Fraser Island with a Jayco Hawk

I took a Cub Drifter on Fraser a few years ago.
The Rainbow Beach ferry is drive on drive off- last time the Hervey Bay ferry was reverse on drive off, real fun with a trailer and moving ferry.
No probs on the sand, keep out of the soft stuff, get a local tide chart.
Have a great time!!!!!

The Jayco wont have any trouble in the sand , just air the tyres down like you would the vehicle.

Cant help with the specific FI questions though sorry.

I just came back from Fraser two weeks ago, and was towing a heavy trailer.
You really need to time your sand adventure to suit tides... ie, as lower tide as you can. If you end up boarding the barge at Tin Can Bay, make sure tyres are deflated before you try to get to the barge. You will have to cross a couple of hundred metres of soft sand.
Wait until drivers in front have gone from the bitumen a while before you have a go. Others regularly get stuck as soon as they leave the sealed surface and block the way, which will make it difficult for you to maintain momentum. Get the rover up to about 3500 rpm in second high, and go for it without stopping until you get to the barge. The barges that are dark green and gold are run by locals, and have been in the same family for yonks. The other barges belong to an international company (so I am told), and are making things tough going for the locals, so support the green and gold if you can. It will cost you $110.00 return with your trailer and truck, which you can purchase on board, and which is best for the local economy as well.

Dundaburra is about 70ks up the sand from the barge and has plenty of decent campsites for your van. You should book before you go. You will also need to pay for a vehicle pass before you get on the island. It is a potential $1500.00 fine if you are caught without one.

As soon as you get off the barge, you will be instructed to turn a hard right. Take care here, because the sand a few feet up from the waters edge is often verry boggy so stay as low as you can. Keep a good momentum up, and don't worry about the first few K's as the going gets much better after you round the point.

After that stay down nearer the water if you need to as it is firmer down there, although you won't need to if you time the tide right and the going will be highway like. When you get up to Eli creek you are better off stopping and plan your crossing if the water is high. Don't worry too much about it, it generally has a very firm bed but I waited until someone else crossed and then followed there path exactly. Getting stuck in water with a 1.2 tonne trailer is a hassle that I don't want to have..... again (happened a few years ago)

When you are set up camping, make sure you do get inland to visit some of the really beuitiful lakes etc. They really are stunning! The highway feel to the conditions goes at high tide when the going will be tougher, but still very enjoyable. You will have your trailer parked and set up before you venture out anywhere so you will be ok.

I wish I was going back as well.
Have fun, and here is a pic of the kids at
lake Mc Kenzie.... Only four are mine. :)

Steve

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Yes, all the above info is spot on...Julie and I have been regular visitors to Fraser for the last 9 years with our 100 series and Jayco Swan Outback. We would be so regular that the ferry operator of the "Manta Ray" (Green & Gold Ferry) was on a first name basis.

His name is Kosta and the deck hand "Woodsie" became good conversation and with let you know what the beach condition is like around Hook Point...just off the ferry for a 5 k's the sand can be hard as a rock one week and soft as the next. Pays to be there well within the 2 hours either side of low tide...especially when you're towing....and more so in holiday times when beach traffic is at a peak and the sand is more choped up.

Watch out for the second beach syndrome in this area, which can have you driving along a sand spit which goes nowhere but straight into the surf...take it easy for the first few k's...after that it's plain sailing....keep an eye out for lagoon run outs whilst traveling North.

Also keep and eye out for light aircraft landing on the beach near Eurong and Happy Valley, Eli Creek and Dundabara...not a good bonnet mascot for the Landie.

If you prefer beach dune camping to campgrounds, we did, and there are some rippers to be had in between Eurong and Happy Valley and plenty big enough for our Cruiser, Swan and 3 other couples with tents. This area has plenty of fresh water run outs for collecting water for showers and washing etc.,

Campsites that we used this year are still good and just look out for the "NO Camping" signs and heed the direction of the arrows on those signs.

A tip is to look for a camp site right at the very beginning of the camping allowed area. We always used some GR8 sites just North of Poyungan Rocks and just South of the Poyungan Valley turnoff.

We let our tyres down to 20 psi on Cruiser and Jayco and never bogged once in all those trips......6-8 trips each year for 9 years. Nothing beats momentum in soft, dry sand and we found second low too slow for our 100 series petrol 5 speed. We found this vehicle really shone in third low...especially towing in soft sand.

We just bought a new 100 series....a V8, 5 peed auto and have sold the Swan and are picking up our new Kimberley Kamper Limited Edition on Nov 9th.

If you're going at holiday time, then beach access is a real problem at the ferry as it gets very soft if it hasn't rained for some weeks. Another way to the ferry is through the camp ground at Inskip point and hardly gets used so it's never as soft.

The access tracks through the campground are about 800 metres on the right before the end of the bitumen road...just after you pass the toilet block on the right in the camp ground, look out for the side tracks to the beach...pays to park in the parking bays there to let the tyres down and then walk the beach track before crossing.

Always remember that the weather there can change the beach from week to week...we went up one week and the beach was a mess and coming back the wind had restored it....the reverse can also apply....

See as much as you can and enjoy.
Happy camping
Rick & Julie

You'll have no probs with the Disco - we have the auto Td5 and a 1.3t trailer attached - go down to 18psi (trailer too) to get on and off the barges - skip the small barge where you need to back off.
If you have trailer brakes it's a good idea to turn them off in sand - you won't need them anyway and it only inhibits things. We also turn off the TC/ABS sometimes by pulling the fuse. Stupid invention on sand.

Use high range with diff lock set on the soft sand. Just std high range on the firm stuff. Once you camp pump the tryes back up to 20-22psi for beach runs and general exploring.

Don't sweat it it's easy peasy - I know, easy for us to say we've done it, but within 10mins of hitting the beach you'll relax. Through summer the sand is pretty good if the island gets it's fair share of rain, nice and firm mostly.

We have camped in off the beach in the low dunes near Dunduburra - beautiful spot - there is oceans of space to camp. We never had a problem backing or positioning the trailer in the dunes.

That's the Td5 in the rig pic below driving up what they call the 'carwash' one of the many freshwater creeks on Fraser - great fun.

Fraser is magic and gives you that remote away from it all feeling - until of course the troopy full of backpackers drives past.

The island plays a dirty trick on you when leaving by giving you it's most spectacular view when coming back around Hook Pt - the coloured sands come into view south of Rainbow set against the blue of the ocean with the wind in your face. Kind of a cleansing the mind thing I found.

Remember no ocean swimming, no fires, no speeding, no feeding the dingdogs.
Enjoy.
John