MORETON ISLAND, QUEENSLAND
YOUR ULTIMATE GUIDE TO THIS IDYLLIC ISLAND GETAWAY
BRISBANE may just be the luckiest city in Australia. Why? Well within 45 minutes from the CBD you can be parked up and airing down on the barge to one very special 4x4 destination, Moreton Island.
OVERVIEW
MORETON Island is a 44km long sand island located east of Brisbane. It is a 4x4er’s paradise with both protected and open-water beach driving and camping, all connected by several inland tracks which are awesome to drive. It is well-regarded for its fishing and marine mammal spotting plus of course, the 18 shipwrecks on the western beach.
It is advisable to be completely selfsufficient; there are basic shopping and facilities, plus fuel if needed but be prepared to pay premium …
GETTING THERE
THE MICAT ferry is the only way to get your rig over there. It leaves the mainland at the Port of Brisbane and drops you on the island just north of the Tangalooma Island Resort right on the beach and in itself, is a pretty cool experience, especially for the kids. There are usually two services per day and it is wise to book ahead as early as possible, particularly in the summer months and school holiday periods.
Booking the barge is easy on the Moreton Island Adventures website, and from there you can follow a link to permits and camp booking, it’s actually really simple.
CAMPING
THERE are five large campgrounds and five main camp ‘zones’ on the island. Each has its own distinct feel and varied facilities. Generally, the campgrounds are ideal for large groups and have long-drop loos and cold-shower facilities. The camp zones are more secluded and consist of scattered sites, mainly along the beaches, they lack any facilities. Whatever your choice though, rest assured you will not be disappointed, while there are some standout secluded ‘zone’ spots, all of them are stunning and have easy beach access.
The advice here is to try and predict the prevailing winds for your time of travel to avoid the onshore winds. While you can book an area, there are no numbered sites, so it’s first in, first served.
DRIVING AND TIDES
THE driving on Moreton is amazing, it’s pretty much all beach driving (apart from the sandy inland single-tracks) and who doesn’t love beach driving, right? From the barge you should point your rig north, it’s the gateway to all of the camps. If you head the short distance south along the beach you’ll find the famous Tangalooma Wrecks (a great place to park up, swim and relax), a walk-in camp zone and then restricted access to the Tangalooma Island Resort and that’s about it (don’t worry, the resort is secluded and does not interfere with us 4x4ers).
Head north if you want to make camp and follow the signs or your maps to your booked area and look out for the turn right to cross the island if that’s where you are headed – it’s an easy track to miss, otherwise continue along the beach north to find camp and adventure.
Being able to drive the beaches is very tide dependant – there’s not a great deal of sandy real-estate to drive upon, especially on the west coast that faces Brisbane, so the best time to drive is the two hours either side of the low tide. Outside of that, you find yourself with very little or no sand to drive upon and rest assured, it is soft stuff up above the high-tide mark if it is even available.
Water runouts are abundant on the west coast and they can be very deep and steep-sided, especially near the high-tide mark. It really does pay to drive cautiously and look well-ahead to avoid disaster. Hitting a runout at speed will ruin your trip instantly.
Airing down is a must to avoid bogging and create a more comfortable ride – 15 to 24psi (depending on your vehicle weight and tyre construction) will have you negotiating the island with ease.