Moreton Island
Multiple Locations

Description

No island in Moreton Bay says 'fun' more than Moreton.

Located in the northern part of the Bay, Moreton is only a short boat trip from Scarborough or Manly. One of the world's largest sand islands, Moreton is almost completely National Park, making it an excellent destination for nature lovers. It is famous as one of only a handful of places in the world where you can hand feed dolphins in the wild, at Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort.

Towards the northern end of the island, the freshwater Blue Lagoon lake offers a host of birdlife and wildflowers during spring - perfect for bird watching and bushwalking. Several walking tracks are established on the island.

Nearby at Cape Moreton stands the oldest lighthouse in Queensland, which was first lit on February 14, 1857.

Adrenalin seekers enjoy Moreton Island for the unique experience of sand-tobogganing down the world's tallest stabilised sand dune - Mt Tempest. Guided tours are available; along with all the equipment you'll need for a head-first, high-speed trip down the dune. Tangalooma also offers quad-biking tours around the island - their fleet of bikes is one of the largest in the country.

With mysterious shipwrecks and colourful coral reefs in the area, scuba diving and snorkelling are popular additions to the usual aquatic pursuits of swimming and surfing, which also happen to be world class on Moreton Island. The famous Tangalooma Wrecks provide some of the best diving and snorkelling to be found on the east coast of Australia. No time for the Great Barrier Reef? No problem, all this is right at Brisbane's doorstep!

Other Information

Brisbane ( 40 Kilometres )

General Comments

Moreton Island, together with Bribie and North Stradbroke Islands, form a physical barrier to the ocean beyond and in turn create the sheltered and calm waters of Moreton Bay.

As Moreton Island is a sand island with no sealed roads, only four wheel drive vehicles can be driven here, and a permit is required for this purpose. You can bring your own over on a vehicle ferry or book a four wheel drive tour with one of the tour operators servicing the island. Tour options range from a nature-based focus, including whale watching in season (June - November) to thrill seeking adventures such as sand tobogganing. Interestingly, the island has a historic link to whales with the remnants of a large whaling operation which had operated on the island for many years still visible today.

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