Small kids and camping on Fraser Island

Q, we were the for 10 days in July. We camped just behind the low dunes along the eastern beach about 200 metre south of Rainbow Gorge. It was a fabulous spot and central to everything, except the top end. It was also reasonably close to Dundaburra so you could access hot showers fairly easily. If you want a "commercial" site, with amenities, then Dundaburra is the pick. You can get firewood at D and most other "commercial" grounds.

You would have no problem getting anywhere on the Island in a Forester that any other 4x4 could go. I just wouldn't drive the western beach. Some inland tracks had deep ruts but the centre mound was soft sand and our diff (Pathfinder) simple graded it. We saw many small 4x4s like X-Trails, Hondas, Suzukis, and none of them seemed to have any difficulty going anywhere. I bottomed out on my side-steps once on steep drop but that was my fault - I took the wrong line too casually. You can see some pics of the campsite at

www.thrsolutions.com.au/fraserislandphotosJuly03.html

In the 10 days we saw about 9 dingos, 6 of those around camp - one running along the beach, another just passing by, 2 that jumped out from a bush behind the tent and took off like startled rabbits when the kids (9 and 10 yr olds) suddenly started laughing at something, one that pleaded with the wife and kids to be invited into camp but left when the invitation was not forthcoming and one that came into the annex during the night to investigate and steal food. Since we had followed all the guidelines it found nothing and just left quietly.

Whilst we never felt directly threatened by any of the dingos we saw, and we kept the kids in sight and close at all times, it was a bit painful having to get up in the middle of the night to accompany children to the toilet. I would not let two yougsters like yours out of my sight, not for a second, nor would allow them to stray far from me (dingos can move quickly). But you probaly don't do either of those in "civilisation, do you?

I would not let the fear of dingos stop me from going. If you take the cautions seriously and follow the guidelines to the letter, you may not even encounter one.Smile, you're on ExplorOz
Rohan (Sydney - on the QLD side of the Harbour Bridge)

Oh, and as Peter says below, the tricky bits are actually getting on and off the barge. Drop tyre pressures to 20 psi, time it so you catch the barge at bottom-low tide, read up about sand driving, and you'll be fine.

Have you done much sand driving before? Do you have the basic gear - compressor, shovel, snatch strap and shackles?Smile, you're on ExplorOz
Rohan (Sydney - on the QLD side of the Harbour Bridge)