Moreton Island - Fast Facts

Moreton Island (including Russell Island, Macleay Island, Lamb Island and Karragarra Island)
Popular day tripper destination to the east of central Brisbane.
Moreton Island is of considerable environmental interest. A huge 192 600-ha wilderness, it is a rare example of a virtually untouched sand island with a wide range of related features, including aeolian landforms, perched lakes, wetlands, and the unusual Mount Tempest which is reputed to be the highest permanent sand dune in the world. It is also claimed that the sand dunes are the steepest in the world.

There are no established roads on the island although 4WD vehicles can be driven along the tracks which run beside the 40-km beach.

There are three trips which can be taken across to Moreton Island. They are all delightful and interesting daytrips which involve travelling from the centre of Brisbane to the appropriate ferry, jetty or wharf. The vehicular ferries travel regularly and are the major means of access.

The appeal of Moreton Island is that, although it is only a few hours by ferry from the centre of Brisbane, it is still relatively untouched and it serves as a reminder of what the Brisbane area was like before it was settled by Europeans.

As Moreton is a sand island it is important to understand the rules of staying on recognised tracks and driving according to the beach-driving rules.