Visitor Information -- The Hervey Bay Visitor Information Centre is at 227 Maryborough-Hervey Bay Rd. (at Urraween Rd.), Pialba (tel. 1800/811 728 in Australia, or 07/4215 9855; www.visitherveybay.info). It is open daily 9am to 5pm, except Good Friday and Christmas Day. Another online source of information is www.hervey.com.au. The Marina Kiosk (tel. 07/4128 9800) at Urangan Boat Harbour is a one-stop booking and information agency for all Fraser-related travel.

There are no towns and very few facilities, food stores, or services on the island, so if you're camping, take all supplies with you.

Getting There

Hervey (pronounced Har-vey) Bay is the main gateway to the island. Take the Bruce Highway to Maryborough, then the 34km (21-mile) road to Hervey Bay. From the north, turn off the highway at Torbanlea, north of Maryborough, and cut across to Hervey Bay. Allow 3 hours from the Sunshine Coast, a good 5 hours from Brisbane.

QantasLink (tel. 13 13 13 in Australia) flies from Brisbane to Hervey Bay. Virgin Blue (tel. 13 67 89 in Australia) and Jetstar (tel. 13 15 38 in Australia) both fly direct from Sydney.

Greyhound Australia (tel. 1300/473 946 in Australia) coaches stop in Hervey Bay on the Brisbane-Cairns-Brisbane routes. The 5 1/2-hour trip from Brisbane costs A$74. From Cairns, the fare is A$281 and the trip is around 24 hours. Tory's Tours (tel. 07/4128 6500; www.torystours.com.au) runs a transfer service from Brisbane that connects with the Kingfisher Bay ferry twice a day for A$65 adults and A$53 children aged 2-13.

The nearest train station is in Maryborough West, 34km (20 miles) from Hervey Bay. Passengers on the high-speed Tilt Train (Sun-Fri) can book connecting bus service to Pialba (a suburb of Hervey Bay) through Queensland Rail (tel. 1300/131 722 in Queensland; www.queenslandrail.com.au). The fare from Brisbane for the 3 1/2-hour Tilt Train trip is A$74 in economy class and A$103 in business class, including the bus fare.

Guests at Kingfisher Bay Resort can get to the resort aboard the Kingfisher Ferry, which makes the trip from the mainland six times a day. Round-trip fare for the 50-minute crossing is A$50 adults and A$25 kids 4 to 14. The resort runs a shuttle from Hervey Bay's airport and coach terminal to the harbor; the cost is A$7 adults, half-price for kids. You can park free at the Fastcat terminal. Drive to the terminal first to unload your luggage at the Kingfisher Bay reception desk, and then return to the parking lot and walk back (only 100m/328 ft.). Helicopter transfers are also available.

Getting Around

Getting There & Getting Around by Four-Wheel Drive  -- Four-wheel-drives are the only vehicle transportation on the island. Many four-wheel-drive rentals are based in Hervey Bay, but you must be 21 or over to rent one. You'll pay from A$160 to A$300 a day, plus about A$25 to A$40 per day to reduce the deductible (up to A$4,000), and a security bond of about A$500 (by credit card), which will be held until return of the vehicle in the original condition. Rates are cheaper if you book for a week. Book well in advance. You must also buy a government Vehicle Access Permit, which costs A$39 from the rental company, Urangan Boat Harbour, or at the River Heads boat ramp.

Fraser Magic 4WD Hire (tel. 07/4125 6612; www.fraser4wdhire.com.au) rents four-wheel-drives and camping gear, offers four-wheel-drive packages that include camping or accommodations, organizes Vehicle Access Permits, barge bookings, camping permits, and secure storage for your car and will pick you up from the airport, the coach terminal, or your hotel. Aussie Trax 4*4 Rentals (tel. 1800/062 275 in Australia, or 07/4124 4433; www.fraserisland4wd.com.au), has offices in Hervey Bay and at Kingfisher Bay Resort on Fraser Island , and allows 1-day rentals.

Four-wheel-drives reach the island on the Fraser Venture barge (tel. 1800/227 437 in Australia or 07/4194 9300; www.fraserislandbarges.com.au), which runs three times a day from River Heads, 17km (11 miles) south of Urangan Boat Harbour. Kingfisher Bay Resort also runs a barge from River Heads. The round-trip fare for a vehicle with up to four occupants is A$155 (book ahead for the 45-min. crossing). Barges also provide access to Rainbow Beach and operate continuously between Inskip Point and Hook Point between dawn and dusk daily. It costs A$90 round-trip for a vehicle and four passengers.

Fraser Island Taxi Service (tel. 07/4127 9188 or 0429/379 188; www.fraserservice.com.au) is another option for getting around. There is only one taxi on the island (a four-wheel-drive, of course), so you must book ahead. They pick you up anywhere on the island and give you a quote on price before you set off. The taxi seats five, and there's also room for your luggage and fishing rods.

Fraser Explorer Tours (tel. 07/4194 9222; www.fraserexplorertours.com.au), which runs day tours of the island from Hervey Bay and from Rainbow Beach, costs A$165 to A$209 adults and A$99 to A$185 children 4 to 14.

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