Fraser Island is a big bucket list item for many people travelling Australia’s famous East Coast, and many people have been surprised to hear that you can do a Fraser Island self drive tour… even if you don’t have a 4WD.
We couldn’t wait to visit and see its beauty for ourselves but joining a group tour was the last thing we wanted to do. Lucky for us, there are other options so here’s how you can do a Fraser Island self-drive tour and our ultimate 3 day K’gari Fraser Island self drive itinerary.
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About Fraser Island
Fraser Island is by far the most unique island along the Australian East Coast and as a UNESCO World Heritage site, there’s more than just one interesting fact about it, especially if you’re a nature lover:
- At 76 miles long and 14 miles wide, Fraser Island is the world’s largest sand island
- It’s home to half of the worlds ‘perched lakes’. These are lakes formed above sea level in sand dunes filled permanently with rainwater.
- Australia’s purest strain of wild Dingo calls Fraser Island home
- Each year thousands of humpback whales migrate to the Fraser Coast to have their calves
Add to this the miles and miles of pristine beaches and moving sand blows, you have yourself a unique tropical island paradise.
Can You Go To Fraser Island Without A Car
There are a couple of ways to see Fraser Island without your own car. The first option, and the one we’ll talk about in more detail soon, is hiring a 4wd from one of the mainland towns. If you’re not able to do this, you could join a guided tour of Fraser Island . There are one day and multi day options for guided tours, depending on how much time you have.
Can I Take My Own WD To Kgari Fraser Island
Yes! If you own a 4wd vehicle, you absolutely can use your own car for a Fraser Island self drive tour. You’ll want to check that your insurance covers you for beach driving, or purchase some before your trip, but driving your own vehicle on Fraser Island isn’t an issue if it’s 4wd.
Can You Take a 2wd To Fraser Island
Nope, and I wouldn’t want to either. We travelled for 2 years in our beloved 2wd self converted campervan and as much of a trooper as he was, there’s no way he would have managed with the soft sand and off road tracks of Fraser Island.
Legally, your car must be 4wd to be able to get on the ferry across to the island. Otherwise, you’d be a complete liability and almost guaranteed to get into a sticky situation
Is Driving On K’gari Fraser Island Difficult
Is driving on Fraser Island difficult? I would say yes, if you’re not prepared or underestimate the roads/sand/tide.
Given there are no ‘proper’ roads on Fraser Island, and many of the routes get cut off at high tide, it’s safe to say driving on Fraser Island is no walk in the park, there’s a reason you need a 4wd.
Ideally, you’ll also want to have experience driving on trickier roads but plenty of inexperienced people get around the island with minimal issues.
If you’re hiring a 4wd, you’ll want to be aware of any restrictions the hire company have. For example, most won’t let you explore the most Northern part of the Island because of how tricky the track gets. We’ve seen experienced drivers get stuck there.
How to find a 4wd rental company
If you’re wanting to visit Fraser Island without a car, you’re probably considering hiring a 4wd.
Google is the obvious choice here but what if I told you not every company is listed on google? Mind blowing right!
Our biggest advice to you is to head into town and have a look around, there are family run businesses who offer just as good, if not better, 4wd hire packages than the bigger more popular companies that will pop up online, it’s just a case of finding them.
Browse the travel agencies and speak to locals, they might know of current offers available or even be able to grab you a discount.
Our personal recommendation is 4WD Adventure Centre, while all their cars are automatics, their prices were the cheapest in Rainbow Beach, they don’t charge per person and they threw in the camping gear and esky for free.
The only downside was the restriction from going to the cape, which we were really hoping to do, this turned out to be a common thing for 4WD hire companies.
This is not a sponsored post. Our 4WD Adventure Centre recommendation comes purely from us and our great experience. We haven’t been paid and we didn’t receive a discounted tour)
Other 4WD rental companies for Fraser Island include:
Fraser Dingo 4WD Adventure at Hervey Bay
Aussie Trax 4WD at Hervey Bay
Fraser Island Off Road 4×4 Hire at Rainbow Beach
When hiring a 4WD for your Fraser Island self drive tour, remember to ask these three questions;
- Does the cig lighter socket work? (important if that’s how you plan on pumping up your bed)
- Have the tires already been let down for sand driving? Is a pump provided to blow them back up if needed?
- Are tire treads provided for if you get stuck in the sand?
Do You Need A Permit To Drive On Fraser Island?
Fraser Island is a World Heritage site and National Park, this means there are a few permits you’ll need to obtain before you travel across the water.
It’s a lot easier than it sounds and can certainly be done without paying extra for the 4WD hire company to do it for you.
All permits can be obtained on the Queensland Parks website, you’ll need to create an account with them and then you’ll be able to buy any permits you need for Fraser Island as well as any QLD Park campgrounds across the state.
Beach access permit
$57.80 for a month per car. This is the most important one as you’ll be refused onto the ferry without one.
Camping permit
$7.25 per person, per night. $29 per family (2 adults and up to 5 kids)
When booking your camping permit, you can either book on to a site (Happy Valley eco-site not included) or you can book into a beachside ‘zone’.
If you book into zone 1, you’re not actually restricted to this zone and are free to camp in any so long as you are behind the dunes and not outside the zone designation signs.
You’ll then need to get a yellow tag from your 4WD rental company and display this on your tent/car. Rangers may come and check this and have a friendly chat with you about the Dingos so if you see them scouting an area don’t worry, they’re just checking tags.
Ferry ticket
$130 return, standard 4×4 + 4 passengers
The hire company should sort this for you but if you’re doing a Fraser Island self drive tour in your own vehicle, you can book your ticket online or at the tourist office in whichever town you’re launching from.
Price is for a return and includes the car and ALL passengers. You’ll need to keep hold of it until your return journey. Manta Ray Barge is the only company that does the crossing so this is the only price available
3 Day Kgari Fraser Island Self Drive Itinerary
Getting to Fraser Island from Rainbow Beach
It’s wise to start the day early for your first day on Fraser Island so you can beat the morning high tide.
We recommend camping at Inskip Point the night before so you can be up and ready for the first ferry over to Fraser Island, which is at 6 am.
Surprisingly, we were the first ones on the day we went so it was a fairly quick turn around for us but expect a little bit of a wait if you get there later.
The ferry to Fraser Island from Rainbow Beach takes about 15 minutes. This gives you plenty of time to have a walk around the deck, take some photos and watch the sunrise – you might even spot a dolphin or two!
Once you’re on Fraser Island you have two options. Take the inland route or stay on the beach and drive around North Spit; this will depend a lot on what the tide is doing when you arrive; North Spit isn’t manageable near high tide.
Your first stop will be inland, so head to access point at Dilli Village via the Main Beach.
The prohibited areas on this Fraser Island map will depend on which hire company you go through
Fraser Island Perched Lakes
If the tide is in throughout the morning, this is the perfect time to tick off the first section of the Fraser Island self drive itinerary; exploring the perched.
Perched lakes are ones that form above sea level and are filled with 100% fresh rainwater. Fraser Island has a lot of these within its rainforest sand dunes and each one is beautiful in its own way.
Due to the low nutrients in the water, each lake can maintain a varying amount of life but all are pretty safe to swim in.
The only access point for the Fraser Island perched lakes is through Dilli Village; the Eurong route is a one-way exit.
It’s a short drive from Dilli Village to the first lake but the tide is in until midday so make the most of the off road tracks and scenery!
Lake boomanjin
Lake Boomanjin is the first of 3 lakes on the Fraser Island self drive itinerary and in so many ways, it’s the most unique.
It’s the biggest perched lake in the world, within one of the world’s oldest tropical rainforests… on the world’s largest sand Island.
When I found that out, it just blew my mind. If you’re visiting Fraser Island without a tour, you really don’t want to be missing this one off your list.
What’s even more impressive though, if that’s possible, is its magical colour. You’ll have seen photos of the crystal clear waters and white sands that can be found on Fraser Island, well, they aren’t of Lake Boomanjin.
Nope, this unique perched lake is a breathtaking rainbow of reds and oranges thanks to the nearby Tea Trees that have stained the water with their tannin that leaks into it.
Sure, it doesn’t look appealing to swim in but it’s at the top of our list of must-see things on Fraser Island and you’d be mad to miss it.
Lake Birrabeen
Grab your swimmers and your sunscreen because you’re about to step foot into paradise.
Lake Birrabeen is where you’ll find the picture-perfect paradise seen on all the brochures, with its turquoise blue perfectly clear waters and powdery white sand you’ll never want to leave here.
You know what’s even better? The tour buses bypass Lake Birrabeen and head straight for Lake Mckenzie. If you’re exploring Fraser Island without a tour and you head to Lake Birrabeen, we can almost guarantee this beach will be empty. We spent a good portion of the morning here.
Lake Mackenzie
Ok, so it’s this lake that’s actually on the brochures but they must photoshop the crowds out because this lake was bu-sy.
Despite the crowds, it’s still a really pretty lake but way too touristy to enjoy fully. With its massive car park, paved path to the beach and built up toilet block it wasn’t hard to imagine you were back at Bondi Beach.
So why is it on our Fraser Island self drive itinerary you ask? Well, we might not have enjoyed it as much as Lake Birrabeen but you can’t come to Fraser Island and not see it. Plus, you might enjoy the crowds a lot more than we did!
Fraser Island self drive itinerary day 2
The overall theme for these 3 days on Fraser Island is early mornings and early nights.
It’s not that there isn’t plenty to do on Fraser at night, especially if you’re staying close to one of the villages, it’s just there’s so much to see during the day that a sunrise start really is the best way.
Anyway, day two on Fraser Island turned out to be our favourite and it starts with a trip to the Pinnacles.
The Pinnacles
The Pinnacles are another iconic part of Fraser Island. Made up of over 72 different coloured sands, they really shine in the hues of the sunrise and best of all; the tours won’t start arriving until later.
If you stay long enough you’ll watch the sands change with the rays of the sun.
Indian Head
Indian Head is the most Northern point that most Fraser Island car rental companies will let you go, past here the tracks get tougher and are recommended for experienced drivers only.
That’s ok though because Indian Head offers some amazing views across the Island and really does need a full morning.
From the Pinnacles it’s roughly 40 minutes to reach Indian Head, you’ll have to take a short inland track and park at Champagne pools to give you easy access to both after the high tide. From here you can take the short walk to the top of Indian Head, it’ll only take 10 minutes but take plenty of water; it gets hot at the top once the sun rises properly.
So why was Indian Head so special for us?
Well, it turns out from here you’ll not just see some amazing views, but some amazing wildlife too!
White Bellied eagles own the skies while Tiger Sharks bask in the shallows, Manta Ray and Sea Turtles play in the waves and during the migration Humpback Whales come so close to the shore you’ll be able to look down almost directly above them and see the calves playing.
Seeing the Tiger Sharks was a big reminder to not go in the sea at Fraser Island, no matter how tempting it looks, so we were really surprised to see so many people paddling even after the sighting!! Brave or stupid? You decide.
Champagne Pools
After you’ve had your fill of Indian Head (no lies; we stayed there for a good few hours!) it’s probably time to cool off.
Champagne Pools are naturally formed volcanic rock pools, almost like a jacuzzi, that makes for a great safe space to have a dip.
Lake Alom
This is an option you could add to your Fraser Island self drive itinerary if you’ve got experience driving on soft sand.
We spent so much time at Indian head, that we actually chose to skip this but there should be plenty of time if you do want to do it.
The turning for Lake Allom is accessed on the road that leads from the Pinnacles, it’s a tough road so while the distance isn’t far (See the Fraser Island map below) it will take you longer to drive it.
Lake Allom is another perched lake, this one gives you the opportunity to swim with freshwater turtles. There’s a viewing platform here as well as a walking track and campground.
Fraser Island self drive itinerary Day 3
Your final day on Fraser Island will most likely be more of a half-day if you’re renting a 4X4.
We used this day to make the most of the little bits we’d missed out up until now, and also to return back to Lake Birrabeen, yep, we loved it that much.
So instead of a planned out day, here are a few little extras you could use to fill your final day on your drive back to the south end of Fraser Island.
SS Maheno Shipwreck
By this point on your visit to Fraser Island without a tour, you’ll have already driven past the shipwreck at peak tourist time.
Make the most of day 3 with a trip back at sunrise. As with the Pinnacles, the SS Maheno shipwreck is almost completely tourist free as the sun comes up.
The glare from the sunrise really sets off the rusted metal and there’s an almost eerie settled presence around it when there are no tour groups around.
Slowly disappearing each year, the SS Maheno was used as a hospital ship during ww2. After the war, she was converted back to a commercial ship and sailed from New Zealand to Sydney often.
She washed up on Fraser Island in 1935 after a cyclone struck, and she’s been there ever since!! As you probably saw on day 2, during the day SS Maheno is a really popular spot for the tourists on the island so we definitely suggest going at sunrise or sunset, both times we had it completely to ourselves!!
Central Station
Spend the morning and escape high tide at Central Station where you’ll find a scenic boardwalk over Wanggoolba Creek and some of the world’s oldest species of ferns.
It’s a great little spot to escape the heat and learn a bit about the plants and animals on the Island. When you’ve spent all of day 2 on the beaches, being surrounded by Jungle is a refreshing change!
Eli Creek
Another really popular spot with tourists and a great way to end your final day, Eli Creek is the biggest creek you’ll have to cross on Fraser Island.
With over 4 MILLION litres of water flowing through it and out into the ocean every HOUR, it’s a title that won’t be beaten any time soon.
A great thing to do at Eli Creek is to take an inflatable up the creek and enjoy a relaxing ride back to the beach, taking in the scenery around you.
Or simply enjoy a bit of a swim before you head back to the mainland.
Spotting Dingoes on Fraser Island
The aim for almost every tourist who goes to Fraser Island is to see a wild dingo. Fraser Island has the purest population of Dingo in Australia due to how little they interact with domestic dogs, which makes Fraser Island the only place you can see an almost unspoilt Dingo.
They hunt mainly at night but if you hang around the beaches long enough, you’re sure to see one try to sneak in and scavenge for some food.
We spotted plenty of tracks on 75 mile beach but our first and only sighting of one came while we BBQ’d at the base of Indian Head.
Be dingo Safe on Fraser Island
It’s easy to imagine Dingos being a cute and cuddly dog-like animal when they look so much like a domesticated pet but they’re far from that. Known to get aggressive to children, especially if food is involved, there are some important things you need to remember in order to stay Dingo safe on Fraser Island;
- Don’t leave food out at night
- Don’t approach them, especially if they have cubs
- Don’t leave children unattended
- If you’re walking the bush tracks, keep a stick handy
- Don’t feed them/encourage them to come closer
- If you’re near a fenced in campsite or BBQ spot – use it. It’s probably close to a den.
Fraser Island Tours
If you’re not hiring a car, and you don’t have a 4wd, you can still experience Fraser Island through a group tour. There are so many options available of different lengths & different group sizes, but here are some of the most popular:
Know Before You Go:
Check The Fraser Island Tide Times
You’ll want to do this every day that you’re there, as well as before you set off. The main beach road gets cut off at high ride, and while there are other ways to get around the island, it means going through the bushland which are trickier roads.
Food and Petrol On Kgari Fraser Island
There are several villages on Fraser Island where you can get food & water, with the northern villages offering it for free, so don’t pay $15 per 10l like we did at Dill village… or better yet, take some with you!
Central Station is where you’ll get fuel, make sure you’re full when you head over to the island and, if space, take a jerry can with extra just in case you get stuck. It’ll also workout cheaper than buying it on the island.
Best Times To Visit Kgari Fraser Island
Spring is undoubtedly the best time to visit Fraser Island because it gives you warmer (dryer) weather than winter, but less humidity than summer. That being said, you’ll want to avoid any school holidays unless you want to be there when it’s super busy… especially in the summer when tourist numbers spike too.
Fraser Island Accommodation
For our Fraser Island self drive tour, we camped on one of the dune campsites, however, there are a few hostel, apartment and hotel options in Dill Village and across the island. You’ll want to book these in advance if you’re visiting in peak season. Here are the best rated options for Fraser Island accommodation according to booking.com
Final Thoughts On A Fraser Island Self Drive Tour
So can you see Fraser Island without a tour? You sure as hell can and we’d say it’s 100% the perfect choice for those travelling as a couple or group.
I hope this has helped inspire you to visit Fraser Island without a tour and make you want to see it in your own way, we’d love to hear how you get on so why not join our Facebook Group dedicated to travelling Australia!
