North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah)

Minjerribah is the second-largest sand island in the world and home of the Quandamooka people, who won native title over it in 2011 and are steadily reshaping its economy as sand mining winds down. The North Gorge Walk at Point Lookout is its best-known feature, a boardwalk loop of about twenty minutes around a headland where the water is deep and clear right beneath the cliffs, so manta rays, turtles, dolphins and, between June and November, humpback whales pass close enough to watch from above. Beaches run for kilometres either side, Brown Lake and Blue Lake sit inland in the dunes, and the island keeps a small permanent population across three villages.

What you actually see

• The North Gorge Walk - the headland boardwalk with marine life passing below.
• The whale migration - humpbacks moving close inshore from June to November.
• The beaches - Main Beach, Cylinder Beach and long stretches of open sand.
• The dune lakes - Brown Lake and Blue Lake in the island's interior.

When to go

April to November; whales pass from June to November and manta rays are most common in the warmer months. Summer is hot, humid and busy with Brisbane holidaymakers. Easter and Christmas fill accommodation and ferries.

Honest expectations

Ferries and accommodation book out in holidays and prices are high. Beach driving needs four-wheel drive and a permit. Some beaches have strong rips and only Main Beach at Point Lookout is patrolled. The island's roads are limited and a car helps.

Nearby

Cleveland on the mainland is the ferry port; Moreton Island lies north in the bay.