org/forum/index.php?topic=20989.0)
yogi
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Some encouraging words and pic's of the Inskip barge landing point ;D
http://myswag.org/forum/index.php?topic=20989.0 (http://myswag.org/forum/index.php?topic=20989.0)
yogi
It used to be that you could avoid that flat section near the barge by driving around from the Rainbow side, along hard-packed sand, if the tide was low enough. I think the sinkhole has taken away that option though.
(I towed a mate's stricken Hilux off Fraser a couple of years ago and we just turned hard left after getting off the barge in order to avoid that long flat section. Getting off the beach before Rainbow proved to be pretty easy with momentum.)
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Hi there,
We'll be heading to In-Skip Point on the Saturday. We'll try and get there at around 8am (low tide is around 9am) if anyone wants to buddy up.
We'll come back on the following Saturday.
Now to get some max trax and update the snatch strap.
cheers
Stue and Jean
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That sounds pretty much what I have in mind for us . ( both ways )
So we will get in contact closer to the date to confirm ,
but for now , yes that will be good to join your team for that time at Inskip Pt .
Cheers. Darryl.