K'gari is located off the southern coast of Queensland, Australia, and is about 300km north of Queensland's capital, Brisbane.
Barges are the only way to get your vehicle onto the island. Barge services run daily from Inskip Point via Rainbow Beach, from River Heads (south of Hervey Bay), and from Urangan Boat Harbour in Hervey Bay.
The closest barge to Dilli Village is Inskip Point, which is 26km south of the K'gari Research and Learning Centre.
Directions to Inskip Point
Take the Bruce Highway to Gympie. Turn off at Gympie onto the Tin Can Bay Road, and continue to Rainbow Beach. At Rainbow Beach, turn off to Inskip Point, which is 15 minutes north of Rainbow Beach.
The Inskip Point barges operate on demand from 6.30am until 5.30pm.
No bookings are required. Cost is currently A$110 return for vehicle (including passengers), and A$5 for walk-on passengers.
Directions to Dilli Village
Dilli Village is 24km north of Inskip Point.
- Refer to the K'gari Recreation Area map (PDF 1.7MB). The turn-off to Dilli Village is clearly sign-posted on the beach.
- Refer to the Dilli Village research and education facilities map (PDF 1.7MB) for the layout of campground and cabins.
It is not recommended to travel up and down the beach to Dilli Village at high tide but there is an inland road from the Inskip barge which can be taken during these periods.
Tide times and weather
Tides affect access to and beach travel on K'gari. Seventy-Five Mile Beach is the island's main thoroughfare and it is highly recommended that you travel on the beach at low tide. Check tide times on the Australian Bureau of Metreology website.
Before you go, check the weather forecast, which is available on the Australian Bureau of Meteorology website. K'gari has a mean low temperature of 19ºC and a mean maximum temperature of 26ºC.
Driving on K'gari
A permit is required for driving on K'gari. You can obtain one from the Department of National Parks, Sport and Racing or telephone 13 74 68 (from within Australia). You should only attempt to drive on K'gari in a four-wheel drive vehicle, as conventional cars do not have the clearance to navigate the sandy tracks. You can hire four-wheel drive vehicles before travelling to the island.
Seventy-Five Mile Beach is a designated highway with speed restrictions. Be prepared to experience heavy traffic in school holiday periods. Road rules apply at all times on Fraser Island, and police patrol the island's roads.
There are no sealed roads on K'gari — all driving is on sand tracks or the beach. This can be a very different experience from normal driving and is only recommended for experienced drivers. Driving on sand will change the travelling times between destinations — it could take an hour to travel 10km and it can be a rough and bumpy ride.
Most sand tracks are two-way, but drop to single lanes in some areas. Finding a place for vehicles to pass can be difficult, so you need to be alert to oncoming traffic.