Brisbane - the sunny city! There is something here for everyone: culture, markets, good shopping, rugby, koalas, the infamous XXXX Brewery, night life and of course - island getaways. Moreton Island is one of three of Southern Queensland's most popular backpacker island getaways, alongside Fraser Island & Stradbroke Island. This oasis is just a one hour ferry ride from Brisbane, Adventure Moreton Island offering day tour and overnight package options.
I'd been to Fraser Island & The Whitsundays before - leaving Moreton Island on my bucket list! We departed early - a 6:00am pick up from Base Backpackers Brisbane. Our bus transfer dropped us off at the wharf for our ferry connection to the island.
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Moreton Island Day Tour
Upon arrival I was absolutely blown away - white sandy beaches, palm trees, beach front cafes & pelicans! After grabbing some breakfast (buffet style) - we checked in at the Tangatours hut to choose our activities for the day. Day Tour & Overnight Packages include a number of activities, and the best bit - you get to choose!
First stop - Segway Beach Tour. Do not be fooled by these funny looking machines - they are so much fun! We zoomed along the sand from one side of the beach to the other, stopping at a few secluded spots along the way for a dip in the ocean.
Next stop - ATV Quad Biking! Another adventurous way to explore the beaches of Moreton Island.
After an exciting morning we decided to chill out on the beach for an hour before our Snorkel Tour. The island's coastline is lined with shipwrecks that make for stunning photos and an active underwater marine life. With so many shipwrecks you wonder if the lighthouse worked! We took a boat out to the shipwrecks and snorkeled our way past Tuna, Parrotfish & hundreds of other curious fish.
After lunch, we explored the marine conservation centre and watched a Pelican Feeding! Eager for another 'quick thrill' we decided to jump on the Banana Boat Ride - an inflatable, banana shaped tube with handles. We were whizzed out to the ocean, swaying and bumping over the waves - fun, fun, fun!
By James Niland - license
Soon it was time to head back to Brisbane, but not before making a promise to myself that I would visit the island once again and stay overnight. There are so many activities to choose from that a day was just not enough. There is a Desert Safari that includes Sand boarding, Kayaking, Paddleboarding, Scuba Diving, Dolphin Feeding, Canoeing, Free Catamaran Sailing lessons, Fishing, Motorboat Hire & more.
What a day! It was hard to believe that this little touch of paradise and adventure was just a one hour journey from the bustling city of Brisbane. Will most definitely be back!
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Moreton Island Eco Tour
by Jenny
I was lucky enough to go Moreton Island with Moreton Bay Escapes doing the Eco Tour.
We got picked up by Nathan - our Driver - in our big 4x4 called Matilda. We had a nice group of 8. We drove to the Port of Brisbane where we got the ferry across to Moreton Island.
It took about 1h15mins to get to the Island, the ride was really relaxed they had an onboard cafe to get breakfast. We sat upstairs so we could get a good view. We were lucky, the weather was fantastic not a single cloud in the sky.
Once we got to the island we went to "The Desert" where we went sand boarding. Sand boarding was a lot of fun and was going pretty fast! Rob showed off by going backwards, there's always one! The only downfall was climbing up the dunes... good workout though.
After sand boarding we went to our drivers' favourite spot - Yellow Patch. It was a bumpy ride, we stopped and learnt about squiggly gum and lots of dream time stories which were really cool.
After Yellow Patch we went for a swim and got lunch at the lighthouse. The lighthouse is 2 years older than Queensland, made in 1857 by convicts powered by oil lanterns. The view was amazing! We saw heaps of turtles, 2 sharks and a mantaray.
After the walk around the lighthouse we went back to the wrecks when unfortunately it was time to get back to Brisbane... We learnt about the famous wrecks and how they used to be whaling boats. They killed over 6000 humpbacks and 1 blue whale back in the 1950's over 9 years... very sad story.
It was a great day trip that we would recommend for sure!
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