So you want to take a break from the busy brisbane city life and take a few days reconnect with nature and the simple life style that K’gari Fraser Island so famously offers? Your first question is probably how to get to Fraser Island from Brisbane, right? Well, you can either go by car, bus or plane.
Let’s start with getting from Brisbane to Fraser Island by car.
Who doesn’t love a good road trip hey?!
Is there anything more satisfying than starting your holidays on the road, feeling the fresh air through the car windows and singing along to your favourite road trip playlist. If you are planning to go by car from Brisbane to Fraser Island, with no stops on the way, take The Bruce Highway and head from Rainbow Beach. Or take the scene route and head to Noosa to start your beach adventure even sooner. Either way, after 3 or 4.5 hours, depending on traffic and pee stops, you will arrive in the stunning Rainbow Beach, where the ferry to K’gari Fraser Island departs from.
You may not know, but you do need a 4WD car to explore K’gari Fraser Island. So if you want to bring your own, great! but if you only have a normal car, don´t worry at all, you can hire a 4WD from us in Noosa or Rainbow Beach and leave your car parked for free.
Now, if you want to make a few stops on your way from Brisbane to Rainbow Beach, it is totally worth it! Here are our recommendations.
Glass House Mountains
These ranges of mountains, formed by 13 hills, are located only 1 hour north of Brisbane and it is a must-stop for the adventurous.
There are many walking tracks that lead to the mountains, with Mount Tibrogargan and Mount Ngunung being the most popular ones. The Glass House Mountains were formed by volcanic activity about 26 millions years ago and they remain very important places due to their cultural significance too, it’s where the Gubbi Gubbi people, the traditional owners, used to gather for trading and ceremonies.
You can either spend the night in the area, in a campground or boutique hotel or continue your trip to Noosa!
Noosa
Noosa, you know it’s awesome, Such a lovely place! We absolutely recommend spending one or two days here. Grab your morning coffee, go for a walk in the National Park, take a dip in the natural rock pools and have some drinks and a delicious dinner after you watched the most beautiful sunset in Tea Tree Bay. Sounds dreamy right? It is.
In the National Park, don´t miss Tea Tree Bay, Fairy Pools and Alexander Bay! Just tap in these names in Google Maps and you will easily find your way through the park. If you don’t want to take your phone with you, don´t worry, there are signs too.
From Noosa to Rainbow Beach you have around 1 hour and 30 minutes by car, so take it chill and enjoy the ride. Not everyone knows, but there are actually two ways of getting there. You can either take the most common roads, Tin Can Bay Rd or Rainbow Beach Rd, or, if you have a 4WD, you can experience The Great Beach Drive!
The Great Beach Drive starts on the north shore of Noosa, (take the barge from Tewantin to Noosa North Shore, which departs from Moorindil Street, takes only 5 minutes and costs $8) and will take you to Rainbow Beach after 70km of beach driving. What a great way of getting ready for your next adventure on Fraser Island.
Last stop: Rainbow Beach
You made it! You are almost on K’gari Fraser Island! The ferry from Rainbow Beach to Fraser Island operates every day, from 6 am to 5 pm (check public holidays departures here), costs $130 per car (extra for trailers) and leaves from Inskip Point.
If you wish to spend the night in Rainbow Beach and leave the next morning to K’gari Fraser Island, this is a great option too. There are different campgrounds, quite similar to each other, and practically on the beach, very close to Inskip Point. For more information about campgrounds in Rainbow Beach visit this website.
Don’t feel like driving? Take the bus to Noosa or Rainbow and jump on a tour!
Are you planning to hire a 4WD in Rainbow Beach and either you don’t have a car or you don’t want to drive your own car. Taking the bus is a great alternative.
Greyhound offers regular services with daily buses departing from Brisbane. Tickets cost $60-80 per person and the trip takes around 3-5 hours.
Once you get to Noosa or Rainbow Beach you can book onto one of our tours and let us show you around for 3 days.
Short on time? you can go by plane!
This is by far the most costly and least environmentally friendly option of course but if you only have a couple of days to spare, it’s an option. You have to fly to Hervey Bay (north), the other main access to Fraser Island apart from Rainbow Beach (south). Qantas is the only airline that offers regular flights from Brisbane to Hervey Bay.
Find out the departure times of the ferry from Hervey Bay to Fraser Island here.
Unfortunately, we don´t provide car hire services on Hervey Bay so if you need a 4WD you probably will need to check out other options.
So know you know how to get to Fraser Island from Brisbane, what are you waiting for? Whether you fly, drive or coach your way here, this beautiful sandy paradise island is worth every second on the road!