Bribie Island is the northernmost and most populated of the three sand islands that form Moreton Bay in Queensland, Australia. Being accessible to the mainland by road, Bribie Island is also the easiest to get to by far.
On a good day, you can be here in 45 minutes (from Brisbane), although those that commute know that’s not realistic at 8am on a Monday morning, or perhaps more importantly, 5pm on a Friday afternoon.
About half of Bribie’s population is retirees and this demographic has been fuelled by large developments including Pacific Harbour, offering marina berth land sites as well as the golfing lifestyle that Bribie is famous for.
Apart from golfing, the main thing to do here is all water related – fishing, boating, surfing, swimming and everything in between. Not to mention that Queensland’s moderate climate makes these activities possible all year round.
Today the beach isn’t as busy with 4WDs as Fraser Island or Rainbow Beach might be but it’s still busy enough on any given Sunday that if you get yourself into a spot of trouble there will usually be someone around to tow you out. This isn’t always true during the week though so if you haven’t done this before, perhaps book a tour or take some lessons specific to 4WD sand driving before you come. We’re prepared though and we stretch our legs as the Prado’s tyres are let down.
We drive along the beach for a bit, the boys squeal with delight as we hit a big wave along the beach or a big bump in the sand and we pull up, 20 minutes later, for a swim and a play. It’s a bit rough in the surf today and there are no flags here so we take it easy, just going in up to our waists and playing with the boys who can’t handle any deeper than that anyway. Body boarding is attempted.
There are some snacks in the form of a towel picnic and we dodge the occasional beach traffic to kick a ball around for a bit before it’s time to pack up and go find some lunch.
We stop at Woorim and have fish & chips which arrives at the same time the storm does. It’s intense but passes quickly and by the time we eat our lunch and buy the boys an ice cream it’s over – just enough to wet everything, including the nearby playground that we have promised. They don’t care and play happily, protesting when it’s time to leave, despite the afternoon fatigue clearing becoming apparent at this point.
We change them into dry clothes before we hop back in the car and tackle the traffic that would do 8am Monday morning proud. It doesn’t matter too much though – the boys are asleep so it’s an enjoyable trip.
I smile at the sand still stuck between my toes as I step out of the car an hour and a half later in my driveway. A little piece of Bribie still holding on……
Good to know
As well as the beautiful coastal scenery and the very accessible opportunity to drive on sand, Bribie Island has great boating and fishing both in Pumicestone Passage and on the open ocean side of the Island.
There is excellent bird life here if you like birdwatching and camping is available.
Check QPWS (Queensland Parks and Wildlife Services) website regarding permit requirements for national park and beach driving, fishing and camping.
Would I return?
Yes. This is my local playground and it’s a great day out. It’s relaxed and there is always something fun to explore.