Guide to Visiting Moreton Island For 2023!
Queensland does island weekend getaways better than most.
Whether you want to stretch out on your sun lounge and have cocktails by the pool, or have sand blown in your face as you fly down a dune on a toboggan – you can do all this and more on Queensland’s most adventurous island, Moreton Island.
When people think of adventurous islands in Australia, their minds immediately draw a picture of Fraser Island (K’gari).
And while you simply must check out Fraser Island, if you want somewhere a little quieter but no less adventurous, then Moreton Island is an excellent alternative and one we knew nothing of until our visit.
Moreton Island is a little off-the-beaten-path, but it’s becoming well known for its stunning pure white sand beaches, four-wheel driving adventures, and of course, the Tangalooma Wrecks.
But if you’re not sure how to visit Moreton Island and what there is to do, then be sure to keep on reading as we explain everything you need to know!
- Where is Moreton Island?
- Is Moreton Island Worth Visiting?
- How to Get to Moreton Island
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Things to Do on Moreton Island
- 1. Go Transparent Kayaking at the Tangalooma Wrecks
- 2. Take A 4×4 Beach and Bush Driving Experience
- 3. Go Glamping at Castaways
- 4. Take a Scenic Day Tour with Sunset Safaris
- 5. Visit the Yellow Patch
- 6. Visit Honeymoon Bay
- 7. Check Out North Point
- 9. Visit the Cape Moreton Lighthouse
- 10. See the Birds at Blue Lagoon
- 11. Enjoy Sunset drinks, Moreton Island style!
- 12. Go Night Kakaking in an Illuminated Kayak
- 13. Stay at Tangalooma Resort
- 14. Take A Marine Discovery Cruise
- 15. Go Sandboarding
- 16. Enjoy Dolphin Feeding time at Tangalooma Resort
- 17. Snorkeling the Tangalooma Wrecks
- 18. Go on A Quad Bike Adventure
- 19. Go Scuba Diving
- Final Thoughts on Visiting Moreton Island
- More Travel Ideas for Places near Brisbane
Moreton Island, or Mulgumpin as it’s known by Quandamooka’s Ngugi people, the island’s traditional owners, is a large sand island off the coast of southeastern Queensland, Australia.
The island has a rich history. It is said that in 1770 Captain James Cook, the British explorer, visited the island and named its northwest extremity Cape Moreton. Another British explorer, Matthew Flinders, was who surveyed the whole island and drew up its map in 1799.
It’s just above North Stradbroke Island which is located just across from Brisbane.
Moreton Island is just 25 kilometres from the coast of Brisbane and is the third-largest sand island in the world. 98% of the island belongs to Moreton Island National Park and is protected, so you can bet there is nothing but unreal natural beauty here.
Moreton Island is protected by Moreton Bay and connects to the Coral Sea. It’s about a 75-minute ferry ride from Brisbane.
Is Moreton Island Worth Visiting?
If it’s true that first impressions count, then I immediately knew this was going to be a fun weekend getaway from the moment I saw Moreton Island appear on the horizon from the ferry.
Our adventure started onboard the 75-minute ferry ride across Moreton Bay when we kicked off our shoes and chatted with Greg and Nicole from Sunset Safaris, who we were booked to tour the island with.
I looked left, I looked right, and I looked directly over the Tangalooma Wrecks as we came into the beach to disembark off the ferry. Moreton Island was putting on its best “first impression”. The water looked amazing and vibrant, and tourists were having fun in and out of the water.
And I saw the kind of highway that we like best – nature’s highway!
Over the next three days we spent exploring the island, it only got better. So yes, I can confirm that Moreton Island is definitely worth visiting.
How to Get to Moreton Island
Moreton Island is really easy to get to since you can catch a ferry direct from Brisbane.
You can get both vehicle and passenger ferries and they operate several times per day. The first ferry leaves around 6.00am and the last ferry back is at 9.45pm, so it’s possible to visit Moreton Island on a day trip if you don’t plan on staying.
The ferry companies to the island are all privately owned and you will find they all have their own prices and timetables. You can book online with Moreton Island Adventures, or go to the marina and book from the ticket offices.
Things to Do on Moreton Island
If you’re not sure what there is to see and do on Moreton Island, here are all the top things to do and activities you can enjoy!
As you can see, there are a lot of attractions on Moreton Island to keep you busy for a long time!
1. Go Transparent Kayaking at the Tangalooma Wrecks 
The first thing we did at Moreton Island is strip down into our boardies and swimmers in preparation for a new kind of kayaking.
We paddled straight off the beach to explore the Tangalooma shipwrecks in these very cool and unique “Transparent Kayaks”.
It felt like we were sitting on top of the water as we glided over the top of the sunken shipwreck with clear vision through the bottom to get up close with the fish and coral.
We didn’t spot any turtles on our paddle but as we found out later they are around.
So cool that this wreck is just off the beach. Easy access for families with young kids like ours. And these kayaks are something else!
One of the cool things about the Tangalooma Wrecks is that dolphins come swimming close to the shore here. If you’d like to feed them, check out these dolphin feeding experiences at Tangalooma Wrecks!
After quickly drying off after kayaking we threw our gear and ourselves in the back of Greg and Nicole’s purpose-built 4wd midi coach and headed north to check in at our accommodation.
It was our first glance at the 4wd beach driving fun on Moreton Island and as much as I like to get behind the wheel with an open beach and little traffic, it was great to kick back and take in the scenery as Greg drove and shared some local knowledge of the island and the day ahead.
Of course, you can opt to take a self-guided tour and rent a four-wheel drive yourself. The best place to rent from is the Tangalooma Island Resort on the island, otherwise you’ll likely have to rent from the mainland and take the vehicle ferry over which is more costly.
Don’t have a 4×4? Here’s a 4×4 bus tour you can take!
When we arrived at Castaways, and I don’t know who was happier, me or the kids?!
When you’ve just spent 18 months traveling around Australia and taking 90 minutes to set up your camper trailer over 100 times, having no tent to set up, no beds to make, and our own private bathroom, daddy got a little excited!
And who couldn’t use a bit of glamping anyways?
When your away for a short break and traveling light, you want to spend as much time as possible getting amongst the activities and enjoying the destination, not unloading and packing up!
Our tent was furnished with a queen size bed plus a set of bunks, and a nice deck to chill on. We grabbed a quick bite to eat for lunch at the on-site cafe – I recommend one of their burgers – then jumped straight back in the truck for an afternoon of adventure!
If you prefer to camp more traditional style, you’ll find several other campsites on the island such as the Ben-Ewa Campsitem where you can pitch a tent.
4. Take a Scenic Day Tour with Sunset Safaris
If you only have a day to spend on Moreton Island, then a scenic day tour is the way to go.
We headed towards the northern tip of Moreton Island, down bush tracks with stunning views of the ocean and back around.
Kalyra rode shotgun up the front with Greg and Nicole and little Savannah was happy to bounce around in the back with us.
No traffic lights or congestion here. Just nature tracks, fresh air, and pristine beaches.
5. Visit the Yellow Patch
They call this spot “Yellow Patch” because of the sand patch in the side of the hill. It’s also the place they make Coca-Cola on Moreton Island, just look at how many free refills you can get.
Don’t forget your straw, lol.
* This article was originally published here
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