1770 LARC! PARADISE TOUR

Welcome to 1770 LARC Tours

Create everlasting memories as you delve into the history and mystery of our strikingly beautiful coastal Town of 1770. Showcasing the Town of 1770 and Bustard Bay, 1770 LARC Tours strives to provide the best possible environmental, cultural and heritage experience, aiming to maintain our Queensland tourism icon status. Let us take you on an unforgettable journey where we will surprise, inspire and transform the way you think about and view the natural world around you. 

At 1770 LARC Tours, we aim to reconnect people with nature through the principles of respect for the environment and sustainability, while preserving the local cultural and heritage values of the so-called ‘Birthplace of Queensland’ with faithful interpretations of its fascinating history. We warmly welcome everyone to engage with nature and share in this wonderful experience, regardless of where you’re from, your knowledge of the area or your accessibility needs. Sit back, relax and be taken on the journey of a lifetime by our enthusiastic team members . 

LARC Paradise Tour

Our Paradise Tour is one of three tours we offer for visitors to the 1770 region. This is our full-day, ultimate LARC experience and the best way to discover all that the area has to offer, with our knowledgeable crew recounting the history of the Town of 1770 along the way. Our Paradise Tour starts with a journey along the eastern border of Eurimbula National Park, a diverse landscape of over 23,000 hectares which meets the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park at the water’s edge.

The air may be salty in certain conditions, and visitors may well catch the scent of the mangroves, paperbark swamps, eucalypt, casuarina, cabbage palms and even a small number of hoop pines at times during the tour. Among these vast sandy beaches, we use the amphibious capabilities of the LARC to cross the crystal-clear waters of four tidal creeks. Throughout the tour, you can expect to hear the sound of the vessel’s engine change as it moves over the sand, through the water and climbs the headland.

The first stop, for morning tea, is a secluded, shaded picnic spot at the edge of Jenny Lind Creek. From there, the scenic four-wheel drive journey up Bustard Headland is guaranteed to offer the best aerial view in the world from a “boat” and drops you at the footsteps of the historic Bustard Head Light Station. A volunteer light-keeper will guide you through the light-keeper’s cottage that has been transformed into a museum brimming with fascinating maritime artefacts, treasures and memorabilia. Our LARC skipper will then take you up the original spiral staircase to the balcony of the lighthouse tower. Looking down from the circular balcony of the cast iron light tower – an incredible vantage point 120 metres above sea level – is a unique, often windswept experience. The spectacular 360-degree view from Gladstone in the north to the Town of 1770 in the south is a marvellous photo opportunity. After descending from the tower, you’ll follow a winding path down to the cemetery. 

The tour then proceeds back down the headland for a well-earned healthy lunch prepared by our friends at 1770 Marina Café, accompanied by freshly brewed billy tea, concocted from a secret recipe. You can choose to explore on a short forest walk before boarding the LARC again to cross the beautiful Jenny Lind Creek on the way to Middle Island for some sandboarding and swimming, before reboarding the LARC to return to the 1770 Marina.

All Aboard the LARC

Let’s get to know the LARC. These incredible, unique amphibious vessels are LARC-Vs that were once used by the military. LARC stands for Lighter Amphibious Resupply Cargo. These vessels were constructed for the US army in the 1960s in Connecticut, USA. Our two LARC vessels – the Doctor Daniel C Solander (built in December 1965) and the Sir Joseph Banks (built in January 1966) – were named after the botanists on board HMS Endeavour with Lieutenant James Cook on his voyage of discovery. They are built almost completely of aluminium, weigh 7.5 tonnes, and have a 300-horsepower Cummins V8 diesel engine. Your tour guide will tell you more about the operation of the LARC vessels and how they move on land and through the water once you’re on board and your safety briefing is complete. As for their appearance, the LARC vessels also have a unique aesthetic, being a fluorescent pink colour. We can almost guarantee you will never feel anything quite like the sensation of transferring from land to water in the same vehicle. 

As you’ve probably figured out by now, the LARC is more than just a pretty face and a powerful engine. The vessel also has some impressive capabilities, which we hope not to need to demonstrate on our tour! The LARC is self-righting, just like a yacht. This means that if the LARC capsizes, the vessel will rotate all the way around and then resurface. So don’t forget to hang on to the handle holes in your blue chairs! 

The LARC can also climb a 60-degree incline, which is an extremely steep gradient. To put this into perspective, an average four-wheel drive vehicle can manage a maximum of 45 degrees. You’ll be heartened to know that there are no seas too rough for the LARCs: they can handle a three-metre wave over the wheelhouse. 

Bustard Head

Bustard Head has a well-documented story behind how it got its name. Two botanists, Sir Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander, arrived at Bustard Bay aboard Cook’s Endeavour on 23 May 1770. It was during their onshore exploration that Banks shot a bird known as a bustard, a bird not seen in this area since the 1940s. It was noted in the ship’s log as the best eating bird they’d had since leaving England! It was in honour of that feast that Cook named Bustard Bay. At 4 AM the following morning they weighed anchor and continued their journey northwards up the east coast, past Bustard Head, our destination today on the Paradise Tour.

Eurimbula National Park and Eurimbula Creek 

The tour takes you along the boundaries of Eurimbula National Park. The name Eurimbula is derived from the word urimbulurn, which is the Indigenous name for the red ironbark tree. Notable natural features include the Ganoonga Noonga lookout which you can drive to by turning off 10 kilometres west of Agnes Water. The lookout is up a short, steep, dirt track climb and gives panoramic views over the eastern lowlands and mountain ranges to the west. Commercial fishing is not allowed in Eurimbula Creek, but individuals are allowed to fish with a rod or a handline. Remember though: if you catch a mud crab, you have to release it as it is a mud crab sanctuary.

You will also pass some houses to the west, which your friendly tour guide will describe as they are on the site of an old sawmill. 

Middle Creek and Jenny Lind Creek 

This section of the national park includes Middle Creek and Middle Island. While Middle Creek runs westwards and then turns north, on the other side of Bustard Head, Pancake Creek runs west and then turns south. The two creeks join up at a point that is known locally as The Narrows or Middle Creek Crossing. At high tide the crossing is about 10m wide, but at low tide the creek dries out and provides access to Middle Island. This is where you'll be indulging in an activity you didn’t know you needed in your life – sandboarding! 

The tour crosses an estuary called Jenny Lind Creek, whose waters are sparkling crystal blue in colour. If you’re wondering how Jenny Lind Creek got its name, you’ll be fascinated to learn that it was named after a small ship – just over 100 tonnes – that worked this coast in the 1800s. The ship in question had an unfortunate history of tackling gale-force winds and being beached multiple times. And the ship was in fact named after a very highly regarded Swedish opera singer, Jenny Lind. 

Bustard Head Lighthouse

An old timber track leads to the Bustard Head Lightstation. As you proceed up the track in the LARC, your tour guide will delve into the history behind how the track was built and the early beginnings of the Bustard Head Lightstation. As you arrive at the top of the track, the magnificent lighthouse tower comes into view and your guide will continue to fill you in on the history of the original keeper cottages and the incredible lengths to which the last light-keeper in Queensland went to have the cottages restored. It was none other than our company that helped lay the restored timber track up the hill and ours are very same LARCs that were used to transport all the required materials to and from the site. The whole project cost around $450,000, over 20 years ago. 

This lighthouse tower was Queensland’s first coastal light, completed in June 1868 and still operational today! Your tour of the light-keeper’s cottage museum will be conducted by the current caretakers of the lightstation. You will meet up with your 1770 LARC Tour guide again afterwards. Before you enter the cottage, the caretaker will point out the rotating lens that makes it appear that the fixed light in the centre of the lens is flashing. The light is electric now, but in the 1800s it was an oil-fuelled wick burner. 

Bustard Head Light-Keeper’s Cottage

Once you enter the light-keeper’s cottage museum, you will find an old mantle, together with oil jugs and various electric globes used over the years. The guide will also draw your attention to a large concrete slab over in the corner of the yard, which used to be an outside toilet before the cottage had a septic system installed in the 1960s. With permanent volunteer caretakers and a rigorous maintenance schedule at the lightstation, it has lost the musty smell of yesteryear. And, sadly, due to significant vandalism that occurred after automation of the light, many of the internal cottage fittings are not original. 

Just past the front entrance, there is an oil painting under a picture light. The painting is taken from a photograph in the book Lighthouse of Tragedy. The photograph was taken in 1932 and depicts how the supplies were brought up by horses.

As you proceed further through the entry hall, you will come to a small opening into the lounge, where a telescope belonging to Thomas Rooksby – the first head light-keeper of Bustard Head – can be found. Rooksby had a keen interest in astrology. 

As you walk through the cottage, be aware that a few rooms are roped off, preventing access. You are free to enter any of the rooms that aren’t roped off.

Bustard Head Cemetery

From the lighthouse tower, the tour continues with a bush walk of less than 200 metres. Your tour guide will recount the people buried here, including some tragic deaths during its construction and how a seaman was lost over the side of a steamer crossing the Jenny Lind bar.

Sandboarding on Middle Island

Once you arrive at the golden, spectacular towering dunes of Middle Island, you’ll be in for the thrill of your life. This is where you get to push your friends and family down a 35-metre hill (on a boogie board of course) and call it sandboarding! Guests can participate as much or as little as they want in the sandboarding activity, but if you’re game we recommend trying it at least once. There really is nothing quite as exhilarating as the feeling of whizzing down a hill at top speed with the wind in your hair and the sound of delighted laughs and screams to get your adrenaline pumping. Once you’ve sandboarded to your heart’s content, you’ll surely want to enjoy a refreshing dip in the turquoise sea, which you will have the opportunity to do before leaving Middle Island. Being a tidal creek, be aware that the dip is occasionally only knee deep. Then, it’s back on board the LARC, ready for the return journey back to the 1770 Marina. Your day comes to a conclusion with wildlife sightings and light-hearted local stories while the pastel colours of the sinking sun signal the end of another day in paradise. 

Wildlife of Bustard Bay

One of the highlights of the LARC Paradise Tour – and all our tours, in fact – is the abundant birdlife we see every day. The birdlife changes with the seasons, which keeps things exciting. We have compiled a list of more than 100 bird species that we have spotted, but this list is by no means exhaustive. Some birds on the list are seen regularly, and others not so often. Curlews, terns, oyster catchers, honeyeaters and egrets are birds we see often, while the masked lapwing, Australasian gannet and striated heron are less common yet still seen regularly. The noises of the wind and sea, not to mention the LARC engine, may not allow for identification through birdcall, yet as the environment is pristine and there are few people around, seeing them up close is easy in the LARC vessel because the birds are accustomed to it. Your 1770 LARC Tour guide can provide you with a full list of species on request.

The wildlife in the area includes far eastern grey kangaroos, whiptail wallabies, goannas, whip snakes, echidnas, emus and fruit bats – which are often smelt before they are seen. As for marine life, sightings of several species of turtles, dolphins, whales, sharks, stingrays, fish, crabs and shellfish are common. 

The vegetation of Bustard Bay is classified as tropical rainforest and consists of colourful mangrove species, grasses, trees and wild flowers. Your 1770 LARC Tour guide can provide you with a list of common plants in the region.

Accessibility

Here at 1770 LARC Tours, we are dedicated to making our tours as inclusive as possible. If you have any special requirements, concerns or questions, please contact our friendly team in advance of the tour and we’ll be happy to assist in any way we can. 

To board the LARC vessels, there are seven regular steps, with a handrail to the top. Seating includes rows of deep bucket seats with handles, and one row at the back which is a cushioned bench seat. Guests are welcome to bring along their own seating cushion if preferred. With prior arrangement the 1770 LARC Tours team can also arrange for wheelchairs to be carried as luggage in a storage section of the vessel.

Guests on the Paradise Tour will be glad to know that everything you’ll need is included on this tour. We provide sandboarding equipment, morning tea – including the famous 1770 Marina Café ANZAC biscuits –lunch, consisting of freshly made wraps with your choice of fillings, fresh fruit and snacks. We advise all guests to bring along a hat, towel, sunscreen, swimming costume, refillable water bottle, comfortable footwear, socks for sandboarding in the summer months and warmer clothing for cooler months.

1770 LARC Tours welcomes guests with assistance animals. If you are travelling with an assistance animal, please let the team know at the time of booking so that they can arrange appropriate seating for yourself and your animal. Assistance animals are required to have a labelled harness or collar and lead, along with a certified assistant animal ID. 

We conduct informative audio commentaries on each tour. We also welcome hearing-impaired groups and offer a seat free of charge for a sign-language interpreter. 

All of our tours, including the Paradise Tour, depart from the 1770 Marina. The address of the marina is 535 Captain Cook Drive, 1770. The 1770 LARC Tours office can be contacted by phone on 07 4974 9422. Office hours are 9 AM to 4 PM Monday to Saturday, and 9 AM to 2 PM on Sundays.