Moreton Island

Four of the largest sand islands in the world sit off Queensland coast in Australia. The first is Fraser Island, then Stradbroke, Moreton and Bribie islands. The last 3 are within a ferry trip across the bay from Brisbane. Moreton has the highest coastal sand dune in the world at 285 metres above sea level. On a previous trip to the island, I clawed my way to the top of Mt Tempest for one of the most majestic views you could find anywhere in the world. And for the ride down I rode a toboggan which was fantastic fun until you reach the bottom with half the sand dunes in your underwear. Moreton was the center for major coastal defense bases during WWI and II and still has the remains of 2 gun emplacements. During the 50's and early 60's the island operated as a whaling station. Moreton is 95% National Park and has a freshwater lake at the northern end of the island as well as a working sandstone lighthouse on the northern tip of the island built in 1857 by convicts. Interesting thing about Moreton is that it has no kangaroos or koalas but lots of snakes. And wild pigs were introduced as a source of food for anyone shipwrecked there. There are also 15 shipwrecks just along the shoreline which you can dive or snorkel if you brave the current which is quite bad there. The crystal clear waters give way to a beautiful array of tropical fish. The island is surrounded by blue waters and beautiful white sand giving home to over 180 bird species. Cape Moreton has a perfect viewpoint for watching marine life including the humpback whales migration from June to November. In the 1990's the owners of the resort on Moreton fed a dolphin leading to the dolphin accepting a fish by hand. The offspring of that dolphin and their babies now visit Moreton each night to be fed by tourists. The dolphins on Moreton Island that I fed are wild and as such you must sanitize your hands before feeding them and you are not allowed to touch them. Care is taken to assure that they are only fed 10% of their food so they will not lose the natural instinct to hunt on their own. Our trip to Moreton was very extraordinary as we were able to observe a baby calf only a week old. The handlers kept it away from the feeding so as not to endanger him. He was just adorably cute and playful darting all around the area. You walk away in awe of nature and all the beauty that there is to see on Moreton. And although it was pouring rain the entire time we were feeding these wonderful creatures it was one of the most awesome experiences I have ever had.