Moreton Island Day Tour from Brisbane

Forty kilometres off Brisbane sits the world's third-largest sand island, 95 per cent of it national park, with no sealed roads and some of the clearest water in Queensland. Most Brisbane visitors never get here. This tour gives you the whole island in a single well-timed day - the wrecks, the dunes, the freshwater lagoon and the dolphins - with a Cooee guide managing the schedule so nothing feels rushed.

YOUR DAY

6:15-6:45am Pickup from Chermside and the Brisbane CBD, then a 20-minute drive to the Holt Street Wharf terminal at Pinkenba. Have a light breakfast before we collect you; coffee is available at the terminal.

7:30am Ferry to Tangalooma, about 75 minutes across Moreton Bay. Watch for dolphins from the upper deck - they are regularly seen on the crossing.

9:00am Tangalooma Wrecks snorkel. Gear fitted and briefed, then into the water above the fifteen deliberately sunk vessels. Your guide points out the coral, the turtle resting spots and the resident fish. No experience needed.

11:00am Kayaking the western shore. A 90-minute return paddle in protected bay water with wildlife stops. Sea turtles surface within a few metres of the kayaks.

12:30pm Lunch at Tangalooma Resort, at your own cost. Beachside cafe options through to sit-down dining; your guide has recommendations for every budget and can book ahead.

2:00pm Desert dune sandboarding. A 4WD takes the group to the inland desert for two to three hours on dunes from gentle learner slopes to the full 50-metre face. Boards and wax provided.

5:30pm Blue Lagoon freshwater swim - a clear, cold spring-fed lake to wash off the salt and the sand.

Dusk, around 6:00pm. Wild dolphin feeding, the day's centrepiece. Wade into the shallows under marine-staff supervision and, if the resident pod visits, hand-feed a wild bottlenose dolphin. The dolphins come on their own terms - weather and dolphins permitting.

Evening ferry home. Dry off and watch the city lights come up across the bay. Back at your pickup point around 7:30pm.

INCLUDED

Pickup and return from Chermside and the Brisbane CBD. Return ferry crossing from Holt Street Wharf. Snorkel mask, fins and wetsuit top. Kayak hire for the western-shore paddle. Sandboards, wax and the 4WD transfer to the dunes. Wild dolphin feeding, weather and dolphins permitting. A Cooee Tours local guide all day.

NOT INCLUDED

Lunch and alcoholic drinks. Underwater camera hire. Resort add-ons such as parasailing or jet-ski hire. Travel insurance, which we recommend.

FITNESS AND ACCESSIBILITY

This is an active, full-day outdoor tour. Every passenger must be able to board the vehicle and the ferry unaided, walk unassisted on soft sand and uneven ground, swim confidently in open water for the snorkel and kayak sessions, and climb sand dunes for sandboarding. No personal assistance is provided on scheduled departures.

Wheelchairs, walkers and other mobility aids cannot be carried on this tour. Please contact us before booking so we can arrange a special vehicle and itinerary, at additional cost. Not recommended for children under 6.

WHAT TO BRING

Swimwear worn under your clothes, a towel, reef-safe sunscreen, a hat that will survive a boat deck, water shoes for the wreck snorkel, a dry bag for phone and camera, a water bottle, and a warm layer for the evening ferry.

TREADING LIGHTLY ON MULGUMPIN

Moreton Island is Quandamooka Country and almost entirely national park. Boards stay on the bare sand faces so the dune vegetation that holds the island together is left alone, the wreck fish are wild and are not fed, and the dolphins are met under a supervised program that is precisely why they keep visiting.

CANCELLATION POLICY

Free cancellation up to 48 hours before departure. Cancellations inside 48 hours, and no-shows, are non-refundable because ferry and island activities are pre-purchased on your behalf. Tours run in most weather; if the ferry operator cancels the crossing you receive a full refund or a free transfer to another date.