Exploring Fraser Island (Rainbow Beach and Hervey Bay)
Published Date : 2025-01-25
Fraser Island , also known as Kgari to the locals, is the worlds largest sand island. If you want to experience sand in every nook and cranny, have near-death experiences with planes landing within 20 metres of you , and be afraid to go out alone lest you are mauled to death by dingoes, then Fraser Island is the place to go!
Table of Contents:
- Best Time to Visit Fraser Island
- How to get to Fraser island and where to stay
- Things to do on Fraser Island
- Self-driving Fraser Island
- Tagalong Tours Verses Bus Tours to Fraser Island
- Rainbow Beach Fraser Island Tours
- Noosa Fraser Island Tours
- Hervey Bay Fraser Island Tours
- Farmwork Near Fraser Island
- Hints and Tips for Fraser Island
It is the best place on the East Coast to visit, and although all the above are true, it is one of the most beautiful places to see in Australia. Located 250 km north of Brisbane, and a World Heritage listed site, it's the only place in the world where rain forest grows on sand. 120km long and 24 km wide, it's home to a variety of perched lakes, 120km of beach, and over 40km of coloured sand dunes.
Best Time to Visit Fraser Island
Fraser Island is amazing to visit year round, with a generally mild climate. Temperatures are rarely above 30 degrees, or below 5 degrees, due to the moderating influence of the ocean. Average winter temperatures are around 18 degrees, while average summer temperatures are around 26 degrees. However, like a lot of Queensland, there is a storm season from January to April, with occasional cyclones.
How to get to Fraser island and where to stay
Getting to Fraser Island requires grabbing the ferry from Hervey Bay or Inskip Point , at Rainbow Beach. If you are thinking of driving your own 4x4 to Fraser, you can stay overnight at either of those places or even in Noosa on the Sunshine Coast.
Things to do on Fraser Island
Exploring Fraser Island is incredibly rewarding, with everything from clear blue freshwater lakes to rough rain forest driving trails, to imposing cliff heads, to hidden rivers. By far the most famous location on Fraser Island, is the freshwater lake, Lake Mackenzie. Lake Mackenzie is an almost 1km by 1km perched lake, about 6km from Kingfisher Resort.
Fraser's lakes aren't just clear though- Lake Boomanjin and Lake Allom are two tea coloured lakes- due to tannins from nearby swamps tinting the water red- and also making the lakes excellent for your skin (and hangover). Lake Wabby is the final 'must see' lake on Fraser Island.
But Fraser island isn't just about lakes. The drive up the 75-mile beach highway is amazing, where all you can see is the beach ahead of you, crystal clear water on one side, and the rain forest on the other. One of the leading creeks you'll have to cross on your journey is Eli Creek , a slow-moving freshwater creek, where people generally stop, bring their water bottles, and fill them up before floating back towards to ocean.
Finally, as you head towards the top of the 75-mile beach, you'll come across a huge rocky headland- Indian Head . There is a short 10-minute hike to get to the top of the headland, and the views from here are superb, with a high chance of spotting whales, dolphins, and sharks from the viewpoint.
Self-driving Fraser Island
If you're planning on driving to Fraser, a 4x4 is obligatory- no exceptions. You can get the ferry to Fraser in two places- At Inskip Point, Rainbow Beach, or at River Heads, just South of Hervey Bay, and the ferries cost between $120 and $175 for your 4wd and passengers.
Tagalong Tours Verses Bus Tours to Fraser Island
For those not willing to risk a $2000 bond and drive themselves along Fraser, there are two other alternatives- Bus tours , where you go to Fraser as part of a group of 15-25 people on-board a 4wd tour bus, or a 4x4 tag-along tour.
Tagalong Tours , on the other hand, are the most popular way for backpackers to see Fraser. They are fun, fast, and full of adventure, as you are essentially a self-drive convoy of 4x4s, where you follow the 4x4 of your guide.
Rainbow Beach Fraser Island Tours
Rainbow Beach is a town whose economy is based on Fraser Island. Its name comes from the multicoloured sand dunes that surround the town, and for a quiet coastal town, there is a surprising amount of things to do. The town contains two hostels: Pippies, Dingos. Each hostel operates their own Fraser Island tour, and the Dingos hostel contains a bar and a pool.
In terms of tours, they're all very similar- 4x4 camping tours, that leave daily for three days and two nights, and they are all amazing. The only differences are the accommodation you stay in beforehand (Dingos has a bar, is newly renovated and really nice, Pippies is nice and chilled) and that Dingos stay in an aboriginal campsite, where they sometimes get a native storytelling experience. Both tours do get rambunctious at the campsites- so wrap it up and be wary of sand getting everywhere if you're considering "burying the snake" on the beach.
Apart from visiting Fraser Island, Rainbow Beach is also famous for the Carlo Sandblow, a 15-acre sandblow that is amazing for watching the sunset, views of the hinterlands, and sandboarding. Hostels in Rainbow Beach provide the sandboards free of charge, and it is just a 20-minute walk from the centre of Rainbow.
Surfing and 4 wheel driving to Double Island Point is a great activity and gives you a chance to surf Australia's longest wave- the perfect wave for beginners learning to surf.
Finally, Rainbow Beach is growing in popularity for experienced scuba divers, as the dive site at Wolf Rock is among the only places in the world where Grey Nurse sharks are found year-round, and you can also spot manta rays, leopard sharks, and humpback whales in different seasons. Finally, if you have your own 4x4, you can drive along the beach down to Noosa on the Sunshine Coast, on the Great Sandy Beach, an incredibly scenic route that's good preparation for Fraser Island!
Noosa Fraser Island Tours
Noosa is a town that deserves its own post (think Byron Bay without as much Hippies), but for those who want to go to Fraser Island, it's a good place to depart. There is one main tagalong tour that departs from here, Dropbear Adventures.
Bus tours departing Noosa include Discovery Fraser Island, Fraser Adventure Tours, and Sunset Safaris. In general, Discovery Fraser caters for the younger crowd, and offer the best value here, although Fraser explorer is also very good. Fraser Adventure Tours don't go to Lake Mackenzie on one of their tours, which can be an issue. Sunset Safari's, however, is a solid group tour with a good reputation- who offer 2 and 3-day tours.
Within Noosa, itself is Noosa National Park, which is a great way to pass a few hours- its an amazing coastal walk, which offers a high chance of spotting koalas. Other free things in Noosa is surfing- Nomads Noosa offer free surfboards to people, and you can also book surf lessons. You also have the option of visiting the Australian Everglades, a still twisting mix of lakes and rivers, that contain over 40% of the bird species in Australia. Canoe Trips can be done with Kanu Kapers, and if you've the time its worth a go - you'll see silver smooth waterways, surrounded by greenery, that only the Florida Everglades can compare to. Like Rainbow Beach, skydives are also an option here.
Hervey Bay Fraser Island Tours
Hervey Bay is known as the main departure point for Fraser Island, however it is further away from Fraser than Rainbow Beach. None the less, Hervey Bay is a good resting point. It is a decent sized town, with a variety of accommodation to stay in. Top hostels are Woolshed Hervey Bay, Flashpackers Hervey Bay. Out of these two, Woolshed Hervey Bay is the best value- with free wifi all around the hostel, free bike hire, and free pick up and drop off for the Greyhound Bus, you cannot go wrong.
Getting to Fraser Island from Hervey Bay is easy- there are two tagalong tours that depart from here, Fraser Dingo (not to be confused with Dingos in Rainbow Beach), and Palace Fraser Island tours. These tours are two extremes when it comes to price- Fraser Dingo is the cheapest possible way to visit Fraser Island overnight, but it lacks a little bit in quality compared to the tours from Noosa and Rainbow Beach, and you have to pay additional food levys. Palace Fraser Island, on the other hand, is similar quality to the Rainbow Beach and Noosa tours, but much more expensive, and the insurance levy is also more expensive. Both tagalong tours offer two day and three-day trips to Fraser and will pick you up from your accommodation.
Prices:
Fraser Dingo: $325 2 days, $533 days. Additional Fees include food, luggage storage and sleeping bag hire (around $50 total).
Whale Watching Cruise: $90
Flight to Fraser: From $100
Farmwork Near Fraser Island
The entire region around Fraser Island is applicable for regional work, and there is plenty of work that can be found around here. Just two hours north in Bundaberg, you can find farmwork from a variety of working hostels such as Shoestrings Backpackers Hostel,Dingo Blue Backpackers, and Federal Backpackers (Although Bundaberg in general has a very bad reputation for farmwork: see here ,here, and here , so be on your toes about where you work).
Bundaberg is good for sugar cane harvesting, tomatoes, potato picking, and macadamia nuts, and work can be found year round. Farms to avoid though, are Tony Grimas Sweet Potato Farm (Known for underpaying people and harassing workers), Sams Cherry Tomatoes (Piece rate agreement means you earn less than half minimum wage).
Childers, the train stop for Hervey Bay, is popular for mango picking in February, and vegetable picking in November and December, while Mundubbera and Gayndah are both good for citrus and grapes in March to June. Mangos are also good for picking in January. Good working hostels in Childers are Farmgate Backpackers and Childers Eco-lodge.
Finally, the Sunshine Coast, around Noosa is great for strawberry picking, with a variety of working hostels and farms around here. Places to avoid are definitely Suncoast Backpackers, but Mooloolaba Backpackers and Cotton Tree are both great hostels. Strawberry season in April to September, and there is also a crab factory, blueberries and pineapples for other second year visa work. Blueberries are in season October to December.
Hints and Tips for Fraser Island
Book your Fraser Island trip in advance- if its a few days before there is a chance every tagalong tour will be booked out.
Certain hostels with a bar will buy your alcohol for you- at extremely discounted prices, so there's no need to get it in advance.
Noosa and Hervey Bay are further away from Fraser, so you have less time on Fraser Island than tours that depart from Rainbow Beach.
Sunsets at Coola Sandblow go well with a bottle/bag of wine.
Bags of goon also make decent pillows on Fraser Island when camping
If you can, bring your own sleeping bag- but hostels do rent them for $10.
Don't be shark bait- the waters around Fraser are full of them, and although sharks are friends, they sometimes see us as food.
- Don't pet the dingo
Driving around Fraser- download a damn good playlist
Tags: Fraser Island, Rainbow Beach, Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia, Great Sandy National Park, 4WD Tours, Camping, Lakes, Beaches, Dingoes, Adventure Travel, East Coast Australia, National Parks, Travel Tips, Accommodation, Things to Do