Moreton Island
Thursday, 11 October 2007
Moreton Island is situated 40km's from Brisbane, the island is 38km long, and 9km across at its widest point and covers 185 sq. km. Moreton is one of the largest sand islands in the world and forms much of the eastern side of Moreton Bay.
Tall sand dunes, miles of sandy beaches, crystal clear creeks and lagoons, coastal heath, rocky headlands and abundant wildflowers make Moreton Island a jewel in Moreton Bay.
Most of Moreton Island is both national park and recreation area, which covers the national park and beaches to low water mark. Tidal wetlands and waters around the island are protected as part of Moreton Bay Marine Park.
The sheltered bay waters are home to various marine animals. Dugong feed on its seagrass communities while migratory and resident shorebirds feed and roost on the island's beaches. Humpback whales can be seen from Cape Moreton during their migration from June to November.
Moreton Island has a complex and fragile ecology with many plants and animals adapted to the low nutrient sandy soils and "tea-tree"-stained, acidic waters. The island's shape is always changing in response to the ocean currents and winds. The development of Mirapool — from a series of islands to its current form as a large lagoon — is a good example of how quickly the sand environment can change.
The Team
Friday, 12 October 2007
It's a seven and a quarter team, that will conquer the dangers of Moreton Island. Jan and Jeanette, two Dutchies who came to Australia after tripping through Asia a few years ago, Annemiek and Tjarco and their few months old son Hielke, Dutchies as well, Marjolein, again, Dutch, and Petra and myself.
Camping on Moreton Island, with three tents and one seven seater Pajero.
Camping on Moreton Island Day 1
Friday, 12 October 2007
Initially we (Petra and I) were going Friday morning as I had the day off anyway (being between jobs ), but due to problems with the Pajero (which wasn't ready until late morning) and because Petra had to go to work for her new ergonomic chair (she's starting work next week for 3 half days), going to Moreton Island was postponed till teh evening, when everyone else was also going. So we ended going as one party.
Once I collected the Pajero, I cleaned it out a bit and started packing it up a bit with whatever we would need. The boat left Port of Brisbane at 6:30pm, and I wanted to be plenty in time. We would also pick up Marjolein as she lives just around the corner. She was going to be home around 5pm, and I made sure we were ready to go when Marjolein called.
Around 5:30pm we were in the queue at Port of Brisbane for the boat. No sign of the others yet. I guess we were nice and early... Jan and Jeanette were the first to turn up. And Annemiek and Tjarco came in time too, eventually. We loaded the Pajero up with everyhting we could get into it, with just enough room for someone to drive it. Then onto the boat it went.
Once aboard, everyone else (there were only 4WD's on the boat) started letting air out of their tires. So I followed the example everyone was setting. Let air out till there was 20psi left. Hoping that was good. It was, as it turned out.
Then up to the seating area where we sat and drank some for an hour and fifteen minutes.
It was well and truly dark when we arrived at "the other side". The boat landed on the beach, and aside from all the headlights, it was dark. I had no idea which way to go, and initially turned left coming on the beach. Of course, we had to go right. The camping grounds were just a hundred meters away from where the boat landed, but in the dark its not that easy to find.
We also had to select a spot in the dark, and put up the tents in the dark. Not all that easy. By the time we were done, it was getting close to nine. And we still had to eat something. Annemiek and Tjarco had taken care of Friday dinner, have prepped spaghetti and sauce at home.
Of course, being on an island such as this, there was plenty of wild life, even at our campsite...
At last, it was time to hit the deck.
Camping on Moreton Island Day 2
Saturday, 13 October 2007
When camping, you generally don't sleep in. Animals/birds are screeching around you, you can hear everyone wishper around you, so 8am was get up time for us. Jan and Marjolein started making breakfast, it smelled good, and tasted good too, but you didn't want to see it....
The camping we're on is called "The Wrecks". It's just above Tangalooma Resort, which appears very nice, but at $250 a night also rather expensive... Especially compared to $4 per person a night on the camping... The camping is just behind the beach, it's maybe 50m to the waterline. There's lots of shade from the trees. We've found a few spots close to each other and created a little town of three tents, and a tarp. It's a real dune island, loose sand everywhere. The Pajero gets through it easily, but as soon as you let go of the throttle, it stops (without using the brakes) almost immediately.
After breakie, its into the water for us all, snorkel gear and all. We try to get to the wrecks just off the beach (it seems like such a short distance) but we soon find that there's a strong current which makes it really hard to get to the wrecks. All of us give up eventually. Next time we want to go swim at the wrecks, we'll have to go up current a bit and let us drift to the wrecks. Right now, everyone is too tired fighting the current.
After lunch, in the afternoon some of us (Jan & Jeanette, Marjolein, and Petra and I) get in the Pajero and go for a ride. Other than from the boat to the camping (maybe 100m) the Pajero hasn't seen any sand. Well, not in my hands anyways. So I'm itching to get my hands dirty. We decide to cut across the island to the South Pacific Ocean side (we're on the Moreton Bay side of the island). The ride across is fantastic. Luckily it's a one way road, as aren't many passing points, but its a real sandtrack, a normal car would never have gotten through. Once at the ocean, we stop to "feel" the ocean. Looks like we're not the first on this side of the island either...
Jan catches is first fish (not sure if it's his first ever, but it's his first on Moreton Island for sure). Since we didn't start very early, we push on quickly up the beach and head to Bulwer. And here's another first timer; my first watercrossing in the Pajero! Yep, we cross a creek that ends into the ocean, it's a whopping 5mm deep too! We pass the Blue Lagoon lake, which is nice I guess, but not really anything special, and keep going to Bulwer. The road (well, track really) is narrow and sandy and cuts across the island again. This time its a two way track however... There's also some wildlife crosiing the road. Uhm, or rather, sitting on the road. The fellar won't move. I push my camera right up its nose (just about) and it just won't bulge. There's nothing left for us than to drive right over it. Jan keeps an eye out to make sure it stays and doesn't run under the wheels.
Bulwer is nothing special. It's a bit strange to drive into a town and not drive onto tarmac. All roads seem to be sandtracks... Once back on the beach on the bayside, we drive south again. There's some excitement again along the way, two dolphins are swimming south along the beach, they are probably going to Tangalooma Resort, where they feed them. And we cross another creek, this time a new record is set, as the depth is now some 2 cm or something. I consider getting out first and wade across to make sure I can cross safely, but decide I've got a good enough overview as it is.
There's plenty of yarns to tell the others at dinner of all our adventures that day, well, arvo. Dinner is a BBQ without the barbie. In pans instead. Fun and good anyway. And there's more wildlife that entertains us that evening. A "walking stick" shows up, never seen those actually in the wild.
Camping on Moreton Island Day 3
Sunday, 14 October 2007
The weather. I haven't said anything about the weather yet have I. Which is not that unusual, as it's normally always sunny. In Brisbane (Australia in general) people are happy when it rains, we don't get that much rain, see. All weekend we've had sun. Some wind, not too much. It was pretty much one of those holidays that we all hope for, but not always get. We had heaps of fun, and just enjoyed ourselves. So it was sunny, warm (probably 25 degrees or something, I didn't look) and mostly a blue sky overhead. No rain.
Today we want to go a bit earlier with the Pajero, and a bit further. Everyone is coming this time so its a full truck. Seven and a quarter. We'll try and go past Tangalooma Resort and down the beach to the Big Sandhills. But, once we get back onto the beach again below Tangalooma (you can't drive over the beach at Tangalooma) it turns out we've got high tide, and almost no beach to drive on. None of us know if the tide is at its highest now or will still rise further, so we decide to go to The Desert instead which is in the middle of the island behind Tangalooma. Not far to drive. We shuld have brought some boards to go sandboarding. These are beautifull sanddunes for that.
And on we go again, after playing a bit on the dunes.
Back the same way we came, and onwards to the ocean again, where we walk about a bit and then head back to the bayside. It's getting later in the arvo, and we have to get the boat back to shore if we want to get to work on time tomorrow morning.
Packing up is always something you don't wanna do. But part of going on holidays. This is a holiday we can do more often though, it's an hour and fifteen minutes from Port of Brisbane, Moreton Island is about 40km away from Brisbane. You can almost go here every weekend.
The ride back to Port of Brisbane is easy, although I have to pump up the tires first. That easy on the boat, there's an onboard compressor, so you don't have to bring you're own. Of course, I didn't know that and had my own... As I hadn't used it before, it did one tire with the compressor, and the others with the onboard. Had to use my own too...
Once back on the mainland, there's only one thing more to do. Unload the Pajero and give those people their junk back... Then it's back home for al of us.
Unfortunately, the end of a fantastic weekend!
More Photo's!
Monday, 15 October 2007
Here's a a few links to more photo's and stories:
Jan & Jeanette's Photo's of Moreton Island
Here's Annemiek & Tjarco's blog about Moreton Island