Fraser Island January 2012

[rags Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close rags]

[QUOTE=Richoson;324210]Hi Rags

Unfortunately the beachs are administered by differing authorities, eg local councils and then the values are different, Nth Stradbroke Is for instance is only available as a yearly pass and it around $37.00 great value compared to Bribie Is at around $121.00 and then the others at $204.00. Does sound like a bit of a money grab by DERM doesn't it

Beside Straddie all other destinations are controlled by DERM so it would be good if they could stop letting greed and red tape get in the
way of commonsense and just offer a single multi-purpose destination pass,they could probably charge an inflatted price and the locals would still buy up.
Russ

[Monty234 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Monty234]

hey guys thanks for the info

have got old man emu 2inch a bit sagged also van has independent rear
suspension if that will help me otherwise will have to be the tent not an issue
will be taking a 6 month old and 3 year old missus was thinking of comfort , also cathedral looks the way to go but others have already booked central?

thanks guys for info

[Hutch Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hutch]

It will be the weight of the van not suspension, anyhow let's us know how u go, just remember pressure in tyres is the key. If u r towing inland 15 psi is not to low to pull through the soft stuff.


Hutch- 2007 V6 GXL.
2012 V6 GXL on order.

[JPM21 Member Find all posts View Profile Close JPM21]

have got old man emu 2inch a bit sagged also van has independent rear
suspension if that will help me otherwise will have to be the tent not an issue
will be taking a 6 month old and 3 year old missus was thinking of comfort , also cathedral looks the way to go but others have already booked central?

thanks guys for info

Hi Monty another option if you do want Central station is to change your barge ride to Woongoolba creek instead of kf its operated by the same company so shouldnt be a problem. I dont tow a van and normally go over at inskip and up the beach but tides restricted me in august when I went. From the creek landing it was an easy drive to central and although I wasnt towing I would have been confident towing in a non lifted Prado. Just my thoughts.

Cheers
Jason

[Chopper Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Chopper]

Unless conditions are really bad, the Wangoolba to Central road is pretty easy. I've towed all sorts of trailers all over the island, and that would be the easiest of all the inland tracks.

[1968mick Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close 1968mick]

Hi, our family is also going to Fraser Island this May, it will be our first time. Just looking for any advise as i have a grande with the normal Traction Control (which can't be turned off) and center diff lock. . Is the anything i can do apart from Low tyre pressue on lock the center diff?? Any advise would be helpfull.

[Hutch Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hutch]

Lock the diff turn off the TC run the tyres around 18-20 check the tides and don't drive like captain slow and have a good time.

[1968mick Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close 1968mick]

Thanks but i cannot turn off the TC on the 2006 grande. Not like the current model were you can press the down the button for 3 seconds.

[Hutch Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hutch]

I think the TC is not as bad the stability control on the new ones I am not sure as I have never had it, does it have its own fuse?? Could u pull it?

[1968mick Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close 1968mick]

I think the TC is not as bad the stability control on the new ones I am not sure as I have never had it, does it have its own fuse?? Could u pull it?

I think it does.

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

My experience of TC on my 120 is that once you lock the centre diff the TC does not cause any issues in soft sand. The stability control is another matter and needs to be off which is achieved by locking the centre diff. Moral is lock the centre diff whether you are on the beach or the tracks.

Michael

[1968mick Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close 1968mick]

My experience of TC on my 120 is that once you lock the centre diff the TC does not cause any issues in soft sand. The stability control is another matter and needs to be off which is achieved by locking the centre diff. Moral is lock the centre diff whether you are on the beach or the tracks.

Michael

Thanks Michael, will make sure to lock the Diff. So no need to take the TC fuse out.

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

I don't think so but there are plenty of posts here where people swear that you have to take out the fuse. I have driven the Prado plus trailer both loaded through some unexpected soupy stuff and pretty much wheelspun for 100m; foot flat and the Prado kept going. The centre diff was locked but nothing else. I am certain that if I had a manual I would have been stuck as my reaction time was only just ok and the auto did all the difficult gear changing bit without losing momentum.

Having said that everyone's experiences will be different but I would try it this way before pulling fuses. The only downside to the electronics is that places like hard beaches whre I would drive my manual 90 without locking the centre diff I have to in the 120 but the extra traction and places I now go more slowly and more safely more than makes up for that.

Have a good trip.

[Chopper Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Chopper]

I was leading a tour on the Island today and the beach conditions were the best I've seen for years.

Inland was a bit (very) soft in places.

[BNEGXL Member Find all posts View Profile Close BNEGXL]

Davros,

Have you been or are you going?

I was there early December for a couple of nights and going agan for 3 nights across the Australia Day weekend.

My advice is,

It's still a great place to go, a bit too commercial but still great.
Go to the places that the Tour Operators and Hire 4wd's go (south of Indian Head) either very early or late in the day. We went to MacKenzie two afternoons late, most people we saw there was about a dozen, there was a short five minutes that we had the whole place to ourselves, fantastic.
If the tides are right there is rarely anyone at Eli after about 5 o'clock.

So, Beach Fishing early, North of Indian Head during the day and South of Indian Head late afternoon.

Works for us.

Track conditions in December were as above, very soft and chopped up. We sat the Prado on the chassis rails on the track that leaves King Fisher, we weren't the only ones either.
I dropped the tyres from 18 psi down to 15, got a tow for 2 meters and we were clear. Hard going though, we pretty much destroyed the standard bash plates from all the bottoming out.

Since then I've got new tyres and a lift, shouldn't have any problems this time.

P.S. The North South bit above requires some co operation from the tides.
If the tides don't work out through the middle of the day we either go to the pool at Eurong, read a book or go to the day pool at King Fisher. They do a good lunch there for a reasonable price.