Cel-Fi GO repeater finds reception at remote Moreton Island campsite

NORTH Point is a popular beach on the northern tip of Moreton Island. Small waves peel off the point, making it ideal for surfing on a longboard, and it’s the perfect place to spend a few hours to swim, relax and explore.

From North Point you can hike around the bay, explore the caves and hike up to the headland to the Cape Moreton Lighthouse.

North Point Campground features a large grassy area just back from the beach, and it’s ideal for surfers, fishermen, hikers and lovers of the northern beaches. The scenic campsite, surrounded by bushland, features a large rock lookout.

However, as the campground is a haven for those wanting to escape the crowded parts of the island, it’s also quite remote. With this comes poor mobile coverage, with most mobile operators not having signal there. The nearest towers are located on Bribie Island some 35km away across the bay.

The one exception is Telstra, which gets half a bar of signal that drops in and out. If you stand on the fence and hold up one arm you can send a text, but phone calls will go around in a continuous loop. Don’t even try to get internet access. Signal is slightly more reliable for SMS on the beach in front of the campground, but calls are still a mission.

In our trusty yellow FJ Cruiser nicknamed ‘The Hornet’ we have a Cel-Fi GO repeater for Telstra, which is set up with a Blackhawk Trucker Edge Compact antenna.

Once turned on, the half-a-bar is boosted up to a very useable three bars (when inside ‘The Hornet’ or about two metres outside the vehicle). This enables us to make calls, send SMS and access the internet to check the weather or update Facebook.

The internet isn’t fast enough to stream a movie, but it’s quick enough for browsing and checking emails. Knowing that we can call out in an emergency without having to go for a drive to a higher point is a big bonus.

We are very pleased with the performance of the Cel-Fi GO. Once people find out you can make calls in the campground, it’s amazing the friends you will make.

Visit www.cel-fi.com.au for more information.

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