4WD Fraser Island
By Jane Hodges
To ensure you make the most of your four-wheel drive experience on
Fraser Island, the following tips may be useful - even for the
experienced wheelie.
There is more to driving on Fraser Island than just putting the car
in gear and going for it.
Regardless of experience, all drivers should note a few ground rules
for driving on the island.
Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service produces a Park Guide
to the Fraser Island World Heritage Area with a section on sand
driving safety. This is suggested reading before a visit to Fraser
Island.
All vehicles traveling to Fraser Island must first have an official
permit from the Department of Environment and Heritage offices in
Brisbane or on the Fraser Coast (Hervey Bay, Maryborough & Rainbow
Beach).
Even before turning the ignition key, drivers should check tide
times. The best time to travel is around low tide. Avoid two hours
either side of high tide.
There are several good maps available of Fraser Island. Select one
with a good scale - such as the Fraser Island edition of the
Queensland Sunmap range.
Do your homework before you visit to find out the best places to
see. Talk to people who have been to Fraser before or read tourist
publications.
When arriving on the island or before driving on to the beach, check
that your wheel locks are in the right position to engage four-wheel
drive.
Tyre pressure should be adjusted before driving on the island.
Generally, tyres should be 25psi. Some areas on Fraser have signs
suggesting specific reduced tire pressure to 15 psi to enable
driving through soft dry sand.
The beach is a designated road and the normal 'keep to the left'
rules apply as well as using indicators for turning. Speed should be
kept to below 80kph on the beach and 35kph on the inland roads.
There are stretches of the beach which are used as aircraft
landing/take-off strips. Take note of the signs in designated areas
and watch for aircraft.
General rules about driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
apply. At Christmas and Easter holidays, police patrol the island
and test drivers.
Drivers should note the numerous gutters that have been created by
the creeks flowing into the sea from the island. Even gutters with
small banks - if hit at speed - can overturn a vehicle.
Drivers should beware of the rising tide. Vehicles driven too close
to the water can become trapped in wet sand. Drivers of hired
vehicles lose their bond immediately if they drive in salt water.
On 'good beach days' the sand is hard-packed and makes for excellent
driving conditions. On bad days, the tides may not have been high
enough to wash way the ruts from the previous day's traffic -
resulting in build-up of sand banks.
When driving in deep banks of dry sand, keep the car in a low gear,
do not change gears, keep the revs high and do not lose momentum.
Where possible, follow someone else's tracks - choose a set of
tracks and stay on them. Do not stop the vehicle in soft sand or in
creek beds.
For those who have not driven a four-wheel drive before, the
Kingfisher Bay Resort on the island has a 'how to course' for its
house guests.
And, if the thought of driving your own four-wheel drive is
daunting, there are several excellent tours of the island where you
can sit back, relax and let someone else do all the hard work for
you.
