Bribie Island is a beautiful idyllic place worthy of being added to any visit to Queensland. This article helps you to plan your time on the Island.
Being the only linked Island to the mainland in QLD and a mere 87kms from Brisbane, visiting Bribie Island is easy to include your itinerary. Only 2 hours and 15 mins by road, Bribie Island is the perfect place for a day trip, mini-break or adventure.
Woorim Beach- Patrolled Beach
Things to Do
Beaches
You are not shy for choice when it comes to beaches on Bribie Island; whether you are looking for calm waters, surf, patrolled or unpatrolled beaches, there is something for everyone.
Sylvan Beach is a popular beach due to its safe swimming, picnic and barbeque areas, playgrounds and toilets. There’s a boat ramp for access to exploring the Island by sea. Fishing is also available, and we forget cafes.
Bongaree Beach is safe in some spots for swimming, but strong tidal currents can run parallel to the beach in the Pumicestone channel.
The Bongaree Jetty is popular for fishermen and kids alike, one throwing a line and the other jumping off. Beach fishing is also a popular pastime. Bongaree Beach may be the closest surf beach to Brisbane on the northern side but is known for big surfs. There are many sheltered picnic and barbeque areas.
Banksia Beach is on the passage side of Bribie, great for swimming, boating and fishing. Access to a sand boat ramp suitable for 4WDs. They are offering picnic areas, toilets and a playground. Dogs are allowed on a leash along the walking track.
Red Beach is one of the few off-leash beaches in the area. Red Beach has no amenities. Enjoy the view of Moreton Island from Red Beach and let your dogs run.
Skirmish Point is great for fishing. A great place to walk and relax while you take in the view while enjoy the landscape.
Woorim Beach is Patrolled. It also boasts the closest patrolled beach to Brisbane and is an excellent destination for those new to bodyboarding and surfing and close to picnic areas, shops, and the surf club.
Enjoy the National Park and Recreation Area
My Nephews family enjoying the Fresh water catchment on the 4WD driving beach
Bribie islands national park is 49 km², and many parts are only accessible by 4wd (see below) or boats. The park is home to picnic areas, world war two bunkers, beaches, walking trails, camping spots, quite waterholes and 4wd tracks.
4wd drive adventures
Before you head to Bribie Island for a bit of 4wd driving on the beaches and other tracks, there are a few things you need to know.
To go 4wd driving, you need a permit from the Queensland government.
License plate recognition cameras monitor 4wd areas.
There are many places to stop for a rest or picnic, but you will need to bring supplies, including water.
Photo from D& T Grice, enjoying a day of 4WD Bribie Island
Enjoy a walk along the bushwalk trails.
The Bicentennial gardens have several short but fascinating walks. Walks include a walk for the sight-impaired, and the area is “wheel-chair accessible”, although it can be a little rough. You can pick up a map detailing the walks from the Community Arts Centre, another place that could be of interest.
You can also find tracks at White Patch, Buckley’s Hole Environmental Park and Southern Beach track to Red Beach.
A historic walk around Bongaree
Go on walkabout around Bongaree, looking at 200 years of history around the Island. Sixteen sites tell you about the history of the Island. Another way to soak in history is the Bribie Heritage walk again along the waterfront in Bongaree. Once you finish the walk, enjoy taking in the area where you can swim, fish, enjoy a cafe all with beautiful views.
Bongaree Jetty
Get close to Nature at Pumicestone Passage.
One of the East coast’s most significant marine areas, the passage is home to Dolphins, Turtles, and Dugongs; just mention a few animals you could spot. If you are more interested in bird watching, Pumicestone Passage is still a place to visit. Depending on the time of year, around 35 different species of shorebirds have been seen in and around the passage.
Pumicestone Passage has something for everyone with watersports, cruises and a wonderful place to fish.
Butterfly house
The Butterfly House is open on Wednesdays and Sundays and is home to hundreds of butterflies. Enjoy some time being inspired by these beautiful creatures and learning how we can help encourage their survival. Entry fee is payable at the entrance.
Hire a Kayak or Stand up paddleboard
Bribie Hire Hut (not affiliated) offers a few different water vehicles and some land bikes to give you a fun experience while visiting the Island. They have Water Bikes with Deck, Tandem Water bikes with Deck, Hobie Eclipse Pedalboards, Stand Up Paddle Boards, Single Kayaks and Double Kayaks, providing choices for how you want the fun to begin.
Visit WW2 shelters on the Island (Fort Bribie).
one of the ruins from WW2 on the beach at Bribie Island
Eleven bunkers are along the northern end of Bribie Island surf beach. During World War II, these fortifications were built (between 1939 and 1943) as part of the military defence. You can 4wd to some of the buildings, but access to the island’s northern tip is on foot from Fort Bribie.
Places to Eat
You have a few places to eat on the Island, with the most choice being at Bongaree Jetty and Woorim, with a couple of other options around the Island.
There are no takeaway options if you are 4wd driving once you leave the sealed road. There are a couple of options for food near Banksia Beach and around Piva Bluely Park before you go off-road, and then there is nothing else.
Take away lunch near Bongaree Jetty
Accommodation Styles overview of styles
Whether you want to pitch a tent or stay in luxury, there is something for everyone. Accommodation can be found all over the Island, from B&B’s, hotels and resorts to caravan parks and campgrounds.
Make a weekend of your 4wd drive adventure by pitching a tent at one of the camping grounds within the national park, taking your experience to the next level.
There are three caravan parks on the Island and two just before you cross the bridge. There is plenty of choice for parking up for a few days or experiencing their onsite cabins.
Our Day Trip to Bribie Island
Ariel shot of Woorim Beach from the Dog area
On a recent trip to see family on the Sunshine Coast, we headed to Bribie Island for the day with two of Phil’s sisters. The girls have lived in Queensland for over 20 years and had been to Bribie Island a few times, so it was only natural that they had a few places they wanted to share with us.
Our day was as much about spending time with these two beautiful women as it was about visiting the Island, but what we did see gave us a taste to want to see more on another visit.
Driving over the bridge from Calboutoure, we were met with the inviting area of Bongaree, a calm inlet with beautiful open parks and a meandering path along the waterfront. But we headed straight to the other end of the Island and Woorim Beach.
Our first stop was the lifeguard patroled beach and Piva Bluey Park. There was parking and a great open park space leading to the long white sand beach.
While in this area, we enjoyed a quick brunch at Mojo on North. This understated cafe is ideally located and serves excellent food, which fuelled us for more exploring.
We headed out to find a little nature and more rugged foot access to the beach. We ended up following a path leading to the Woorim beach dog area, a lovely stretch of beach where dogs are permitted to run free and a great place for us to send the drone up.
The last area we explored was Bongaree, and we enjoyed a walk along the waterfront before enjoying fish and chips near the Jetty.
Our trip was quick and unplanned, but Bribie Island offers so much more; we will be heading back one day to explore further.
Check out our visit on this video here
flying the Drone at the Dog area at Woorim Beach
Have you been to Bribie Island?
What are the things you would not miss?
