Plan your trip to the island depending on the type of experience you want. Package trips with companies like Oz Experience or Fraser Experience charge travelers a flat rate that includes the costs for food, accommodations (camping), transportation and group leader guidance. Visitors can also opt to explore Fraser on their own by renting a 4WD vehicle, necessary to travel around the island, and available for rent in Hervey Bay or Rainbow Beach.
Apply for all required permits before arriving on Fraser. If you are renting a vehicle to bring to the island, a vehicle permit is needed. If you are camping individually or with a group, camping permits are required. (Package trips typically take care of permit application and acquisition for participants.)
Catch a ferry or vehicle barge from Hervey Bay or Rainbow Beach to Fraser Island. Both round-trip and single-fare rates are available, and the boats dock at various locations around the island, including local resorts. Vehicle rates for the barge typically include three passengers; additional are extra.
Pick your accommodation if you are not traveling on a package trip. Campgrounds vary greatly on the island, ranging from cabins to amenity-filled campsites to remote clearings. If camping is not your style, local accommodation offerings like Kingfisher Bay or Eurong Beach Resorts, which include hotel rooms, villas and apartments, are available.
Swim in Lakes McKenzie, Jennings, Birabeen or Boomanjin or hike on one of Fraser's many trails. Lake swimming is quite popular on Fraser, as the surrounding ocean water contains man-eating sharks and poisonous jellyfish at certain times of the year, in addition to a strong undertow. Fishing on 75 Mile Beach, one of the best fishing spots in Australia, is also popular.
