There’s more to Moreton than meets the eye. Not only is it the third largest sand island in the world, it is a protected piece of paradise that has to be seen to be believed. Thought you had to get on a plane to find crystal clear aqua seas, jaw-dropping snorkelling sites or impressive sandy deserts? Nope, you’ll find it all here, just a little over an hour’s ferry ride from Brisbane, and you barely even have to leave the city.
The place to be on the island is Tangalooma Island Resort, where you can have either an action-packed or super relaxed weekend adventure. With weekend ferries departing Brisbane from 7.30am and returning at 7pm, even just a day trip is enough to get the most out of the dreamy destination, but spending a night or two at the resort means you can pack even more into your excursion.
If you’ve always thought about a trip, but never actually gotten around to doing it, here’s our complete guide to the best ways to do Tangalooma Island Resort, no matter how much time you have to spare.
Tangalooma Day Trips
Don’t want to have to worry about taking a suitcase with you? Just pack your togs and towel for a day cruise, with a stack of options available no matter how adventurous you are. Starting from just $95 per adult, every one of Tangalooma’s day trips have the option of a 7.30am or 10am departure, include a lunch voucher or a light lunch, and can be upgraded with extras like sunset cocktails and their famous dolphin feeding experience, or to their complete Sea To Sky upgrade, which includes a helicopter ride over the wrecks. You can opt for activities like sand boarding, snorkelling the wrecks or even just lazing on the beach if that’s your speed.
Right now, with the annual humpback whale migration well under way, our tour of choice would be the Whale Watching Day Cruise. After arriving on the island, you’ll hop back on the ferry and head up to the tip of Moreton Island, keeping your eyes peeled for ocean life the whole way. Let us tell you, nothing compares to the experience of watching a whale breach right next to you and with the whale population increasing each year, you’re practically guaranteed to see one for yourself—but they do have a money back guarantee if none of the majestic creatures appear.
Things To Do At Tangalooma
Settling in for a longer stay? Or just need some help deciding which activity to opt for on your day cruise? We’ve got you. Having tried and tested every Tangalooma activity for ourselves, we can confidently tell you that the best activity is…all of them. Yeah you might need to make multiple trips, because we genuinely can’t pick one out of the bunch, but here’s our top five, at least.
Snorkel The Tangalooma Wrecks
The wrecks are in perfect view when you arrive on the ferry and the stark contrast of the turquoise water, dense green bush and white sand is just jaw-dropping. Fifteen vessels were sunk deliberately to form a break wall so small boats could have safe anchorage, and now make for the perfect snorkel spot, featuring colourful coral and glittering reef fish. You barely even have to swim—the strong tides mean you can just drift gently along from one wreck to the next. Jump on a guided tour and a salty-haired snorkelling expert will direct you to all the best spots, though you can hire a boat of your own or just swim out from the shore.
ATV Quad Biking
Don't want to get wet? There's plenty of land-based activities to do as well, chief among them, jumping onto a quad bike and setting off across the island. Don't expect a leisurely scoot down the beach on these tours—instead you'll head into the sand dunes behind the resort where an epic quad bike track has been carved out. Punch the throttle up to 20kms an hour if you dare as you rocket around tight corners and up sand banks, with an experienced tour guide to show you the ropes and make sure you don't drive straight into a dune. You can ride solo or tandem, it's up to you.
Sandboard In The Desert
Jump on a 4WD bus tour and venture inland approximately 20 minutes and you will come across a place aptly named ‘The Desert’. You’ll be given a flat board and some expert advice on how to avoid a face full of sand as you speed down the dune, but be warned—you’ve got to climb up it first. You will also wind up shocked and amazed at just how much sand your eyebrows can hold.
Helicopter Scenic Flights
Seeing the wrecks from the water is impressive, but seeing them from above on a helicopter flight is out-of-this-world. Depending on how much cash you’re prepared to drop, flight options range from a quick six minute joy ride to a full-length 30 minute trip that takes you all over the island. You might even spot dugongs, turtles and whales in crystal clear water below.
Feed Wild Dolphins
Tangalooma Island Resort is one of the few places in Queensland where you can feed wild dolphins, which happens every night at dusk. Up to 13 wild bottlenose dolphins pop into shore each evening for a feed, and as long as you’re not squeamish about holding a dead fish, they’ll come right up and eat it out of your hand. Staff are always on hand to ensure the dolphins are safe, and they’re only fed a small portion of their daily food requirement so they don’t become dependent on feedings. If you’re lucky, you might even spot a calf or two.
Where To Eat And Drink At Tangalooma
It might be an island made of sand, but that doesn’t mean Moreton is lacking in places to get a good meal, so no need to bring a cooler bag of sandwiches with you. From buffet breakfasts to steak dinners, every appetite is catered for at Tangalooma, starting from the brand new containership coffee shop at the wharf on the Brisbane end, so you can grab a coffee while you wait for your ferry transfer. Here’s our
The Beach Cafe is our usual pick when it comes to lunch or dinner, because the vibes at Tangalooma just scream fish and chips to us. They also dish up pastas, pizzas, cold seafood platters, burgers, salads and a solid kids menu if you’ve got little ones in tow. We’d understand if you just ate here exclusively, but if you want to mix it up, there’s also the Beach BBQ, where they fire up juicy steaks and Moreton Bay bugs on the grill, and Fire & Stone, which dishes up Chinese and Vietnamese flavours beachside. And for the caffeine addicts? The Coffee Lounge has you covered on the flat white front, along with sweet treats and light snack options.
Where To Stay At Tangalooma
With rooms starting from just $189 a night, spending an entire weekend at Tangalooma is entirely affordable though luxe options at the other end of the scale include epic beachfront villas (just saying). Most bookings even include a wild dolphin feeding during your stay—bonus. Thanks to a stack of upgrades around the resort, our pick is one of the recently refurbished standard or deluxe hotel rooms. Sleeping up to four, you’ll get your own balcony, luxe amenities and even fluffy bathrobes.
Got a bigger group (or just need space from the kids)? The one bedroom family suites sleep six and have their own kitchenette, while the seriously luxe split-level beachfront villas are ideal for group getaways, complete with a full kitchen and laundry.
Want more weekend adventures this summer? Check out the best day trips to take from Brisbane here.
Image credit: Tourism & Events Queensland