Whether you want a multiday sailing expedition through the Whitsundays or a night in an underwater hotel on the Great Barrier Reef, extend your exploration with these overnight tours!
Choose your perfect Whitsunday day tour! Snorkel or scuba dive in pristine reefs. Swim and sunbathe at Whitehaven Beach. Or try scenic flights, jet skis, and more!
Choose a self-guided adventure on K’gari (Fraser Island) with 4WD vehicle hire. Pair your 4WD with camping or resort accommodation packages, or just hire for the day.
The Whitsundays have hotels, apartments, hostels, and resorts to suit all budgets and travel styles. From Airlie Beach to Hamilton Island, the options are endless!
Elevate your experience on K’gari (Fraser Island) with a private tour! Customise the itinerary, escape the crowds, and explore with your own expert tour guide.
Hoping to do some pre-trip research? Our experts have created guides to Airlie Beach, the Whitsunday Islands, the Great Barrier Reef, and everything in between!
Get in touch with a Whitsunday travel expert! We have staff available 24/7 all over the world, ready to help you plan your holiday to the Australian tropics.
The River Heads Ferry is one of the best ways to get to K'gari (Fraser Island)! Located near the charming town of Hervey Bay, River Heads marks one of two major ferry terminals where you can hop on a boat and make your way over to the world's largest sand island.
If you're planning your trip to K'gari from Hervey Bay, River Heads is the ferry you'll want to take. There are some great hostels in Hervey Bay where you can spend the night before your ferry leaves. Whether you're bringing your own 4WD or you're hiring one in Hervey Bay, here are some useful tips for catching the River Heads ferry!
The River Heads Barge offers ferries to both Kingfisher Bay Resort and Wanggoolba Creek. Both ferry crossings are less than an hour, so you can choose which ferry you take based on your destination.
The Kingfisher Bay Resort route drops you off right in front of the resort. If you're staying here, or you've booked 4WD Hire with Aussie Trax, you might be better off taking this route. The Wanggoolba Creek route drops you off a bit further south than Kingfisher, and you're closer to places like Lake McKenzie and Central Station. This location also offers a more direct route to K'gari's other top-notch resort, Eurong.
Both routes are straightforward and smooth, and they drop you off on the western side of K'gari. Here is some more info about each individual route from River Heads, like crossing times and ferry schedules.
Here is the daily schedule for the River Heads Ferry. Times differ based on whether you are heading to Kingfisher Bay or Wanggoolba Creek, so ensure you read the timetables thoroughly. Exact travel times and departure times may vary depending on tides, so make sure you confirm your booking before your journey.
No matter which ferry you are taking, make sure you arrive at the barge for check-in at least 30 minutes prior to departure!
Double check ferry times directly with the ferry as well! These are timetables are found online but they sometimes change.
The other way to get to K'gari (Fraser Island) is the Inskip Point Ferry. Located near Rainbow Beach, the Inskip Point Ferry takes you across the southern end of the Great Sandy Strait and drops you off at the southern tip of K'gari. Inskip Point is a popular location for camping and fishing, and it's only a short, 10-minute ferry crossing!
Check out our full guide to the Inskip Ferry here for more info!
An alternative to catching the ferry with your own 4WD or hired vehicle is a guided tour. Because K'gari is such a remote place that requires lots of planning, a guided tour can be the easiest, cheapest, and most fun way to experience the island! When you book a tour, whether it be a guided or tag-along tour, all your ferry transfers, vehicle permits, and camping permits will be included.
Visiting K'gari on your own is still an epic adventure and you can easily do all the planning yourself, but a tour can just take away some of the hassle. Guided tours are also perfect for solo travelers because you can make friends and cut down on costs! And if you want to try driving on K'gari, you can still sign up to be a driver on a tag along tour.
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