Adventurers spoiled for choice

February 1, 2021

Calling anyone with a sense of adventure!

North Harbour residents – boating enthusiasts and non-sailors alike – are spoiled for choice with the incredible Moreton Bay Marine Park in their own back yard.

Stretching for 125 kilometres of coastline from the Gold Coast to Caloundra, it’s an amazing aquatic playground and sanctuary, brimming with natural beauty.

And our plans for the development of the North Harbour Marina Precinct as world-class tourism and leisure hot spot mean even more people will be able to enjoy the delights of Moreton Bay.

This diverse paradise features two of the world’s largest sand islands, Moreton Island and North Stradbroke, and both are within easy reach of North Harbour.

With soaring sand dunes, renowned wetlands and waters teeming with life, the region abounds in natural wonders. If you’ve got a fancy for fun, this is a region just waiting to be explored.

Moreton Island – a wonderland of sights and sounds

While Moreton Bay is an important region for fishing, it’s also extremely popular with sailing and boating enthusiasts.

It may come as a surprise to learn there are more than 350 islands in the bay. Protected from the Pacific Ocean, its shallow waters are calm and clear.

This makes them perfect for scuba divers and snorkelers, with many dive sites in the area. Well known islands include Moreton, Bribie, North Stradbroke and North Harbour is close to all of them.

Moreton Island, only an hour boat ride across Moreton Bay, features surf beaches, freshwater lakes, giant and dunes, and historic lighthouse – and of course, the world-famous Tangalooma Wrecks just offshore.

A great escape to a slower pace of life, its relaxing atmosphere attracts day trippers and tourists from all over southeast Queensland and beyond.

Moreton Island is also one of the few places in the world where you can hand feed wild dolphins, which is popular with holidaymakers along with swimming in the tranquil waters, snorkelling, sand boarding and bushwalking.

Tangalooma Island Resort offers various styles of accommodation ranging up to 4.5 star luxury apartments, and opportunities for guests can ride quad bikes, go parasailing, paddle board, kayak, snorkel, dive and enjoy helicopter rides.

There’s also a range of restaurants and cafes offering a selection of cuisines and experiences.

Mount Tempest, Moreton Island’s highest point, rises 285 metres above sea level and is often credited with being the highest coastal sand dune in the world. Hikers who manage to complete the challenging walk up to the top are rewarded with spectacular views.

The lookouts from North Stradbroke are simply breathtaking.

‘Straddie’ – an angler’s paradise

An angler’s paradise, Stradbroke Island – or “Straddie” as it’s known to locals – offers a range of fishing options that include beach fishing, casting from rocky outcrops, boat and jetty fishing as well as some of the best offshore fishing in southeast Queensland.

While there is a host of ways to get to Straddie, it will be a breeze when sailing from North Harbour.

Stradbroke is actually two islands – North and South, separated by a storm in 1896.

Quaint villages, pristine beaches, endless opportunities for fishing and inspiring lookouts add to the appeal of this region, along with plenty of rental and holiday accommodation.

North Stradbroke’s Blue Lake is located within Naree Budjong National Park and features a 5.2 kilometre return walk through wallum woodlands. The lake is a place of important cultural significance to the Quandamooka people and traditionally has been approached with a sense of reverence.

Diverse array of wildlife

Whether you are fishing or just soaking up the sun and the wonderful surroundings, there is always plenty to invigorate the senses in the Moreton Bay Marine Park.

A showcase of fish species, it includes bream, snapper, yellowfin, blue summer crab, garfish, tailor, cobia, dusky flathead, estuary cod, grass sweetlip, spanish mackerel, Moses Perch, spotted mackerel, whiting, mud crab, yellowtail kingfish, northern bluefin, mangrove jack and tuna.

There’s also 350 species of birds, and the beauty of it is that you don’t need to venture far at all from North Harbour to see them in action.

Around 40,000 shorebirds migrate to Moreton Bay each year – some travelling up to 25,000 kilometres each year, while many other live their whole lives there.

Ospreys, a familiar sight over the Pumicestone Passage, are large fishing hawks that are distinctive in flight.  Usually, they catch their prey close to the surface but are known to plunge a metre deep into the water – even sea snakes are on the menu, albeit occasionally.

Moreton Bay Marine Park is also home to significant numbers of dugongs and turtles.

Find out more about what North Harbour has to offer

With so many amazing experiences on the doorstep – alongside its own planned marina precinct and 319 hectares of open space and riverfront parkland, it’s easy to see why North Harbour is set to become one of southeast Queensland’s most exciting leisure destinations.