Moreton Island

Moreton Island is a 186 square kilometre sand island in Moreton Bay, visible from the Brisbane waterfront on a clear day. It is the third largest sand island in the world after Fraser Island (K'gari) and North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah), and about 98 percent of it is protected as the Moreton Island National Park. The island belongs to the Quandamooka people, who have a continuous cultural connection to the bay stretching back thousands of years.

The most popular attraction is the Tangalooma Wrecks, a line of fifteen deliberately scuttled vessels on the western shore that now form an artificial reef and one of the best snorkelling sites in south-east Queensland. The wrecks were sunk in 1963 to create a boat harbour and have since become encrusted with coral and home to hundreds of fish species, sea turtles and occasionally dolphins. The snorkelling is accessible from the beach and suits all experience levels.

Mount Tempest, at 285 metres, is the highest coastal sand dune in the world. The climb is steep and sandy but rewards with views across the entire island and back to Brisbane. The sand dunes on the eastern side of the island are used for sand tobogganing, a genuinely thrilling experience that involves sliding down near-vertical sand faces on a waxed board at surprising speed. Blue Lagoon and Honeyeater Lake are freshwater perched lakes in the island's interior, surrounded by paperbark forest and ideal for swimming.

Access is by vehicle ferry from the Port of Brisbane (roughly 75 minutes) or by the faster Tangalooma launch from Holt Street Wharf in Pinkenba. A four-wheel-drive vehicle is essential for independent exploration as there are no sealed roads on the island. Tangalooma Island Resort on the western shore is the main accommodation option and also runs dolphin feeding experiences at sunset, where wild bottlenose dolphins swim into the shallows to accept hand-fed fish.

The island is a year-round destination but is at its best from September to May when the water is warm enough for snorkelling and swimming. Whale watching from the island's eastern cliffs is excellent from June to October as humpbacks migrate through Moreton Bay.