Fraser Island Barge via Rainbow

I use them as well every time I go across to Fraser. You can imagine what will happen if Manta Ray goes broke ... the fees for the crossing will go through the roof. Stick with the locals.

JE

The servo on the left on the way into Rainbowbeach is Kingfisher Bay owned.
(The servo further towards town on the right is not)

Eurong Beach Resort is owned by Kingfisher Bay
(Dilli, Happy Valley and Orchard Beach is not)

Can you all see whats going on here?

Hi every one, one of my mates and I were the first to use the Manaray barge when they came into business. They gave us stubby coolers and told us that they will always be competative. I think we payed $45, Syd was only charging $30.

Oh yes I forgot to mention that the day before with no competition Syd charged $85 so we said for the sake of competition we paid the extra so that when we come back to the island we wouldn't get ripped off. Well approx. 2 and half yrs later we heard on the grape vine that the HONEYMOON period was over and the prices were going up.

So if you want to go to the island it doesn't matter who you go with because they BOTH are ripping the public off by charging the same.

That is NOT competition it is down right thieviery (spelling)

Sorry I will get off my soap box now

PS not worth going onto the island at the moment because there is too much weed around.

I agree, I use Manta Ray Whenever possible.

Unfortunatley, If only going one way at Rainbow and coming back through Hervey Bay you don't have much choice but to use Kingfisher Barges at both ends...

Both companies have tried different things to attract business from cheap deals to bikini clad staff. Basically the ACCC got wind of the war going on and stepped in. They forced both of the companies to come to an agreement on prices and stick to them. I still use the little guy though.

so what is the price for a car and c/van - we'll be there 24/12, and are they all drive on and off or is one a reverse off

This is an interesting situation. As often happens when a new player takes on a large monopoly operator, the big player tries to force the small player out. In this case, the ACCC argued (successfully) that Kingfisher Bay was using predatory pricing. They reduced their return fare from $70 to around $20 and were prepared to run at a loss. They had the financial strength to do that, but the new player did not and would have gone broke, with a return to a monopoly.

The ACCC forced a deal where return fares below $34 ($17 one way) could not be charged. Several other restrictions were also put in place to prevent predatory behavior by Kingfisher.

So we now have two operators which should result in competition. But what has happened (and always does with just two operators in any area of business), is a comfortable duopoly. Whether by agreement (which would be illegal) or common sense, both operators have realised that the market is big enough for both to make a good living, provided the price is high enough. If one decides to put the price up, the other now follows.

So, in effect there is no competition. So by all means support the local family business over the big corporation. I do. But don't be fooled into thinking you are keeping competition alive. Competition died a few years ago in this business.