A comprehensive guide to camping on Moreton Island

Kristie Lau-AdamsBy Kristie Lau-Adams
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Camping on Moreton Island provides a front-row seat to the majesty of Mother Nature.

When you’re camping on Moreton Island, also known by its Indigenous name of Mulgumpin, the unspoilt coastline invites instant serenity. Part of the spectacular Moreton Island National Park, just a hop, skip and ferry ride from Brisbane, the world’s third-largest sand island is surrounded by turquoise blue waters and flows with amazing activity for every holiday speed. From four-wheel driving and surfing sand dunes to chilled-out snorkelling and uninterrupted stargazing, kicking back your way is easy. Here are the basics to get you moving.

How to get to Moreton Island

an aerial view of Micat ferry on Moreton Island
The ferry ride to Moreton Island takes approximately 90 minutes. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Let’s get familiar with paradise. Located 40 kilometres offshore from Brisbane, Moreton Island is mostly accessed via the Micat ferry, which takes about 90 minutes and departs from the Port of Brisbane, the city’s main shipping port. If you’re making the trek from Brisbane’s CBD to go camping on Moreton Island, it’s a 30-minute drive north-east of the city.

It’s worth noting that Micat is a passenger and vehicle ferry, and the only option for visitors who plan on taking their 4WD with them (which is highly advised). Ferry scheduling fluctuates depending on the season, but during peak periods, it can run up to five times each day. Check the website for up-to-date information.

Make sure you book well in advance, too. School holiday periods attract serious crowds, which cram those regular runs right up. We advise securing tickets at least four weeks in advance, no matter when you’re visiting, and if you’re planning an Easter or Christmas trip, get organised six months in advance. Ticket pricing differs depending on when you’re travelling, but expect a minimum of around $79 each way if you’re taking your car. Passenger-only tickets are cheaper.

Permits and regulations

bush camping in Mulgumpin
Lush surrounds on Moreton Island invite instant serenity. (Image: Queensland Government)

If you’re bringing your wheels, a vehicle access permit is a must. Furthermore, all campsites require camping permits, so you’ll need to sort them before you go, too.

The vehicle access permit, which must be clearly displayed within your vehicle so your booking number can be viewed at any time you’re camping on Moreton Island, can be purchased as either an annual or monthly pass — there are no single trips. If you’re going for anywhere up to one month, you’ll need to fork out $57.80 per vehicle. If you’re adventuring for more than one month and up to one year, it’s $291 per vehicle. Check out the website  for more information.

a tent and hammock setup in Mulgumpin
You can set up a tent for a minimal fee. (Image: Queensland Government)

Camping fees are less steep. No matter where you’re setting up your tent (literally and figuratively) on Moreton Island, you’ll pay $7.25 per person or $29 per family, per night. Additionally, all sites, even the facility-free camping areas, require bookings in advance, so don’t assume you can just rock up and pay when you jump off the ferry.

You can also live out those dreams of roasting marshmallows as the sun sets, given many of Moreton Island’s camping grounds allow for fires, but you’ll need to BYO firewood.

Activities and attractions

quadbiking in Tangalooma Island Resort
Pump up your adrenaline on a thrilling ATV Quad Bike ride at Tangalooma Island Resort. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Adventure seekers will bask in four-wheel driving along nature’s highway, in addition to climbing the extraordinary sandstone formations of Cape Cliff and kayaking and snorkelling through crystal-clear waters.

Hiking is another popular pastime when you’re camping on Moreton Island, and Mt Tempest is the highest point to help you gaze adoringly at Mother Nature’s handiwork.

Tobogganing or sandboarding down Moreton Island’s sand dunes, some of the tallest examples in the world, is always a fun choice. The best spot is The Desert, located right behind Tangalooma Island Resort .

swimming at Tangalooma Wrecks, Moreton Island
Be transported to a bygone era at Tangalooma Wrecks. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Those looking for restoration will enjoy observing the rich variety of wildlife on display, including birds, dolphins, whales and turtles. Relaxing at Honeymoon Bay, soaking in the natural Champagne Pools and dipping into the Blue Lagoon will also feed the soul effortlessly.

But Moreton Island’s most-visited attraction has got to be the Tangalooma Wrecks, a stack of ancient ships scuttled by the government to help recreational boaties anchor in safely during the 1960s, 70s and 80s.

Your inner explorer will delight in stickybeaking through the rusting bones of old ship hulls, transporting you to a thrilling bygone era without sacrificing those Instagram-perfect surroundings.

Best camping spots on Moreton Island

Yellow Patch Camping Zone

Surfers froth for the Yellow Patch Camping Zone as the exposed beaches offer sensational waves. 14 sites are dotted throughout the stretch, with some offering more exposed conditions than others. Choose your own adventure with various-sized sites and surf proximity. The North Point Camping Area is just a short drive from this area.

Address: It’s all that space on the western side of the island between North Point and Heath Island.

Facilities: None.

Accessibility: It’s reachable via 4WD, and you can park it beside your campsite. Camper trailers are welcome.

Dog-friendly? No.

The Wrecks Campground

an aerial view of The Wrecks Campground, Moreton Island
Camp on a sheltered bay next to a shipwreck. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Set right off a sheltered bay and wrapped in a blanket of native trees and shrubs, The Wrecks Campground offers 21 sites. It’s near the main barge point, so anybody without a car can access it, but be prepared to walk a little to get to the actual sites.

Nearby attractions include the Tangalooma Wrecks, and there’s also great snorkelling with coral growing on the ships themselves. Top-notch fishing is also on tap.

Address: Near the main barge landing point, where the ferries arrive.

Facilities: Cold showers, non-flush toilets, water (but treat before drinking), rubbish bins and Wi-Fi (but it’s extremely patchy).

Accessibility: Camper trailers aren’t supported as the Wrecks can only be reached via 4WD and boats. Even then, you’ve got to walk to the site itself because vehicles need to be parked on the beach.

Dog-friendly?: No.

Ben-Ewa Camping Area

Hands down, the best option for first-time campers. A hit amongst families and school groups, the Ben-Ewa Camping Area  provides sheltered waters right off shaded sites. Located north of The Wrecks on the western beach side of the island, just 12 sites are on offer. If you can nab one, you’ll spend your days dipping in dreamy waters, enjoying calm kayaking and SUP paddleboarding with fellow nature lovers. The conditions are perfect for it all. 

Address: Just a short stroll north of the main barge landing point, where the ferries arrive.

Facilities: Water (but treat before drinking), hybrid toilets, a portable toilet waste disposal system and cold showers.

Accessibility: You can get to the campground in your 4WD with parking available either right next to or close to the sites themselves. Camper trailers are welcome.

Dog-friendly?: No.

Comboyuro Point Campground

This beautiful spot is close to 4WD tracks that lead to some of the island’s main attractions. Boasting 49 camping plots of various sizes, the Comboyuro Point Campground  offers plenty of shade and calm swimming conditions for the whole family to enjoy. Even better, the sunsets across the bay from this site are majestic.

Address: It’s located on the western side of Moreton Island, within walking distance of the Bulwer township.

Facilities: Water (but treat before drinking), septic toilets, rubbish bins, a portable toilet water disposal system and cold showers.

Accessibility: You can park your car right next to your site, and campervans are also welcome.

Dog-friendly?: No.

North Point Camping Area

an aerial view of the beach at North Point Camping Area
North Point Camping Area offers direct access to the beach. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Want to be within walking distance of Honeymoon Bay and the Champagne Pools? North Point Camping Area is your go-to. The area offers a large grassy patch close to the beach, and there are 21 sites available.

Kids love it as the nearby swimming is shallow and calm. Note that open fires are not permitted.

Address: It’s found at the northern tip of Moreton Island, between Yellow Patch and Cape Moreton.

Facilities: Water (but treat before drinking), hybrid toilets, cold showers and pedestrian access to the beach.

Accessibility: It can only be reached by 4WD, and just four of the sites are suitable for camper trailers. It’s impossible to park next to your campsite.

Dog-friendly?: No.

North-West Camping Zone

Ready to really rough it? The North-West Camping Zone is one of Moreton Island’s facility-free campgrounds, offering unadulterated connectivity to your natural surroundings. Fires are permitted, and generator use is green-lit between 8 am and 7 pm. This camping ground has a capacity of 76 beach campsites, all with fabulous access to calm bay waters. Some sites are even located a walk away from the Bulwer township.

Address: It’s anywhere between the Ben-Ewa Camping Area and the Comboyuro Point Campground.

Facilities: None.

Accessibility: You can park your 4WD beside your campsite, and camper trailers are welcome.

Dog-friendly?: No.

Blue Lagoon Camping Area

swimming at Blue Lagoon Camping Area, Moreton Island
Go for a refreshing dip. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

The beautiful, beach-centred Blue Lagoon Camping Area offers easy access to an ocean surf beach and scenic walking trails. Even sweeter, it’s just a stroll away from the Blue Lagoon, a natural freshwater lake renowned for heavenly swimming and birdwatching. There are 25 sites in total to choose from.

Address: You’ll find it on the eastern length of Moreton Island, between Middle Road and Cape Moreton.

Facilities: Water (but treat before drinking), septic toilets and cold showers.

Accessibility: It can be reached via 4WD, and parking is provided right next to the sites.

Dog-friendly?: No.

North-East Camping Zone

Another completely stripped-back camping pick, the North-East Camping Zone offers 89 sites scattered beyond Middle Road and up towards Spitfire Creek on the Eastern beach. Secluded conditions equal exceptional surf beach views, but be mindful of the narrow, soft-sanded Middle Road if you’re bringing a camper trailer.

Address: The space between Middle Road and Spitfire Creek, so basically everything on the eastern side of the island.

Facilities: None.

Accessibility: It can be reached via 4WD, and parking is provided right next to the sites. Camper trailers are welcome, but plan cautiously as Middle Road’s soft sand makes life tough.

Dog-friendly?: No.

South-West Camping Zone

Get your hands (and everything else) dirty at the South-West Camping Zone , the island’s most challenging region to access. But the rewards are priceless. This pick offers 24 (mostly tent) sites situated right by picture-perfect waters. The campground is even more exclusive, given that some of its sites are completely impacted by the tide, so be warned that some are only accessible during low tide.

Address: You’ll find it on the western side of Moreton Island from Tangalooma Bypass to Toulkerrie.

Price: Your camping permit, detailed in the section above, will cover you.

Facilities: None.

Accessibility: You can reach the sites via 4WD, on foot or via a boat or kayak. Some by-your-site parking is available.

Dog-friendly?: No.

South-East Camping Zone

With 35 sites to choose from, the South-East Camping Zone presents killer digs to explore the exposed surf beaches between Middle Road and Rous Battery. You’ll need to be mindful in this neck of the woods, though, particularly if you’re towing a trailer, as high tide times can obstruct beaches.

Address: You’ll find it on the eastern side of Morton Island between Middle Road and heading south to Rous Battery.

Price: Your camping permit, detailed in the section above, will cover you.

Facilities: None.

Accessibility: It’s reachable via 4WD, and you can park it beside your campsite. Camper trailers are welcome.

Dog-friendly?: No.

Now read our travel guide to visiting Moreton Island.

Kristie Lau-Adams
Kristie Lau-Adams is a Gold Coast-based freelance writer after working as a journalist and editorial director for almost 20 years across Australia's best-known media brands including The Sun-Herald, WHO and Woman's Day. She has spent significant time exploring the world with highlights including trekking Japan’s life-changing Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage and ziplining 140 metres above the vines of Mexico’s Puerto Villarta. She loves exploring her own backyard (quite literally, with her two young children who love bugs), but can also be found stalking remote corners globally for outstanding chilli margaritas and soul-stirring cultural experiences.
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What it’s really like to stay on the world’s largest sand island

    Kassia ByrnesBy Kassia Byrnes
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    Exploring the world’s largest sand island starts with the perfect K’gari homebase.

    The morning light is still soft, but it’s already a perfect sunny day. We left our K’gari homebase at Kingfisher Bay Resort  with our guide, Peter Meyer, at 9 am to make the most of our time to explore all that the world’s largest sand island holds. The size of K’gari is hard to grasp until you arrive here. This is no sandbar. Stretching 120 kilometres, unique lakes, mangrove systems, rainforest, 75 Miles of beach, historic shipwrecks, small townships and even one of Queensland’s best bakeries are all hidden within its bounds.

    But first, one of the island’s most iconic sights: the pure silica sand and crystal clear waters of Lake McKenzie.

    Laying eyes on it for the first time, I’m finally able to confirm that the photos don’t lie. The sand is pure white, without the merest hint of yellow. The water fades from a light halo of aqua around the edges to a deeper, royal blue, the deeper it gets (not that it’s particularly deep, six metres at most). The surface remains surprisingly undisturbed, like a mirror.

    Arriving with our guide before 10 am means that no one else is around when we get here. Which means we have the pleasure of breaking the smooth surface with our own ripples as we enter. As a self-confessed wimp with chilly water temperatures, my fears are quickly assuaged. Even in the morning, the water stays around 23 degrees – perfect for lazing about all day. But we have more sights to see.

    Exploring K’gari

    ariel of in lake mckenzie on k'gari fraser island
    Relax in the warm waters of Lake McKenzie. (Image: Ayeisha Sheldon)

    This was the Personalised 4WD tour offered by Kingfisher Bay Resort, and my absolute top pick of experiences. Over the course of the day, we had the freedom to create our own bespoke itinerary (plus a provided picnic lunch along the way), with an expert guide who had plenty of stories and local expertise to give context to what we were looking at. From the history of the SS Maheno shipwreck, which survived the First World War only to be washed ashore by a cyclone in 1935, to a detailed description of how an island made of sand could sustain such diverse flora.

    If it’s your first time to K’gari, the Beauty Spots Tour is another great option. Departing daily from Kingfisher Bay Resort (you’ll start to notice a trend, as many of the tours do start and end here), an air-conditioned, 4WD bus takes guests to the island’s most iconic locations, including the best places to swim, like Lake McKenzie and Eli Creek. The latter offers a gentle current, perfect for riding with a blow-up tyre out towards the ocean.

    The next day, for a look at a completely different side of K’gari, I joined one of Kingfisher Bay Resort’s Immersive Ranger-guided tours to kayak through the mangroves of Dundonga Creek. This long, snake-like stretch of creek winds its way inland from the ocean outlet we entered by, at times too narrow for three kayaks to be side-by-side. Small insects buzz from leaf to leaf, while birds call overhead. Occasional bubbles indicate we’ve passed some fish that call this place home.

    kayak tour through the mangroves at k'gari island
    Learn about the island’s mangroves from your Ranger. (Image: Reuben Nutt/ TEQ)

    If kayaking isn’t for you – or if, like me, you simply want more – other ranger-led experiences include nature walks and a dedicated Junior Eco Ranger Program for kids ages five to 12 (these run every weekend, and daily over the peak December holidays). Just ask for a timetable of upcoming tours when you check in.

    While during whale season, Hervey Bay Whale Watch & Charters operates tours from the hotel’s jetty to get up close to the famous Humpback Highway of Hervey Bay, from 7 November to 31 May, attention turns to the Aqua Oasis Cruise . Departing from the resort every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday for resort guests, adventure along the island’s remote western coast, pointing out wildlife like dolphins, turtles, flying fish and eagles along the way.

    The cruise drops anchor so guests can jump into the water using the boat’s equipment – from SUP boards to inflatable slides and jumping platforms. Then refuel with a provided lunch, of course.

    Unwind at sunset

    two people drinking cocktails at sunset bar, kingfisher bay resort
    Unwind at the Sunset Bar. (Image: Sean Scott)

    As much as days on K’gari can be filled with adventure, to me, the afternoons and evenings there are for unwinding. Sunsets on K’gari are absolutely unbelievable, with Kingfisher Bay on the west side being the best spot to catch the colours.

    The Sunset Bar , located at the start of the resort’s jetty and overlooking the beach, is the ultimate location for sundowners. Let chill beats wash over you as you sip on cool wines, beers and cocktails in a relaxed, friendly vibe. Personally, a cheese board was also absolutely called for. As the sun sinks, the sand, sea and horizon turn a vibrant shade of orange, with the jetty casting a dramatic shadow across the water.

    When the show is over, head back to the hotel for dinner at the Asian-fusion Dune restaurant, or the pub-style Sand + Wood. But if your appetite is still whetted for more lights and colours, the evening isn’t over yet.

    Settle into the Illumina stage for Return to Sky, an immersive light and sound show leading viewers on a captivating journey through K’gari’s stories and landscapes.

    Indulge and disconnect

    woman setting up massage room at kingfisher bay resort Island Day Spa
    Find bliss at Island Day Spa. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

    Of course, there is a type of traveller who knows that balance is important, day or night. While Kingfisher Bay Resort offers more than one pool for guests to spend all day lounging by (they’ll even serve you food and drinks while you do it), you’ll find me at the Island Day Spa.

    The masseuses could match the magic hands of any big city spa, and I felt the warm welcome as I walked into the light, breezy reception. Choose from a range of botanical facials, beauty treatments and soothing massages using traditional techniques (obviously, I couldn’t go past a relaxing massage). All products used contain organic, native botanical ingredients with nutrient-rich plant extracts to soothe skin and mind. To really indulge, try out one of the packages, couples treatment or even a pre-wedding day offering.

    Getting there

    kingfisher bay resort 4wd tour driving passed ss maheno on k'gari island
    The world of K’gari awaits. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

    Getting to K’gari is shockingly easy. Find daily flights into Hervey Bay from Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. Kingfisher Bay Resort offers a shuttle bus between the airport, their headquarters in Hervey Bay and the ferry to take you to K’gari.