Moreton Island (Mulgumpin)

Moreton Island, called Mulgumpin by the Quandamooka people, is almost entirely sand, the third-largest sand island in the world, with no sealed roads and a landscape of dunes, freshwater lagoons and heath. Off Tangalooma, fifteen ships were deliberately sunk between 1963 and 1984 to form a small-boat breakwater, and the rusting hulls now sit in shallow water as a snorkelling and diving site. At the Tangalooma resort, wild bottlenose dolphins have come inshore each evening for decades to be hand-fed by staff and guests under permit. Mount Tempest, at around 280 metres, is among the highest coastal sand dunes on earth, and sand tobogganing runs down the Desert blow.

What you actually see

• The Tangalooma wrecks - fifteen sunken ships forming a snorkelling site.
• The wild dolphin feeding - bottlenose dolphins hand-fed at dusk under permit.
• The sand dunes - Mount Tempest and the Desert sand blow.
• The freshwater lagoons - Blue Lagoon and Honeyeater Lake inland.

When to go

April to October for the driest, mildest weather and the clearest water; summer is hot, humid and stormy. Whales pass offshore between June and October. Dolphin feeding is limited to resort guests and books well ahead.

Honest expectations

There are no sealed roads, and independent travel requires four-wheel drive, a vehicle permit and tide awareness for beach driving. Fuel and supplies on the island are limited and expensive. Camping permits must be arranged before arrival.

Nearby

Brisbane is the ferry departure point; North Stradbroke Island lies south in the bay.