Fraser Island backpacker tours: Self-drive or tag-along tour?

Backpackers can drive on Fraser Island, even though driving on Fraser Island is dangerous. Backpackers can either rent their own four wheel drive vehicle or join a tag-along tour from a Fraser Island hostel. But Fraser Island tours are not what they once were for backpackers.

Fraser Island off the Queensland coast is the largest sand island in the world. It has long been popular with four wheel drivers, even though driving on Fraser Island takes considerable skill. Given the main highway on Fraser Island is 75 Mile Beach, it’s fairly obvious why conventional vehicles aren’t appropriate for Fraser Island backpacker tours.

Fraser Island permits

To drive on Fraser Island, you’ll need a four wheel drive vehicle and a permit. These currently cost $53.65 for a month. This Fraser Island permit is open to anyone with a driving licence, although if you’ve no experience of handling a four wheel drive vehicle, it’s probably a bad idea. Driving on Fraser Island can be very dangerous.

Fraser Island backpacker tours

Fraser Island is also a staple of Australia’s East Coast backpacker route. But the way backpackers visit the island has changed. In the good old wildly irresponsible old days, groups of complete strangers would be gathered up in a Hervey Bay or Rainbow Beach hostel for their Fraser Island tour.

They’d then be given enough supplies for three days and handed the keys to a four wheel drive vehicle. After taking the Fraser Island barge, they’d be let loose on the island, taking turns to drive irrespective of whether they had any experience driving a 4WD on sand. All their food and Fraser Island camping equipment would be stacked on the roof.

These old-school Fraser Island tours led to a great feeling of adventure, but it also led to a lot of vehicles getting stuck – or worse, rolled over. It was frankly dangerous, people died doing it, and in 2010 a stop was put to it. The replacement was a happy medium – Fraser Island tag-along tours.

Driving on Fraser Island: Tag-along tours

These tours, offered by the likes of Fraser Dingo and Drop Bear Adventures, still give guests the chance to drive a 4WD around Fraser Island. But there are detailed safety briefings and screenings of 4WD best practice videos before arriving on the island.

Fraser Island tag-a-long tours have a lead vehicle, driven by an experienced driver/ guide, and all the vehicles have to travel in convoy past danger spots such as Eli Creek.

From a safety perspective, this means there’s someone leading by example – both in terms of driving behaviour and the right part of the beach to head down. There’s also someone experienced on hand in case vehicles get stuck in soft sand, or there’s a mechanical problem.

Fraser Island backpacker tours: Top attractions

It leads to more structured itineraries, but the thrill is still there. Highlights such as the Maheno shipwreck, Central Station and Lake McKenzie are still covered and anyone who doesn’t wish to drive can happily remain as a passenger. Only the lead vehicle is allowed to store things on the roof, and all vehicles are in radio contact.

Several companies offer such tag-along tours, with pick-ups at Fraser Island hostels and relevant Fraser Island permits sorted. The major differences are in departure point (the Queensland towns of Hervey Bay or Rainbow Beach), length of tour (two or three days) and Fraser Island accommodation (camping or in an on-island hostel).

The Brisbane to Hervey Bay drive takes around 3h20m, and the best time to visit Fraser Island is September.

More island adventures

Rottnest Island – the best day trip from Perth.

Kayaking tours in the Whitsundays.

Shark dives in South Australia.

Taking the ferry to Magnetic Island.

The Gunbower Island Forest Drive in Victoria.