Small Group Faser Island 4WD Tour Review

Review of best 4WD tour of Fraser Island from Hervey Bay. Full day, small group 4WD tour with lunch and afternoon tea. See Fraser Island in comfort. Includes Lake Allom, The Pinnacles, Maheno Shipwreck and extensive 4WD excitement.

Image of Fraser Dawn the ferry that takes vehicles and passengers across to Fraser Island.

To travel around Fraser Island, you certainly need a good 4WD vehicle and the knowledge how to drive such a vehicle under soft, sandy conditions. Self driving under hazardous conditions is not the ideal way to see the real beauty of Fraser Island, so why not relax and allow an experienced driver, guide you to the most popular spots, plus see some areas that few visitors ever see.

This exclusive tour picks you up from your selected Hervey Bay accommodation, then whisks you off to the Whale Bay Marina to board the car ferry Fraser Dawn, which ferries you, and the luxury 4WD vehicle, over to the north-western end of Fraser Island. Sit back and enjoy the ferry crossing with tea and coffee supplied. Keep your eye out for dolphins, or in season, sighting of whales.

As you near Moon Point on Fraser Island, you will be called to board your vehicle. As soon as the Fraser Dawn car ferry lowers the gang plank, you are off on one of the most enjoyable 4WD adventures that is available on the worlds largest sand island.

Driving on sand tracks that are only accessible by 4 wheel drive vehicle, your driver will take you across the island to the open beach facing the Coral Sea. This is an west to east crossing of about 25 kms on the fat part of the island. Along the way, the driver will tell you many interesting facts about Fraser Island, how it was formed and why it is regarded as a heritage area. It really is a wonderful drive, rough in places and easy to see why an inexperienced driver could get bogged in the soft sand. Our particular driver on the day was very experienced, so we didn't have a worry.

Image of freshwater tortoise in Lake Allom, Fraser Island. You stop at Lake Allom, a remarkable fresh water lake, where you can take a quick dip or enjoy the friendly tortoises (fresh water turtles) that come to the waters edge as you arrive. This is a particularly amazing sight as literally hundreds of tortoises greet you. This is the only guided tour that visits Lake Allom, so you will probably be the only people at the lake.

Then it's onward across the island to the ocean beach to see the coloured sands of the Pinnacles. Fraser Island has over seventy-two different coloured sands and the Pinnacles display some of these in cliff like formations, which were sculptured by wind and rain over many centuries. There is a walking track into the Pinnacles so you can get a closer look at the beautiful sand layers. The Pinnacles are an excellent stop for all photographers.

Image of the Pinnacles coloured sand cliffs. After The pinnacles you travel down the open beach that serves as the Main Highway on Fraser Island. It does get quite busy, there is a speed limit and you can be booked as it is regarded as a major road. You turn off the beach for the barbecue lunch break, with beer, wine or soft drinks provided. The lunch is usually cooked by the driver and I can assure you, it's delicious. You can select either steak or fish at the time of booking.

After lunch you hit the beach once more and before long you spot the wreck of the SS Maheno, which ran aground in 1935 during a violent cyclone. This is probably the most photographed landmark on all of Fraser Island. Very popular and a definite must see.

Rainforest walk on Fraser Island. You then travel to Eli Creek and can take a dip in the wonderful clean freshwater that enters the ocean. Then visit Happy Valley for a delightful afternoon tea break. After this break you begin to travel back from the east coast to the ferry for the return to Hervey Bay. Along the road you get to take a walk in the incredible rainforest, which is something very special in itself.

Fraser Islands rainforests are unique due to the diversity of the vegetation and it's ability to grow on a sand island. You will walk among huge Kauri pines and ancient giant ferns. Trees that seemingly touch the clouds dwarf you as the fresh smell of the scented forest tantalize your senses. It's good to be alive and experience nature in it's most primitive state.

Unfortunately the day is coming to a close and you reach the western beach, where you await the arrival of the Fraser Dawn. Make sure you keep you eyes open on the return cruise to Hervey Bay, as dolphins are common sights. After reaching Hervey Bay, you are driven back to your accommodation and bid good-bye to your guide.

Image of the road conditions of Fraser Island. This tour is one of the best we, as reviewers, have ever undertaken. We do not make it known that we are reviewing the tours, we want to be treated as normal clients. If we were to give this a rating it would be five from five. You must remember it is a 4WD tour, so therefore there is a fair portion of the day taken with actual driving across dirt roads. Or in the case of Fraser Island, sandy tracks.

We have no hesitation to recommend this tour. Bookings were made at the accommodation reception and everything was as planned. The driver guide was friendly, courteous and very knowledgeable. We were picked up at our accommodation on time. Travel was by luxury 4WD vehicle. Food and drink was plentiful and delicious. All travel was arranged and conducted smoothly and efficiently. Perfect!

We would certainly take this 4WD tour of Fraser Island again, and hope that it is taken in the not too distant future. It really is a fabulous day. There is something magical about Fraser Island. It may be the percieved wilderness or just the untouched beauty, but magic it certainly is.