Which Barge to Fraser Island
Submitted: Friday, Feb 03, 2006 at 09:53
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evila
Hi All,
Yep... me again with another silly question about Fraser... I just put my hand on a magazine that has a very good article about FI, but one of the comments in it worrried me a little bit...
They "recommend" that first timers to the island take the barge from
Hervey Bay and not from Inskip Pioint, because is "safer"....
Any truth to this? why is it safer? any price different?
Thanks in advace for any comments,
Henry.-
Reply By: Member - Crazie (VIC) - Friday, Feb 03, 2006 at 10:06
Friday, Feb 03, 2006 at 10:06
Hi Henry
I cannot comment on the barge from
Hervey bay, but I have always taken the barge from
Inskip point. Support the Mante Ray barge!!! Once landed on the island you can take the sand mining road up the middle of the island or drive around
hook point.
Hook point is much easier, just ensure you land around low tide
cheers
Ads
AnswerID:
152684
Reply By: glenno(qld) - Friday, Feb 03, 2006 at 10:10
Friday, Feb 03, 2006 at 10:10
There were some white pointers around a few years ago.
AnswerID:
152685
Follow Up By: Mr Fawlty - Friday, Feb 03, 2006 at 10:23
Friday, Feb 03, 2006 at 10:23
Actually from the benifit of my experience the beaches & dunes are covered in white pointers.....
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Follow Up By: madCrow - Friday, Feb 03, 2006 at 18:21
Friday, Feb 03, 2006 at 18:21
Are They Great White Pointers?
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Follow Up By: madCrow - Friday, Feb 03, 2006 at 18:22
Friday, Feb 03, 2006 at 18:22
Or just good white pointers?
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Reply By: hopscotch - Friday, Feb 03, 2006 at 10:19
Friday, Feb 03, 2006 at 10:19
I don't know about the safer bit but personally I prefer to go
Rainbow Beach (Inskip) and drive
the beach.
Care is needed getting from the road to the barge and again when rounding Hook Pt immediately after you leave the barge but if you plan your beach driving to be in the hour or so before low tide there is seldom any problems on
the beach. Watch the wash outs where the creeks run out and remember that deep water is blue. Last trip we helped extract a Rodeo from Eli Ck crossing. Tried to go down
the beach to wave line and ran into 900mm deep water. We got him out with two 4.2 Nissans only to have another clown in a brand spanking new Tojo follow the Rodeo tracks and go into the same spot while we (about 100 people) were standing there. We got him out and as we were leaving 11 backpackers in a hired Troppie went in at speed and that was quite a mess. Both Troppie and passengers. The main 'traffic line was quite clearly defined but they knew better.
For
mine the
Hervey Bay trip lands you on the western side (the Inside ) of the Island and means that you have to drive right across the island - soft sand two wheel tracks - to reach the eastern side (the Outside) where the best of Fraser is to be found.
Enjoy
Kevin J
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Mr Fawlty - Friday, Feb 03, 2006 at 10:27
Friday, Feb 03, 2006 at 10:27
Henry,
No questions are stupid. If more people thought to ask even the most inane questions less people would get into strife that requires others to have to respond to their requests for "roadside" assistance...
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Reply By: signman - Friday, Feb 03, 2006 at 10:42
Friday, Feb 03, 2006 at 10:42
Henry
There's no probs on the barge from
Inskip Point. You will have to deflate tyres before boarding as there as about 100m of sand to the barge. (and the 'trip' across is only about 100m)..The
Inskip Point is drive on drive off- the last time we took the barge from River Heads it was back on drive off- a hassle with a c/trailer especially if the barge is moving with the tide.
Mate- really, don't be too worried with your trip.....stick on the hard stuff, get a tide chart, watch for the small creeks running across your track, watch for aircraft landing in front of you....and have a great time.
As far as your previous concern about 'Remoteness' ....if it's a peak time
the beach is as busy with traffic as the Hume Hwy...but like all situations where you are not familiar, keep your wits about you/ and avoid the d#@ick heads.
AnswerID:
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Reply By: robak (QLD) - Friday, Feb 03, 2006 at 10:58
Friday, Feb 03, 2006 at 10:58
Henry,
If the Magazine had any ads for Kingfisher bay resort then I'd be very sceptical. From what i know the only barge not owned by kingfisher is the manta ray at inspkip point. Barges from harvey bay are also a lot more expensive.
R.
AnswerID:
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Reply By: spak - Friday, Feb 03, 2006 at 13:31
Friday, Feb 03, 2006 at 13:31
Greetings Earthlings'
The barge from River Heads(
Hervey Bay) cost us 110/vehicle + 5 or 10 dollars/ passenger last time we went via R/Heads to Fraser.( with no camper trailer)
We went to Fraser over New Year and went down to
Rainbow from
Maryborough (QLD) to
check out the Manta Ray + we had never seen the bottom end of Fraser before. The guy's on board were great and easy to talk to.
If you are taking a C/T, go via Inskip. Drive on/ Drive off, Can't get better than that.
Plus it's alot cheaper. I just talked to the guy's then.
Manta Ray-Now and the foreseable future,
4wd's (F250 included)-$70 return.
Camper trailers/Boat trailers of any size-$40 return.
Motor bikes $30 return.
One Way-4wd's-$45+ $20 for your trailer.
(BUY YOUR TICKET ON THE BARGE AS THEY HAVE CREDIT CARD FACILITIES)
The service station going into
Rainbow Bch is owned by Kingfisher and they will sell you a ticket on their barge. Don't be tempted. Go the Manta Ray!!!!!
Kingfisher Bay Barges- Up to 31st March
4wd(Patrol Etc)-$120 return
Camper Trailer-$85 return
??F250-$240( yes that is correct, straight from the salesperson)
As from 1st april-Patrol etc $130 return/ Camper trailer $90 return
??F250-$$260!!!
Spak
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Follow Up By: Member - briggzee (WA) - Friday, Feb 03, 2006 at 14:59
Friday, Feb 03, 2006 at 14:59
Do Manta only operate out of Inskip?
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Follow Up By: Member - briggzee (WA) - Friday, Feb 03, 2006 at 15:05
Friday, Feb 03, 2006 at 15:05
Sorry, just read my follow-up and it sounds very abrupt, forgot my pleases and thank yous. (Mum wont be happy).
So thankyou for the last follow-up.
Craig
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Follow Up By: spak - Friday, Feb 03, 2006 at 15:19
Friday, Feb 03, 2006 at 15:19
briggzee,
Yeh they only run out of inskip. For us to go down there and catch the barge,and get up to
Eurong,it is on par for distance and time as to go to river heads and catch the barge and get over to
Eurong.
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Follow Up By: spak - Friday, Feb 03, 2006 at 22:45
Friday, Feb 03, 2006 at 22:45
Sorry guy's, I left out that the Kingfisher barge is the one that leaves River Heads not the ones down at inskip. The prices on these I don't know. They might be similar??. But atleast if you go on the Mantra Ray your money will stay local. :))))
Spak
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Reply By: rocketsalad - Friday, Feb 03, 2006 at 21:29
Friday, Feb 03, 2006 at 21:29
I know its been done to death but I dont mind posting this stuff at every chance I get.
KingfisherBay Resort = Mostly Japanese owned by
http://www.rcg.co.jp/cosmosinfo/com/corp_eng/index.html (its a wopper of a company bigger than any aussie company I think.)
Manta Ray = locally owned
Kingfisher also own
Eurong Beach resort as
well as ALL the other barges that service the Island.
Kingfisher have a simple bussiness plan. Buy it all and up the prices.
REMEMBER THIS.
Get your last fuel at the BP in
Rainbow Beach and get your ticket ($70) on the MantaRay Barge when you get there.
http://www.fraserislandbarge.com.au/default.htm <---mantarays webpage
An easy way to remember this is think....Green and Gold for BP and Green and Gold for the barge.
RS- of the soap box.
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Follow Up By: ev700 - Friday, Feb 03, 2006 at 21:57
Friday, Feb 03, 2006 at 21:57
Do you need to pre-book?
Or do you wait you turn and iy gets sorted in the end?
What times do they run?
Thanks
EV700
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Follow Up By: ev700 - Friday, Feb 03, 2006 at 22:02
Friday, Feb 03, 2006 at 22:02
rocketsalad
Sorry, must be blind, just spotted the link. Thanks.
EV700
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Reply By: Member - Brian (Gold Coast) - Saturday, Feb 04, 2006 at 08:07
Saturday, Feb 04, 2006 at 08:07
Rainbow Beach,
Inskip Point and the Manta Ray Barge is the way to go!!
As said before, plan to cross at or near low tide and
Hook Point won't be a drama.
I like the post above that says "Green-and-gold for the BP, Green-and-gold for the barge!!!"
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Reply By: dags666 - Saturday, Feb 04, 2006 at 14:07
Saturday, Feb 04, 2006 at 14:07
just a quick reply if you go from inskip just get on the barge which is cheapest some time the cut each others throat to get your business which takes about 10 min to get across just drive straight on . from hervy bay [river heads] you have to reverse on good, entertainment watching the ship get loaded and straight off at kingfisher and the other way going
home which takes just over 1 hour to get there river heads kingfisher you don’t have to worry about the tides but at inskip you do dags
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Follow Up By: rocketsalad - Saturday, Feb 04, 2006 at 15:26
Saturday, Feb 04, 2006 at 15:26
Dags666
reread what I wrote above and decide if getting on the cheapest really matters.
By the way they both charge the same but Kingfizzer now try to sell their tickets to their barge at their servo!!
remember green and gold for the PB and green and gold for the Manta Ray barge.
RS
the view is good from the soap box.
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Reply By: wheeler - Saturday, Feb 04, 2006 at 14:37
Saturday, Feb 04, 2006 at 14:37
I would disagree with the above post and say that if you can support the manta ray barge. (the green one). They are their providing competition which keeps the other bastrds honest. We would all be complaining if there was only one barge operating and charging over $100 (which is what happened a few years ago) and all because we went the cheaper option.
As posted above the drive around
hook point is fine provided you pick the tide. The inland road (track) is horrible....really rough and broken up bituman with huge pothholes and not good whilst running on lowered pressures, which you shold do before you get on the barge. If the tide times dont work and you do take the inland track, just take your time.
Use common sense (very rare on the island due to inexperienced backpackers driving at full speed in fully laden troopies in 2wd becuase they dont know to lock the hubs in) and you will have a great time. Its a great place.
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Reply By: dags666 - Sunday, Feb 05, 2006 at 07:21
Sunday, Feb 05, 2006 at 07:21
it was not that long ago a man who owned
eurong lets say his name was syd m and two business man decided to buy a barge and go into competition against syd because he had monopoly and had was starting to charge what he liked.ah ha said syd when the competition came along, I will make my barge cheaper till it was free to regain his little grip on paradise .he has since sold all his kingdom on Fraser but alas it inherited a million dollar fine for unfair trading. You can’t run a business at a loss to send someone out of business good bye syd from all the people you ripped off over the years dags
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