North Stradbroke Island
Multiple Locations

Description

Refreshing, relaxing, and simply beautiful, North Stradbroke Island, or ""Straddie"", as the locals call it, is one of Moreton Bay's best loved getaway spots. The resident community, some 3,000 lucky people, will welcome you, and they'll also expect you to look after this spectacular natural environment. (For your information, plastic bags are banned on the island, so any you bring with you, you'll have to take away when you leave.)

Located at the southern end of Moreton Bay, it is one of the largest sand islands in the world, and is a popular escape destination for couples, families, nature lovers and adventure-seekers.

Stretches of white sandy beach line the island's ocean side making it ideal for swimming, surfing, and fishing, while the sheltered western edge offer a calm environment for those after a more relaxing experience.

Straddie is the perfect destination for a four wheel drive or bush adventure. While there are paved roadways around the island, much of the hinterland, including the lakes, is only accessible by four wheel drive, and these areas are fascinating sanctuaries for local flora and fauna. Bring your own four wheel drive or book a tour with an experienced Straddie operator. Some also offer tagalong tours for less experienced four wheel drive enthusiastists.

North Stradbroke Island is rich in Aboriginal and European historical sites. Visit the North Stradbroke Island Historical Museum at Dunwich for a fascinating history of the island. Eerily, the cemetery at Dunwich includes the graves of shipwreck and typhoid victims from the early 1800s.

Aboriginal shell middens can be found throughout the island. You can also attend indigenous cultural and bush tucker talks organised by the Minjerribah Moorgumpin Elders.

North Stradbroke Island can be accessed by ferry from Cleveland.

Property Details

Activities

• Birdwatching
• Camping
• Canoeing
• Cycling
• Fishing
• Golfing
• Kayaking
• Off Road Driving
• Rock Climbing

Other Information

Brisbane

General Comments

Don't miss the annual 'Straddie Assault' Surfing Tournament at Point Lookout, to watch top surfers from around the country battle it out on the waves. And surfing is not restricted to the water, with thrill seekers taking to the dunes for sand boarding.

Snorkelling, diving and even sea-kayaking are just some of the more adventurous aquatic activities to be enjoyed on this island, with tours and hire facilities available locally.

"Straddie" is renowned environmentally and ecologically with its extensive wetlands, lakes and waterways considered amongst the world's most important. Visit Brown Lake for a day amongst pristine natural scenery and safe freshwater swimming or kayaking. Picnic facilities are available here making it an ideal spot for families.

Go to the headland at Point Lookout, where marine animals such as dolphins, turtles and manta rays can often be spotted from as can the annual northward migration of whales during winter. Point Lookout is one of the best land-based spots from which to view these magical mammals.

Because of the significance of North Stradbroke's marine environment, the island is also home to the Moreton Bay Research Station, one of the world's top marine research centres, hosting scholars and marine specialists from all over the world.

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