Vehicle permit
Every vehicle needs its own K’gari vehicle access permit for the dates it is on the island.
Book a permit ↗01
Before you go
Ferry
Manta Ray barges run from Inskip Point to Hook Point. Book ahead for the school-holiday long weekend.
Book Manta Ray ↗Camping cost
Steve is confirming final numbers before dividing the group camping cost. QPWS camping fees are charged per person.
Cost to follow
Planning visual · GPT ImageBefore you go checklist
0 of 14 ready
Tick these off as you prepare. Each family’s name and ticks stay only on the phone or browser being used—nothing is shared publicly.
Vehicle readiness
Every vehicle should be ready before the convoy leaves the beach access point.
- High-clearance 4WD with low range
- Rated front recovery points
- Tyre gauge and compressor; ability to lower and reinflate pressures
- Long-handled shovel, spare tyre, jack and suitable jack base
- UHF radio — mandatory per vehicle
- MAXTRAX optional, recommended
Group recovery gear
Steve’s Everest and Yin’s Prado will carry recovery equipment including straps/ropes. That supports the group; it does not replace each vehicle’s recovery points and tyre-management gear.
K’gari map ↗Gear starting points
These are shopping categories, not required brands. Check compatibility with your vehicle and get recovery advice or training before using straps or other recovery equipment.
Sand-driving refresher
Independent K’gari / Inskip driving overview. Conditions and access change—always follow current QPWS advice and signs on the island.
Before the convoy moves
- Use a high-clearance 4WD with low range; AWD is not recommended.
- Plan beach travel around low tide and arrive well before dusk.
- Lower tyres for sand, drive to conditions and reinflate before sealed roads.
- Slow down for people, washouts, wildlife and changing sand.
- Only trained operators should use snatch straps or tow ropes.
02
Group Camp Plan
Keep the shared plan focused
Families, dinners, shared gear, vehicle readiness and supplies now have their own mobile-friendly checklist page. Open it when you are ready to update the group record.
Open group checklist →Vehicle readiness ↗Make offline before trip →
03
Travel plan & tide windows
Thursday 1 October · Main group arrivalArrive Rainbow Beach by 11:00 am for fuel and last-minute supplies. Reach Inskip 11:45 am–12:15 pm, lower tyres to around 18 psi (adjust to conditions), then aim for a 12:30–1:00 pm barge. Use the Hook Point inland road and target Waddy arrival 4:45–5:30 pm.
Saturday 3 October · Later arrivalsBest option is first 6:00 am barge. For a relaxed arrival, stay Saturday night at Wongai/Eurong, then drive north to Waddy early Sunday.
Monday 5 October · ReturnBe packed and ready by 6:30 am. Leave Waddy around 7:00 am, allowing time for the Hook Point barge queue.
Live route map
Live OpenStreetMap tiles show the Rainbow Beach → Inskip → Hook Point → Waddy corridor. Use the route link for current navigation; the ferry and eastern beach legs still depend on bookings, tides, signs and conditions.
Open live driving route ↗Open OSM route ↗Drive time guide
QPWS places Waddy about 100 km north of Hook Point. Allow 3–5+ hours wheels-on-island for a family convoy, depending on tide, sand, traffic and stops. A perfect-condition run can be quicker, but is not the plan.
The beach is quickest when firm, but drive to the conditions and follow the signed speed limits: up to 80 km/h on beach, 30 km/h inland, 40 km/h in pedestrian areas.
QPWS driving safety ↗Beach-driving windows
Tides below are the Bureau of Meteorology’s Waddy Point (K’gari) predictions for 1–5 October 2026 (AEST, UTC+10). Use the beach roughly two hours either side of low tide, but only in daylight and with time to be off the beach before dusk. These are planning bounds—not a promise that the sand, surf or access will be safe.
| Date | Daylight | All low tides | Daylight tide window | Planning use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 1 Oct | 5:27 am–5:46 pm | 4:00 am · 5:33 pm | 5:27–6:00 am · 3:33–5:15 pm | Arrival uses the Hook Point inland road; do not turn the late beach window into a northbound arrival plan. |
| Fri 2 Oct | 5:26 am–5:46 pm | 4:41 am · 7:04 pm | 5:26–6:41 am; no practical evening window | Do not schedule beach driving from 5 pm onward: the evening low is after sunset. Keep Friday local/inland or use the early morning window. |
| Sat 3 Oct | 5:25 am–5:47 pm | 5:41 am · 8:47 pm | 5:25–7:41 am; evening low is after dark | Early beach leg only; the evening low is not a usable return or arrival window. |
| Sun 4 Oct | 5:24 am–5:47 pm | 7:15 am · 10:02 pm | 5:24–9:15 am; evening low is after dark | Wongai/Eurong to Waddy should use the morning beach window, with inland alternatives if conditions change. |
| Mon 5 Oct | 5:23 am–5:47 pm | 8:59 am · 10:56 pm | 6:59–10:59 am; evening low is after dark | Return south in the morning; leave Waddy early enough for the beach leg and ferry queue. |
Friday correction: the 7:04 pm low is after sunset (5:46 pm), so the old 5:04–9:04 pm suggestion was not a safe driving recommendation. Saturday’s evening low is also not a practical Inskip arrival: the final Manta Ray barge leaves Inskip at 4:45 pm, leaving too little daylight for a northbound drive.
BOM Waddy Point tide table ↗BOM tide tables ↗Sunrise/sunset calculator ↗Park alerts ↗
04
Ideas for the days
Friday · Waddy & north
Settle in, Waddy Point headland and Champagne Pools. Treat Friday evening as an inland/local option—the 7:04 pm low is after sunset.
Saturday · Sandy Cape
An early-start, tide-dependent option for experienced, well-prepared vehicles. Check conditions before committing and do not rely on the after-dark low.
Sunday · Lakes
Central Station, Wanggoolba Creek and Boorangoora (Lake McKenzie), with the morning beach leg planned around the 7:15 am low.
06
At camp
Waddy Point Top · Group Area
A formal, dingo-fenced camping area in coastal woodland near Waddy Point headland. Steve has the group area booked for four nights.
Check-in / outAfter 2 pm · by 11 am
ShowersHot and coin-operated — bring $2 coins
WaterTaps available; treat before drinking
FacilitiesFlush toilets, tables and washing-up area
FiresCommunal rings only; bring approved timber
Power & phoneNo generators; mobile generally unavailable
Wongari (dingo) safety
Keep children close, never feed wongari, secure all food and rubbish, and do not run. Follow ranger directions and keep the gate closed behind you.
QPWS safety advice ↗08
Beach run
Keep your line on the sand
The beach widens and narrows using the real Waddy Point tide times for 1–5 October. Avoid the wash, give wongari and people fishing plenty of space, and watch for oncoming 4WDs as the run gets harder.
ModeMedium
Distance0 m
Your best0 m
Trip timeThu 1 · 4:00 am
TideLow tideHigh in 7h 03m
Saved on this device
On a phone, touch and drag the 4WD to steer. The buttons and ← → keys still work too. Each level has a fixed speed. Real driving must follow QPWS tides, signs and conditions.
Extreme top runs
Public nicknames onlyLoading scores…
09
K’gari: place and story
Butchulla Country
K’gari is the traditional home of the Butchulla people. The island’s cultural places and archaeological remains link thousands of years of living knowledge and tradition to the present.
What is good for the land comes first.
Do not take or touch what does not belong to you.
If you have plenty, you must share.
Rainforest growing on sand
K’gari is one of the rare places where tall rainforest grows on coastal dunes. Its evolving dune, lake, soil and forest systems are central to the island’s World Heritage significance.
A remarkable island
At 123 km long, K’gari is the world’s largest sand island. It was World Heritage listed in 1992. Lake Boomanjin, coloured by natural tannins, is the world’s largest perched lake.
About K’gari ↗10
Family fun
K’gari quick quiz
Beach driving is best within about two hours either side of…
Who are the Traditional Custodians of K’gari?
Which is the world’s largest perched lake?
Choose an answer to start.
Word hunt
Use the clues below to find the six trip words. Type a word, then tap Find.
Start with clue 1.
11
Useful links
Permits, ferries and park information
Saturday stopover option
Steve has a spare Wongai booking. It is a fenced area just south of Eurong, but has no facilities—bring a portable toilet. See Wongai details.
12
Ask the guide
Short, curated answers about tides, ferries, permits, vehicles, water, camp facilities, wongari and Orchid Beach. It works offline after the guide has loaded once.
Ask a question or choose a topic.