A 48-hour guide to Mulgumpin (Moreton Island) for families

The island is under 35km off the Brisbane shoreline and across Moreton Bay. It’s the third largest sand island in the world and never short on activities to soak in the best of Queensland’s land, sky and sea. If you don’t plan to spend your getaway milling about Tangalooma Island Resort or camping at The Wrecks campground, you’ll need a 4WD to see the island, but if you haven’t got your own, you can always rent one on the island.  

For those calling the resort home base for a few days it’s recommended you take the passenger ferry. It departs four times daily from Holt Street in Pinkenba (Brisbane). The timetable varies, so it’s important to book your seats when you book your accommodation. Jump on the afternoon service and settle in to a 75-minute trip across Moreton Bay. It’s one of the coast’s most important coastal resources, and a famous spot to see dugongs beneath the surface. Moreton Bay is the only place left in Australia where they can be found in herds, so keep your eyes peeled for a special interaction with nature!

For those travelling with a 4WD, jump on the Micat passenger and vehicle barge which provides access to the island from the Port of Brisbane. The barge drops 4WD enthusiasts 5-minutes north of the Tangalooma Island Resort reception.   

Friday evening: watch the sun dip below the mountains  

Drop your bags off and duck back out with the kids just in time for a taste of the South East’s spectacular sunset. Watch as it dips behind the Glass House Mountains while lazing about on the soft white sand beaches of Mulgumpin. Once the sun goes down the stars come out for a spectacular light show. With no city lights nearby, they’re so clear you could almost touch them. 

Saturday morning: by the sea 

Fuel up before heading out for the day at Tangalooma’s Coffee Lounge, where they offer brekkie favourites like ham cheese croissants, muffins and a full big breakfast. Perfect for hungry families to stop in before heading out to nature’s playground.

Pack togs and sunscreen before you leave the resort room so you can skip straight to the water for a morning of much anticipated exploration. Dial it up or down, depending on how adventurous you’re feeling, with banana boat and tube rides through the turquoise waters or a gentle stand-up paddle board through the nearby shallows. Tangalooma Resort offers plenty of hire equipment for you to make the most of the crisp crystal waters surrounding, so pop by the desk and choose your own morning adventure in the nearby currents.

If you’re looking for a safe and secluded spot to park your kids for a swim, head to the Blue Lagoon, a natural freshwater lake hidden away in Moreton Island. It’s a popular spot for families with young kids and a safe watering hole for a swim together. Although it’s named the Blue Lagoon, the water is surprisingly brown thanks to the natural tea tree oils infused from the nearby flora.

48 hours on Moreton Island with your family leaves plenty of time to adventure, explore, get going or be still. There’s space for every kind of family getaway. Take your time getting to know the island on Saturday afternoon. Make your way to the first lighthouse ever built in Queensland, still standing at Cape Moreton. This sandstone feature was originally built by tradesmen and convicts in 1857 and a great landmark to let the kids loose and learn.

The cape is a great spot to settle in and enjoy some whale spotting as they migrate from July to October each year. Pack some snacks and set down for the afternoon to see how many whales, dolphins, manta rays, dugongs, turtles and sharks you can see bobbing beneath the blue depths. The Cape is on the far side of the island - you can make your own way there by 4WD or book an afternoon half-day tour with Australian Sunset Safaris.

Saturday evening: feed wild dolphins at dusk

The dolphins of Moreton Bay have a special place in the land’s history. Moorgumpin meaning ‘place of sandhills’ is the Aboriginal name for Moreton Island. The First People of Moorgumpin are known as the Ngugi, who had an incredibly special way of hunting fish, cooperatively alongside the island’s dolphins. The men would wade into the water, slapping their spears onto the surface. The sound would bring the dolphins to the shore, herding schools of fish closer to nets the men had laid. The Ngugi would catch the fish and always throw back part of the catch to say thanks to the dolphins.

Now, like clockwork, the dolphins visit Moreton Island’s shores for an evening feed from visitors. A pod of over 10 dolphins, each with their own names and personalities, approach the shoreline as you and your kids take turns handfeeding these magnificent creatures. A breath-taking experience for all ages – there’s definitely nothing quite like having a wild dolphin gently tug a fish from your hand beneath the water. They put on a show.

The resort ensures that the dolphin feeding program follows strict sustainable guidelines and practices. The dolphins that visit the shoreline aren’t dependant on the resort and they’re discouraged from becoming too tame in order to maintain their natural independence. An important step to ensuring the creatures still hunt for themselves daily to meet their natural food requirements. 

Sunday morning: journey to the wrecks

The wrecks on Moreton Island are iconic. Perhaps you’ve seen drone photos of them and now able to finally place these incredible structures. In 1963 fifteen vessels were deliberately sunk to create a break for small boats stopping by the island. Fifty years later the wrecks are a huge draw card to visiting Moreton Island, and home to a large variety of fish. It’s a complex ecosystem of coral formations and marine life, ducking and diving around these submerged structures.

The wrecks are within walking distance of the resort and if you haven’t got a snorkel, the equipment is easily hired. Snorkelling the wrecks is recommended for families with teens who have stronger swimming abilities as the currents can be strong and unpredictable when making the journey out. For families with little ones, the resort’s Snorkel Tour is a much safer experience as you’re taken to the wrecks by boat - no need to battle the current. The tour includes swimming aids like life jackets and pool noodles along with all your other gear.

If snorkelling the wrecks feels out of your comfort zone, there’s plenty of other ways to check out this phenomenon without stressing about your little one’s safety. You can hire a glass bottom kayak to mosey about the structures or take the Illuminated Night tour to witness the magic by boat.

Sunday afternoon: a rush of excitement to finish the trip

Saving the best ‘til last isn’t hard on an island made of sand and equipped with quad bike tours and dune tobogganing. Grab your sense of adventure and book an ATV quad bike tour along the beach and through Tangalooma’s rugged bushland. No matter your experience, the guides will make you feel safe even through the challenging trails. Kids aged 5 – 9 are suitable to ride tandem with a parent, and 10 – 15 year olds can ride solo as long as you’re going along with them. Make sure the whole family is kitted out with enclosed shoes, sunscreen, sunnies and a hat for this experience.

If your kids are little speedsters, book into one of the three daily 4WD tours where they’ll have the opportunity to shoot down the sand in a 40km per hour toboggan. Getting there is half the fun – jump on board this thrilling, bumpy, fun-for-all-ages adventure through the Tangalooma Desert for a unique look at the heart of Moreton’s bushland and the island’s most quintessential sand tobogganing experience. You’ll be finding sand in joints for days – very Queensland!

Sunday evening: getting home

It’s sad but it’s true, you can squeeze all you want into 48 hours, but you’ll never feel ready to leave Moreton. Pack your bags and wave farewell to the dolphins on your way back to the Tangalooma ferry. Relish that last 75 minute journey across the bay as the sun drops down over your weekend away.