How To Get To Moreton Island

How to get to Moreton Island? The Island is located along the South Eastern coast of Queensland, Australia on the eastern side of Moreton Bay. The island lies about 58 kilometers from Queensland’s capital, Brisbane and roughly 103 km from the Gold Coast. To access the Island, visitors can use ferries, helicopters or boats. The choice of the mode of transport is dependent on the destination within the Island and the level of comfort desired during travel

From Gold Coast, one can drive on M1 from Esplanade through Macintosh Island to Lytton and join the M4 to Brisbane. The 84km journey is about 1hr 3 min with regular traffic.

Once in Brisbane, board the direct ferry to Moreton Island. Those that wish to use public transport can take a bus from surfer’s paradise in Gold Coast to Canon hill shopping center and later a taxi to Brisbane where they board the ferry to Moreton Island.

Folks could also take a 1hr 44min train from Gold coast to Canon hill, a taxi to Brisbane and then from there a ferry to Moreton Island.

From Brisbane, visitors can access Moreton Island via a 75-minute passenger ferry ride that departs from Holt Street Wharf to Moreton Island or use the resort passenger services on the Tangalooma Island Resort Fleet that departs from the Brisbane River at Holt St Pinkenba.

The ferries operate four times daily in each direction at different time intervals. For those that wish to travel to Moreton Island with their vehicles, they need to drive to Lytton to board the car ferry. There is also a car ferry that operates from Redcliffe in Moreton Bay. This service is offered daily at peak times, and twice on Fridays and Sundays.

People with private boats can also use them to travel to Moreton Island from Brisbane, however the fact is that there are no public mooring available within the Island. Caution should, however, be taken when considering the use of private vessels as strong currents that can overpower small vessels can be encountered between the mainland and the island.

Reports on the day’s weather and the condition of the vessels should, therefore, be taken into account when planning for a trip to Moreton Island. Weather information can be accessed through the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.

Moreton Island has no public airport or airstrip, but private airstrips exist and are accessible via chattered and private flights. The island’s main runway is 1,000 meters (3,300 ft.) long and lies just south of Cowan Cowan. There is another airstrip about 500 meters long located near the Southern tip of the Island within the Kooringal settlement.

Both runways are only 15 min away from Brisbane and 30 minutes away from Gold Coast. The Tangalooma Island Resort also offers helicopter transfers from Brisbane for their corporate clients.

Visitors may choose to use their four-wheel drive (4WD) vehicles to move around the island due to the sandy roads within the island.

However, the vehicles need to have a valid Moreton Island Recreation Area vehicle Access Permit. Alternatively one can use the 4WD taxis and car hire services that operate within the Island.