God I love Moreton Island. It's just an hour and a quarter ferry ride northeast of Brisbane, but you could be anywhere. Fiji, The Great Barrier Reef, Bora Bora.....Phuket....give me Moreton anytime.
Moreton is the third largest sand island in the world (behind Fraser and North Stradbroke), and is, perhaps, the least visited of the three. This is partly due to the higher cost and lower frequency of vehicle ferries to the island, and - with no sealed roads - may also be partly due to the greater "degree of difficulty" associated with getting around and accessing services.
Additionally, it is a bit of a process to get organised. You've got to book your ferry, book your vehicle permit and book your accommodation (campsite, private house or resort) separately - and get them all to line up. All of this effectively acts as a natural "filter" - which is not a bad thing - helping the island live up to it's marketing department's tagline "Escape The Fake".
Typically, the busiest areas on the island are between where the ferry pulls up at The Wrecks, and the Tangalooma Island Resort, but anywhere else its not hard to find your own little patch of paradise. Logically, the further you are from the ferry (or any of the permanent settlements on the island), the more isolated you can make yourself....but even when you do visit some of Moreton's more popular attractions, you won't exactly find yourself "crowded out".
Getting Around
Make no mistake, from the time you leave the ferry, this is 4WD only territory - and is at times quite challenging. You'll need to air your tyres down to a maximum 18PSI to give you sufficient flotation on the soft sand - and you'll need to be prepared to get stuck - or help get someone else out. Take a shovel, take a snatch strap, and take some max tracks (or similar!). Getting around on the hard sand of the beach is relatively straightforward (particularly at low tide), but the often soft sand of the inland tracks can be more challenging - particularly after an extended dry period.
Camping
We've camped in both the North West, and North East camping zones, and also stayed in a villa at the Tangalooma Island Resort.
The camping "zones" are very much "self sufficient, poo in a hole" type set ups, but there are also a number of designated campgrounds - with toilets and showers - at various points around the island. Obviously the trade off is that more facilities means more people - and if you are in one of the camping zones (as opposed to campgrounds) you will generally be at least 100 metres from your nearest "neighbour". If you've got the gear....and the right mindset....then I'd take more isolation every time.
Personally, we prefer camping on the western (bayside) of the island - with smoother water for swimming, and generally easier access to services if you do need to resupply. The sites generally provide a better view of the ocean (you'll generally be camping behind the first dune on the eastern side), but there is less shade and it can get pretty bloody hot in the afternoon - particularly in summer. But the sunsets over the water are sensational!
What to Do
You can literally do as much or as little as you like on Moreton. But apart from gazing out at the ocean with an ice cold Coopers Green in one hand and a Jack Reacher novel in the other, these are some of our favourites:
Snorkeling the Wrecks: Deadset, how good is this. Between 1963 and 1984 some bright spark at the Queensland Government decided to scuttle a total of 15 vessels just north of Tangalooma to provide a safe anchorage on Moreton.
Fast forward, and today you've got colourful corals growing from rusty hulks,and over 100 species of tropical fish schooling less than 100 metres from the beach. Pull up the ute, pull out the shade awning, get your goggles and snorkel and your set for the day.
North Point: When there's a strong Easterly, or even a Nor-Easter, it's pretty hard to beat a visit to North Point. This is one of the most picturesque areas of the island, and for surfers can provide one of the best and cleanest breaks under the right conditions. There's a great little walk from the North Point campground up to Honeymoon Bay (a lovely protected cove exposed to the North) and then around the point to the Champagne Pools - a series of rock pools that generate a natural spa bath as the wakes crash over the headland.
Cape Moreton: Just around the point from Honeymoon Bay to the East lies Cape Moreton and the walk up to the historic lighthouse with its majestic views down Island's Eastern Beach. Built in 1857 from sandstone quarried on the island - the lighthouse stands 23 meters and offers a unique piece of history. The view from the base of the lighthouse is nothing short of superb, and apart from the vantage point it provides of the island itself, you can spend a good half hour staring directly down into the water below, spotting dolphins, rays, sharks and turtles. Then, if the wind is blowing from the West, the little cove where the 4WD comes out onto the eastern beach below the lighthouse is one of the nicest spots on the island.
Plenty more to do: Of course, there is plenty more to see and do....including the hike up Mount Tempest, swimming in Blue Lagoon, beach fishing, sand tobogganing and visiting the World War II relics.
We are yet to visit the Gutter Bar down at Kooringal, but have on good authority that it's worth the effort.
To be honest, on our last visit it got pretty hard to drag ourselves away from the water, the esky and the home made Finska! After all, we were on holidays!
What to Take
What you'll need to take will really depend on whether you are staying in one of the more remote "camping zones", a designated "campground" or one of the rental homes or the Tangalooma resort. The reality is that you can get most of what you need on the island - from the Bulwer Store - but it IS expensive. For example, I paid $3/L for diesel on our recent December 2019 trip.....and $40 for a 10 can block of Apple Cider! While its expensive, its fair - they've got to pay a fair bit of freight, and its not as though stuff is flying off the shelves outside of school holidays! We are generally happy enough resupplying with milk, bread, ice and salad veggies - but would recommend taking your own meat, alcohol - and as much drinking water as you can (the water on the island is not recommended for drinking)! Our comprehensive camping checklists can be found here and we'd probably recommend the "Bush Camping" or "Basic Campground" lists for your Moreton adventure.
When to Go
We've had a great time whenever we've been to Moreton - but as with most camping in Northern NSW or Queensland would have to say the best times of year are probably in the Spring or Autumn. Our recent December 2019 trip did get pretty hot at times.....but sleeping temperatures were still fine, and it is never far to the water to cool off!
Comments