General Information

There are no major Land Councils or other such organizations in Queensland where permits to transit or visit aboriginal areas might be generally obtainable. However, if you want some general information regarding aboriginal lands and any general requirements, particularly the liquor laws, contact the Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs.


The telephone number for the Cairns Regional Office which has responsibility for the Cape York Region is (07) 4039 8177

From experiences however, it is simply a matter of contacting the particular community and ascertaining their requirements. Camping fees generally apply at most communities where camping is available. The fees seem to range from about $5.00 per vehicle per night up to about $30.00 per night. Others charge an entry permit of about $30.00 per week. There may also be a small per night camping fee on top of that. Again, the Exploroz website can be very helpful, and the Hema Maps of the area also contain contact details for the various communities. For areas on the coast north of Weipa, contact the Weipa Caravan Park on (07) 4069 7871

 Tip of Cape York

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The only permit currently required to access the tip of Cape York is one from the Injinoo people. This is however included in the cost of the ferry across the Jardine River. A small information booklet is also normally provided. Currently, (March, 2008), the ferry trip will cost $88 for your vehicle and an additional $11 for a trailer. However, a new Injinoo Council takes office later in March, 2008, and it is highly likely that there may be an increase in ferry charges. The ferry charges include your return trip, so make sure you keep your ticket. Be warned that the old vehicle crossing is now too deep to cross. The Jardine Ferry shop can be contacted on: (07) 4069 1369 for up to date charges.

Camping at the very nice camping ground adjacent to the ferry and shop on the south bank of the Jardine is available at $5 per person per night as at March, 2008. Some contact details for camping at the Tip include:

• Loyalty Beach: (07) 4069 3372


• Seisia Camping Ground: (07) 4069 3243


• Punsand Bay: (07) 4069 1722

 Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service

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As far as can be ascertained, there doesn't seem to be any annual or other permits generally available from the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, (which is a Division of the Queensland Environmental Protection Agency).

Camping charges are levied for all Qld National Parks and State Forests. Generally, the charge is $4.50 per person per night. If you are visiting any of the more popular National Parks or State Forests, particularly during any busy season or school holidays, it is highly advisable to book well ahead. It is a real pain I know, but you will need to know the exact dates of your visit to do so. Ballot systems may also apply, so check it out well in advance. A booking service for all of the more popular National Parks and State Forests is available on telephone 13 13 04.

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Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service

EPA Customer Service Centre,
160 Ann Street, Brisbane QLD 4000
Postal: PO Box 15155, City East QLD 4002
Phone: (07) 3227 8185 or (07) 3227 8186
Fax: (07) 3227 8749
Website: www.epa.qld.gov.au/parks_and_forests
Email: csc@epa.qld.gov.au

The Parks and Wildlife Service has a Customer Service Centre which can be contacted on 1300 130 372. The Environment Protection Agency can be contacted on telephone (07) 3227 8186.

 Queensland Islands

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There are usually entry fees which are levied at such places as Fraser Island, Moreton Island and Bribie Island, as well as camping fees. A self registration process applies at Bribie Island at least.

Vehicle Entry Permits, which cost $35.40 and are valid for a one month period, are required for Fraser Island and Moreton Island. Camping fees of $4.50 per person per night and ferry charges also apply.

On Bribie Island, as well as camping fees of $4.50 per person per night, a weekly Vehicle Entry Permit to the National Park also applies at $33.90. A self registration process for camping fees might also be available at Bribie Island.

For the more remote national parks you will either need to call into the appropriate Ranger Station to book your camp site and pay your fees, or in some cases, for example in Cape Melville and Lakefield, self registration requirements apply, which includes the camping fee of $4.50 per night per person.

You can purchase permits for Fraser Island, Moreton Island and Bribie Island on the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service website or click here to go there directly.

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Fraser Island

Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world at 1630 km² and is about 300km north of Brisbane and 40km off the coast of Hervey Bay and Maryborough. The island is administered by both the Maryborough and Hervey Bay City Councils.

Fraser Island has over 100 dune lakes, as well as the second highest concentration of lakes in Australia after Tasmania. The freshwater lakes on Fraser Island are some of the cleanest lakes in the world. A popular tourist area is Lake McKenzie which is located inland from the small town of Eurong. It is a "perched" lake sitting on top of compact sand and vegetable matter 100 metres above sea level. Lake McKenzie has an area of 150 hectares and is just over five metres in depth.

Vehicle access (4WD only) is via barge and there are two main barge operators, the White Barges (owned by the Japanese company that operates the major resorts) and the Green Barges (Manta Ray) owned locally. Both barge operators have essentially the same charges which are $80 return for 4WD and $135 return for 4WD and trailer.

• Inskip Point, 15 minutes drive from Rainbow Beach (east of Gympie) to Hook Point; these barges generally run from 6am to 5.30pm (trip time about 10 minutes, no bookings required)


• River Heads (east of Maryborough) to Kingfisher Bay and Wanggoolba (trip time 30 – 50 minutes, bookings required)


• Hervey Bay (Urangan boat harbour) to Moon Point (trip time 30 – 50 minutes, bookings required).
  Vehicle barges also take walk-on passengers. Passenger launch services run daily from Urangan boat harbour.

A vehicle service permit must be purchased and displayed on your vehicle windscreen before driving on Fraser Island. Buy all permits before you go. At the time of writing, vehicle permits are $35.40 for a month or $177.30 for a year. Camping fees are $4.50 per person per day or $18 per day for a family. Children under 5 years are free.

Click here to buy your vehicle service permit online. If you cannot book online, book by phone on: 13 13 04 (24 hours).

For more information on this island - click here.

 Tourism Queensland

Another source of good information is 'Tourism Queensland', which is a statutory authority of the Queensland Government.


This article has been extracted from a document supplied by the contributing author and the Toyota Land Cruiser Club Of Australia Sydney.

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