Travel Aussie escapes, Galapagos Islands

ANGIE KELLY rounds up spots to see Australia’s unique beauty these holidays

TANGALOOMA ISLAND RESORT, MORETON BAY, QUEENSLAND

It’s sunset on Queensland’s Moreton Island and an excited crowd of holidaymakers wait on the jetty for the star attractions to arrive. Right on time at 7pm, a family of wild bottlenose dolphins glide into view, forming a line in knee-deep water where guests on the beach as young as 10 are about to handfeed the 250kg visitors.

Tangalooma’s world-famous nightly dolphin feeding is the highlight of a stay here on the shores of this marine park, just a 70-minute ferry ride from Brisbane. Next morning the dolphins are back, frolicking in gentle waves, an arm’s length from where we’re walking in the shallows. Further into the bay, dugongs and turtles play, and lucky scuba divers exploring the island’s sunken shipwrecks see them up close. A nature-lover’s jackpot, Tangalooma takes some beating when it comes to outdoor fun – choose from whale-watching cruises, glass-bottom boat rides, parasailing, beach segways or bush tucker eco-walks.

Daredevils have an epic opportunity to snag bragging rights on a sand tobogganing tour that takes on the third-highest dunes in the world. We jump on the bush bus and head into the island’s inland desert and trek up the 35m dunes, where our guide is waiting with our boards pre-waxed for speed. Ten minutes up, 10 seconds down and everyone is covered in sand and pumped to go again. Yes!