What driving on K’gari involves

K’gari lies about 15 km off the coast of Hervey Bay and Maryborough, and every road on it is sand, so Queensland Parks calls for a high-clearance 4WD with low range. Vehicle barges cross from Inskip Point, near Rainbow Beach, to Hook Point in about 10 minutes without a booking, or from River Heads to Kingfisher Bay and Wanggoolba Creek in 30 to 50 minutes with a booking. The beaches and tracks are designated roads, so Queensland road rules apply; in good conditions the limits are 80 km/h on the beach and 30 km/h on inland tracks. Fuel is sold in the townships, and camping needs a camping permit as well.

What permitted means for your hire

Permitted means the conditions of hire allow the camper on K’gari, and the standard insurance applies while you are there. It does not reserve a vehicle or a date, and beach driving is listed separately in the hire conditions, so check that line on the camper too. Queensland law adds its own rules for hire 4WDs on K’gari, whatever the hire company allows: no more than eight seats, no side-facing seats, and nothing carried on the roof. Luggage goes inside, below the top of the door frames. Check the equipment list on the camper against the recovery gear Parks asks for: tire gauge, air pump, snatch strap, shackles, traction mats and a shovel.

Questions about K’gari

Do I need a permit to drive on K’gari?

Yes. Buy a vehicle access permit before you cross; for a hire vehicle it must be in your name, with the camper’s registration number. Number plate cameras check vehicles entering and leaving, and camping needs a separate permit, except in privately run campgrounds.

Can I take a rental camper with a rooftop tent to K’gari?

No. Queensland law says you must not drive a hire vehicle on K’gari with a load on its roof, and a rooftop tent counts as one, even when the hire company allows the island. The fine falls on the driver. A bare roof rack is fine, and so are campers that sleep inside. There is no weight limit for the island, and the barges publish none.

When can you drive on the beach?

Around low tide. Queensland Parks advises driving in the two hours either side of low tide, avoiding the two hours either side of high tide, and not driving at night. Driving along the foredunes to get past a high tide is prohibited.

What do I need to know about dingoes?

K’gari’s wongari (dingoes) are wild and protected. Never feed them, lock food and rubbish inside the camper, and stay within arm’s reach of children. Parks recommends that families with children aged 14 and under camp in the fenced camping areas.