Jardine River ferry,

Hi Allen,
Yes the ferry is expensive, but if you are going to drive all that way you need to take the last step. There is plenty to see, we saw air craft wrecks, Palm cockatoos, a trip to Thursday Island (also a little expensive) and the pies at the Seisia caravan park were great, that is with out going to the tip which is what the trip is all about.
A happy and prosperous new year to you also.
Cheers
Graham

yes $130 is a lot of money for a 1minute ferry ride ( sorry , 2 minutes if you count the return) i think it is $160 with a trailer. but you have to get to the top if you have gone that far. it is also a permit to all the native lands north of the jardine.
i believe there was a bridge promised by the gillard government and the locals increased the cost to cover the future loss of money
i thought the thursday island ferry with a bus tour of the island was a waste of money. thursday island was a dissapointment

So you've got an approx $130 ferry ride at the end of a long journey that's cost you a lot more getting there. To save those $$$s some travellers risk their rigs (vehicle, caravan, camper, equipment, etc ), conservative estimate $80k and up, and try to bypass the ferry.

Some mothers do 'ave em LOL

Regards

hi allein m,
Some go to tick the trip off their bucket list , others go and spend time and enjoy what they see and spend time enjoying the trip and journey on the way. I am of the later variety, spent a week over the Jardine and did not see it all, next time we want to see Thursday Is. Maybe we stop and talk too much, but the things we see others wonder about, thanks to research and an open mind to get out and look.

Hi Allein

As mentioned before - if you are going to travel all that way - why not do the last bit. We did it last year - and from my perspective, was definitely worth it. I liked our trip to Thursday Island, quite an interesting little place. If you go, take some time to visit the Japanese cemetery there and have a look at the ages of the folks that died of The Bends while pearling. The local information museum is also a nice diversion.

The rates for the ferry are like any other - the ferry to Fraser Island is about $100, Moreton Island is heaps more...but then that's what happens when you have a monopoly. And BTW - the ferry is the last place you can take bottled alcohol...pretty hefty fines if you "disagree"!

Have fun - we did....

Chris

Hello. We were at the Tip in 2003 and it was well worth every $ and the effort to drive 12000 kms in 15 days with 7 days off for sightseeing, from Melbourne to the Tip and back. When we woke up at Injune to a white frost it made me drive the 1600kms back to Melb in 1 day. Horne Island was my highlight but Somerset Beach, plane wrecks, WW2 radar site, Thursday Island, Fruit Bat and Twin Falls plus the OTT were also very good. We ran out of time but there is plenty to see not just the Tip of Oz. I have friends who spent 2 nights 1 day at the top and said they had seen it all. All they saw was stuff all. If $130 is going to spoil your trip do not leave home. I heard a bloke say once there was nothing to see between Cloncurry and Normanton, all I can say is he should never leave the city. If you go on the trip enjoy it. The trips are what YOU make them. We have been travelling for 17 weeks now on a trip now around Oz and are really loving it.

Hi Allein m,
Let me remind you that in 2010 it cost $2.04 a litre for diesel up their and to run a ferry cost a lot more than you think. You get free camping for as long as you are their and there is a lot to see and do. Anyone trying to avoid paying will end up paying in the long run as you don't have the right to camp or stay on their land. What you see past the Jardine is more than just a couple of days looking around. Try counting how many 44 gal cans are their and plane wrecks fishing at Seisia wharf and the Pies at Bamaga are worth the $129.00 alone.
If you think like that you will not see much of Australia at all. Answer to your Question is Yes but take more than a couple of nights. More like a week or two just to see the top end alone.
Cheers Andy

Thank you for your opinions

is it worth $129 to drive over and camp for couple of nights is there much to see when you get there


was my question and it seems that it is worth the expense to go over on the ferry so have a good and merry new years eve

Hi Allien M
Yes $129 return on the ferry for a very quick crossing of the Jardine is expensive, but if you have decided to make the effort to visit that part of our great country then it is a necessary expense.
We did that trip in 2007 in our old Kia Sportage and we did the OTT in it as well. The Ferry crossing was $80 back then. The camp areas along the way are great (Fruit Bat, Elliott etc) but to stand at the Tip of Australia is a must do on anyone's bucket list. There's plenty to do or not once you have reached the top. We stayed at Loyalty Beach CP in our tent as the noise from the jetty / wharf at Seisia can be a bit annoying at times. You only need a few days in that whole area (across the Jardine) to see what is on offer. Go to Punsand and enjoy a sunset. Go to Thursday Is as well. Relax enjoy your effort and the experience.
You know there are way too many people who stress about the whole vehicle / trailer / caravan / RV do's and don'ts and road conditions etc but we have learned that you need to deal with what you have and the conditions at the time you are doing a trip. The worry of all the other takes away from the experience of the journey and you never enjoy it. We lost our 4x4 function on the Punsand Bay rd just before nightfall and were helped out of a bog in the sand and towed by a quad bike. Got the Kia to the mechanics in Bamaga the next day they made a few phone calls and Bob's your uncle back 4x4ing in no time and it cost $70. Things happen, flat tyres, axels break shockys give way we have seen ppl limping out of places with their camper trailers stuffed. Hell we lost a wheel off our 25' caravan on the road btwn Barkley HS and Cape Crawford on our way to Borroloola last year. That's a story for the books.
You know to Explore Oz is not a cheap thing to do. No matter where you go it costs in fuel, accommodation etc. and the more remote the more expensive it becomes.
My thought is if you make the effort to go to a certain point and don't finish the job is a waste of time and effort.
Going to Fraser Island on the barge one way is $95 or $160 return. Another necessary expense if you want to get there. It's not cheap getting to Kangaroo Island in SA or doing a trip to the Horizontal Falls in the Kimberley or even visiting Uluru / Kata Tjuta NP is $25 pp for 3 days.
Everything costs. The problem in this country is it costs heaps no matter where you go or what you do, it's a very big continent our Island Home and if you want to see it then it's going to dip into your pocket. The only decision you have to make is do you want to spend your hard earned money on travelling or on something else?
Life is not a dress rehearsal I always say and if the opportunity comes along and it's doable then go for it. No regrets no what if's.
Ponder a little longer and make the right decision for yourself no one else.
Cheers

am i the only one that didnt think much of thursday island?
i visited the fort and museum which was interesting but very much like all the forts built for the presumed russian invasion all over australia. the japanese divers cemetary was probably the high point, we often visit cemetaries in our travels . lots of interesting history there. if you took the government offices and courts away i think the island would close down.
we were interested in buying pearls and found one shop without much interest in our shopping. most of the locals didnt seem interested in much at all and i found this a surprise because i was led to believe the were industrious and colourful

was it just us having a bad day?