Moreton Island is the world’s third largest sand island, As such Moreton island is 95% national park, with development restricted to its exisiting three small villages and a resort.
Moreton Island is a natural playground, it boasts crystal-clear creeks and lagoons, fantastic tall sand dunes, wonderful wildflowers, an historic lighthouse and miles of perfect beaches.
It is well known as one of very few of places in the world where you can hand feed dolphins in the wild at Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort.
Highlights
You can choose to stay at Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort and enjoy activities such as hand feeding wild bottlenose dolphins or sliding down sand hills on a toboggan.
The resort offers lots of different accommodation options set in lovely tropical gardens.
Day visitors are also welcome at the resort to take part in activities and use resort facilities such as the restaurant.
Mt Tempest is the world’s tallest stabilised sand dune and adrenalin seekers can enjoy the thrill of their lives, sand-tobogganing down this magnificent dune. Tangalooma resort also offers quad-biking tours around the island. As an alternative, you can hire a 4WD to explore the island's many beaches and tracks.
With the man made reef made of ship wrecks, colourful coral reefs and abundant marine life in the area, scuba diving and snorkelling are hugely popular aquatic pursuits along with swimming and surfing. You can join a guided snorkelling tour of the famous Tangalooma Wrecks which are provided by Micat as well as Tangalooma Resort.
This is the oldest lighthouse in Queensland and was first lit on February 14, 1857, it stands at Cape Moreton on the northern point of the island. The lighthouse was built to cope with increased shipping movements along the northern coast, the lighthouse was, for many years, the only coastal light on the entire eastern side of Australia.
Within Moreton Island National Park, towards the northern end of the island, the pristine freshwater lake of Blue Lagoon offers year-round swimming along with glorious birdlife and wildflowers during the spring season which makes for fantastic bird watching and bushwalking.
If camping on a stretch of perfect beach is your thing, then Moreton Island is ideal for this. Because Moreton Island is mostly national park and a wonderful recreation area, there is every opportunity for you to take your own Robinson Crusoe adventure. Of course, you'll need to get a camping permit before you get to the island as there is no way to obtain one after you get there and fees apply for permits, please see below for details.
The island has a myriad of walking tracks, with everything from short, easy strolls to half-day hikes. Taking a hike is easily best ways to fully appreciate the island's beauty and magnificent wildlife habitats. The Moreton Island National Park information centre, near the lighthouse has all the information you’ll need to get the best experience from your bushwalks.
You can also see Humpback Whales from Cape Moreton during their migration period of June to November. You can also find Dugong feeding on the bay's seagrass, and migratory and resident shorebirds feed and roost on the island's beaches.
Getting there
Moreton Island is located in the northern part of Moreton Bay, and at only 40km, is only a short boat trip from Brisbane. A high-speed catamaran service departs from Holt Street Wharf, Pinkenba daily, and travels to Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort on Moreton Island. The trip takes approximately 75 minutes.
Micat is a large, luxurious catamaran that also runs daily trips across to Moreton Island, this vessel caters for both vehicles and passengers.
Four-wheel-drive vehicles are the only way to get around the island (other than walking), so if you plan to take your own vehicle leave the family car at home. All vehicles taken to the island must be registered and display a valid Moreton Island Recreation Area vehicle access permit which is available from the following site:
http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/parks/moreton-island/index.html
See also
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Tangalooma
Cheap deals on hotels in Tangalooma, Queensland. prices and descriptions on holiday accommodation in Tangalooma
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