WELCOME TO 1770 LARC! TOURS

Welcome to 1770 LARC! Tours

All aboard for an unforgettable amphibious adventure along secluded beaches and through remote National Parks with our fun-loving and professional team at 1770 LARC! Tours.

Along the central Queensland coastline between Gladstone and Bundaberg lies the quaint seaside village of Seventeen Seventy. This beautiful township, surrounded by a backdrop of pristine National Parks and the southern Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, is the birthplace and home of 1770 LARC! Tours. Our selection of tours deliver a unique and memorable way to explore all the area has to offer.

Our fun-filled and informative tours are conducted in an iridescent pink amphibious vehicle known as a LARC, which can travel on both land and in the water, affording you single-vehicle access to some of the region’s more remote natural and historic attractions.

The team at 1770 LARC! Tours make it their mission to ensure everyone has a comfortable, fun and memorable experience while adventuring with us. We are proud to offer three different tour options year-round to suit your availability, budget, interests and requirements.

Keep listening to find your perfect tour and how you can be guaranteed a LARC-tastic time on whichever experience you choose.

Paradise Tour

If you’re ready for an insightful and exhilarating full day of adventure, then you’re sure to be ‘tickled pink’ by the unique experience of our signature Paradise Tour.

From discovering sombre tales of tragedy at historic Bustard Head Lightstation, to experiencing the heart-pumping thrill of sandboarding down towering dunes, this tour truly offers it all!

Delight in the sensation of moving from land to water in the comfort of our incredibly versatile vehicle, as you journey along the edge of Eurimbula National Park, over vast sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters of four tidal creeks. Our crew will share live audio commentary enroute to the first stop - a hidden shaded picnic spot where you will enjoy morning tea.

Next, enjoy the scenic four-wheel-drive journey up Bustard Headland to the historical Bustard Head Lightstation. On arrival, you’ll be guided through the lighthouse-keepers cottage, brimming with priceless artefacts imbued with mystery and history. Our LARC skipper will then take you up the spiralling stairs to the balcony of the lighthouse tower, which offers some excellent photo opportunities. Then you’ll be escorted on a short walk to the quaint cemetery, where you’ll unearth some of the stories behind how this picturesque station earned its reputation as ‘The Lighthouse of Tragedy’. Soon it’s time to return to the shaded picnic area for a well-deserved lunch, accompanied by our secret recipe billy tea.

After lunch the LARC! heads for the sand dunes of Middle Island. Here, you can have the time of your life discovering the adrenaline rush that is sandboarding. Feel your heart race and the wind whipping your hair as you plummet down a 35-metre hill on a foam boogie board! Alternatively, you can opt to go for a swim in Jenny Lind Creek, take a walk along the beach or remain on board the LARC! vessel and spectate the sandboarding action. You may even be LARCy enough to catch some magical views of the sun sinking towards the horizon as we make our way back to the marina.

LARC+Lunch! Tour

The 2-hour LARC and Lunch Tour is a relaxed picnic cruise to a beautiful beachfront setting, where you can soak in the serenity of nature and bask in the beauty of the unspoilt golden coastline.

Climb aboard and experience the fun of amphibious travel as our iconic pink LARC takes you on an exciting journey across two waterways and along the edge of the lush Eurimbula National Park. Soon you’ll emerge on a secluded and pristine beach in the middle of Bustard Bay where you will enjoy a scrumptious picnic lunch beneath the shade of an old casuarina tree. Here, the only footprints are your own – and those of your travelling party, of course. During the beach stop, guests can take a dip in the sublime water, meander along an unspoilt shoreline or relax in the provided picnic chairs.

Your LARC and Lunch Tour includes informative and entertaining audio commentary throughout the experience, offering expert insights into local history, culture, flora and fauna.

Guests use the steps to board and disembark the LARC! twice during this tour. The picnic lunch supplied is lovingly created fresh each day by the fantastic 1770 Marina Cafe. The team can cater for a range of dietary requirements, and lunch orders are taken at the time of booking. There are no extra charges for guests with specific dietary requirements.

This tour is offered on Tuesdays and/or Sundays, subject to availability. Tours depart at 11am, with check-in required at 10:30am – half an hour prior to departure.

Daily One Hour Afternoon Cruise

If you’re visiting 1770 or Agnes Water and you are short on time yet still want to be captivated by the LARC! Tour experience, consider selecting our one-hour Afternoon Cruise option.

These tours depart daily, sometimes two to three times per day, so book ahead to secure seats during your visit. During this one-hour tour, you will be taken on a joyride you’ll never forget. The tour crosses Round Hill Creek, cruises along the edge of Eurimbula National Park up to Eurimbula Creek, then turns around and returns to explore the 1770 sand bar. You will be treated to an entertaining running commentary, breath taking scenery, amazing wildlife and an exciting finale! Guests usually remain on board for the duration of the 1-hour Afternoon Cruise. This scenic tour is great for everyone. The LARC! acts like a rolling grandstand and provides a great vantage point for wildlife spotting and sightseeing in the bay, accompanied by some fun audio commentary. Guests are only required to board on and off the LARC! once on this tour.

It’s a great way to get a feel for the region, while discovering the incredible amphibious abilities of our perfectly pink vessels. It’s an exhilarating ride the whole family can enjoy!

A Truly Unique Experience

Is it a car? Is it a boat? It’s a LARC!

1770 LARC! Tours is a family-owned business which has been proudly operating since 1994. The acronym LARC! Stands for Lighter Amphibious Resupply Cargo (vessel). These vessels were originally built for the US Army in the 1960s. Did you know that the LARC! Vessels are self-righting? This means they are designed to right themselves after capsizing or falling. Interestingly, they can also climb an incline of up to 60 degrees. We can’t wait for you to come and experience what the LARC! Is all about.

Since June 2002, 1770 LARC! Tours have been eco-certified with Ecotourism Australia and are now in the Hall of Fame. We like to keep sustainability at the forefront of everything we do. You may be surprised to know that our LARC vessels are low impact on the environment. The amount of fuel required for a one-hour tour on a 1770 LARC! Vessel is about the same as the amount of fuel required to drive a regular car for an hour, while transporting up to five times the amount of passengers!

The 1770 LARC! Family is made up of caring and nature-loving individuals. On the team, we currently have three wildlife carers, two turtle researchers, and members of various community groups. Beach cleaning is part of our daily routine, and we regularly engage in a thorough coastal clean. The beach is our backyard, and we can’t wait to share it with you.

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 more than happy to assist in any way we can.

On board all 1770 LARC! Tours, you can choose to do as little or as much walking/activity as you wish. To board the LARC! Vessels, there are 7 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 more than 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 for the full day Paradise Tour, or be stored in the office during the shorter tours.

1770 LARC! Tours welcomes guests with assistance animals on board. If you are travelling with an assistance animal, please let the friendly team know at the time of booking so that they can allow appropriate seating for yourself and your service 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, and are also in the process of compiling written commentaries for you to read at your own leisure. We also welcome hearing impaired groups and are happy to offer a free of charge seat for you to bring along a sign language translator.

All tours depart from the 1770 Marina. The address of the Marina is 535 Captain Cook Drive, Seventeen Seventy, Queensland, Australia. The 1770 LARC! Tours office can be contacted by phone on 074974 9422. Office hours are 9:00Am until 4:00PM Monday to Saturday, and 9:00AM until 2:00PM on Sundays.