Bribie Island National Park

Bribie Island National Park covers roughly one-third of Bribie Island, a sand island located at the northern end of Moreton Bay, about 70 km north of Brisbane. The park protects the island’s eastern surf beaches, coastal lagoons, and patches of wallum heath and paperbark wetlands. It’s a surprisingly wild area given its proximity to suburbia (the western side of Bribie has residential communities, while the eastern side facing the Pacific Ocean is largely national park). The park is accessible by road via a bridge from the mainland to Bribie’s northern end, and then by awd tracks that traverse the soft sands – high-clearance awd is essential to drive within the park, especially to reach the beach.

Bribie’s eastern beach runs for 30 km of white sand and pounding surf. By day, this beach is popular for surf fishing (catching whiting, flathead, tailor, etc.), swimming in designated safe spots (no lifeguards, and caution required due to strong currents), and scenic drives with ocean views. Beach driving is permitted with a vehicle permit, and the experience of cruising just meters from the waves is a big draw. The park provides several beach camping zones behind the foredunes, offering a chance to camp by the ocean with minimal facilities (just compost toilets at a couple of sites, no running water). Campers fall asleep to the sound of the surf and awaken to spectacular sunrises over the Coral Sea.

On the calmer western side along Pumicestone Passage, the national park includes tidal mangrove forests and bird roosting sites. The passage is a Ramsar-listed wetland and important habitat for migratory shorebirds. Kakadu Beach (near the township of Woorim) has a viewing platform for observing flocks of bar-tailed godwits, sandpipers, and other waders at high tide. Dugongs and turtles also frequent Pumicestone’s seagrass meadows. Boating and kayaking in these waters are popular for wildlife watching.

Recreation and care: Besides beach camping, Bribie Island NP offers short walks like the Banksia Track through coastal forest, and a picnic area at Poverty Creek (with tables and fire pits, reached via awd). No dogs are allowed in the national park (unlike some urban parts of the island) to protect native wildlife like ground-nesting shorebirds. Visitors should also be mindful of tides when driving – many a vehicle has been lost to rapidly rising tides on Bribie’s beach. Nonetheless, with proper preparation, Bribie Island National Park provides an accessible yet wild getaway – where you can have a stretch of beach to yourself, see brahminy kites and ospreys soaring overhead, and at night, enjoy the twinkling lights of Caloundra far to the south across the bay, reminding you that this natural escape is just on the city’s doorstep.