Moreton Island

Moreton access to the beach

Moreton island is the third largest sand island in the world, after Fraser island and Stradbroke island . Again we'd like to talk about a real paradise, located on the coast of South East Queensland, just 58 km from the capital Brisbane. Like Fraser Island, this is a popular destination for day trippers and in general for fishing and camping lovers. Its nearness to Brisbane make this place an amazing opportunity of relax  for those people living in Brisbane and suburbs, especially during  the  hot Australian summer.  

Moreton "highway"

The 95% of the island is considered national park and it is almost completely sand with no roads, so a 4WD is more than needed, especially if you are planning to go in the heart of Moreton Island. Sunscreen, hat, sunglasses and swimming gear are also more than welcome here and do not forget torch and a right amount of coolies in order to enjoy the spectacular starry night sky.

In our opinion this place and Fraser Island have a lot of things in common:

•  Firstly, the similar environment: in fact in both places there are sandy dunes, clear water lakes, shipwrecks, wild forest and huge beaches;

Tangalooma shipwreck

• Secondly, the stunning wildlife: in Fraser Island we saw dingos and whales while in Moreton we saw a couple of snakes, dugongs and even a shark. If you are a guest of the Tangalooma Resort you have also the opportunity to hand-feed wild dolphins in their natural environment;

A huge DEAD shark on the beach -
DO NOT SWIM IN THE OCEAN!

• Thirdly, the campsite experience on the sand. We strongly recommend a minimum stay of two days, in order to get the best from this experience,  and the campsite accommodation, so you can have the feeling of wild and nature surrounding the island.

Our camping site in Moreton

To explore Moreton Island we chose to do a two-day adventure with a 4WD and a local guide/driver. We did this tour on a weekend of July, the company came to pick us up around 8 am at our place in Brisbane, and after 1 hour drive and half an hour ferry, we arrived on the island.  The tour program followed the main important highlights:

Cape Moreton Lighthouse

• Snorkeling and/or kayaking at the Tangalooma shipwreck (snorkeling gear was provided by the tour)
• Visit at the Honeymoon Bay
• Swim at the Blue Lagoon, a beautiful clear water lake
• Climb the Mt Tempest, the highest point of Moreton island
• Explore the desert sand hills, trying the sand boarding
• Walk at the Cape Moreton Lighthouse,  the oldest lighthouse of all Queensland

The tour was really good and well organized, meals and accommodation were included in the price. If we have to choose which one prefer between this tour and the one we did in Fraser Island, we would probably suggest the Moreton island adventure, because it was more interesting thanks to the excellent work of the guide. Besides this, another important reason was the focus on the activities, in fact even if the tour highlights were exactly the same of Fraser Island, in Moreton there was also the opportunity to do snorkeling and sand tobogganing, well-known as sand boarding. The number of people covered by the tour were different, in Moreton island we were just 10 guys, while in Fraser we were a big group of  40 people.

Moreton at the sunset

So, if you are more interested in meeting new people and having fun with new mates, the choice you should do is Fraser, instead if you are looking for exploring and getting in touch with nature, Moreton is the place you should go to. If you like both things and you have spare time you can of course visit both islands!

Beautiful starfishes

Town of 1770 & Lady Musgrave Island

TOWN OF 1770 & AGNES WATER

Town of 1770 takes its name by James Cook second landing in Australia, in May 1770. The town is a little place located on a peninsula, with the Coral sea and Bustard Bay on three sides, and it's famous because it's considered the closest access point to the Southern Great Barrier Reef and it's the only town in the world with a number for a name! 

Agnes Water and Town of 1770 location

Town of 1770, that was called Round Hill before the commemoration of the bicentennial of Cook's visit, has a neighborhood town called Agnes Water, 60 km off the Bruce highway and just 6 km from Town of 1770.

Thanks to boating, fishing activities and day-trips to the Southern Great Barrier Reef Islands, the twin coastal towns are known to be two of the loveliest Australian destinations. Town of 1770, little more than a marina, is the most northern surf beach on the East Cast of Australia and it can boast a point break first attraction. Regarding the opportunity to experience reef cruises the options available are a lot, among the day tours the most reccommended are the day tour to Lady Musgrave Island and Lady Elliot Island. If you are not the type of person interested to do snorkeling or scubadiving, you can also opt for a cultural day at Agnes Water Museum, that hosts a superb collection of Maritime history, otherwise there is an interesting excursion to the historic Bustard Heads lighthouse. In my opinion, I reccomend a two/three day stay in Agnes Water, in order to spend the first day relaxing at the beach, the second day in one of the gorgeous reef islands and maybe the third day you can have a walk in one of the National Parks close to the twin towns or you can decide for a two-day camping in a seaplace or in a NP. 

Find an accommodation in this area is not a problem at all, in that you can find a big range of places, from cheap hostels to expensive resort. Here's a list of the most famous accomomdations:

1770 GATEWAY	luxury villas
AGNES WATER BEACH CLUB	luxury apartments
1770 LAGOONS RESORT AND SPA	resort
MANGO TREE MOTEL	rooms close to the beach
SUNBIRD GARDENS	cottages
AGNES WATER BEACH HOLIDAYS	campsites, chalets and apartments
1770 CAMPGROUND	beachfront camping
1770 SOUTHERN CROSS BACKPACKERS	backpacker hostel
BACKPACKERS @ 1770	backpacker hostel
COOL BANANAS	backpacker hostel

We chose 1770 Southern Cross Backpackers for our stay, it's small, simple but it looks like to be in a "jungle". You can hung hammocks wherever you want, the staff is friendly and there's a great atmosphere. We didn't have any problems, the only complain to do is that the dorm doors are always open. But the price is worth it, so highly recommended!

LADY MUSGRAVE ISLAND

"Spotting the island!"

Welcome to the paradise! Have you ever dreamt to be on a little atoll with crystal clear water surrounded by unspoilt wildlife?? Ok this is the place you have always dreamt for ages. Lady Musgrave Island is the place you must visit if you are willing to go on the Great Barrier Reef for snorkeling or scuba diving activities because it's set on 3000 acres of living reef with a deepwater coral lagoon. This amazing "swimming pool" is the only lagoon where big vessels can enter and it's a tropical paradise abundant in Pisonia forests, birds life and sea turtles. 

Glass Bottom Boat

Lady Musgrave Cruise organizes a day tour on the island, providing snorkeling equipment and a delicious tropical buffet lunch with prawns. Furthermore the 5 hour cruise offers two glass bottom boats and a floating pontoon with underwater observatory, giving the possibility to discover the beauty of the underwater sea also to disabled people. The island itself is a darling, full of birds and tropical trees, the beach is composed of coral and the cruise organizes a guided island tour.

Here're some pictures of our amazing day in Lady Musgrave Island:

The islands of Queensland

The beautiful state of Queensland is unique amongst the other Australian states, in that it has the iconic GREAT BARRIER REEF just off its coast. The number of islands located in the Coral Sea is really high (around 155) and they are the ideal place for anyone looking for an idyllic, exotic, sunkissed holiday destination, far from the “stressful world”.

Here you can always count on a perfect climate, in that Queensland has a moderate, semi-tropical climate, so it’s pleasant for holidaying in all year round. And what you’ll find on its coasts are golden beaches and a blue sea that is dotted with tropical islands.

The islands of Queensland are Australia’s crown jewels, with a choice of accommodation and activities for all budget ranging from luxury lodges and elegant resorts to simple and welcoming hostels. Queensland boasts a whole selection of great cultural and artistic sights, as well as world-class bars and restaurants. Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef and Whitsunday Islands are ideally suited for honeymooners, families, divers, beachcombers.

In the next posts we’ll share with you our experiences in 6 of these amazing islands, but of course we’ll also give you some tips for others stunning spots!

North Stradbroke Island is perfect for a weekend off from your Brisbane city life:

Moreton Island is a wild place to stay in touch with the nature:

Fraser Island, besides being the largest sand island in the world, is superb for a two-day tour and to meet new mates:

Great Keppel Island is just so untouched that will be your love at first sight:

Lady Musgrave Island is the second island in the Great Barrier Reef chain of islands and a real tropical paradise:

Dunk Island is sorrounded by reefs and wandering around the island’s tracks is wonderful:

Have a look at the map below to see where all these beautiful islands are and stay tuned to read more about them in the next posts.