Conor and I woke up early last Sunday morning and hopped on a train to the coast. (It is ridiculous how inexpensive it is to travel on public transit from the city to the coast - $12 round trip.) We arrived in the small coastal town around 8:30am, downed some eggs and toast, and jumped on the boat! Unfortunately, for the first time in my life, I experienced a touch of nausea while traveling the 27k from the mainland to Moreton Bay...
We did not opt for the underwater camera this trip. Although we might have gotten a few good shots, we were advised by one of the Wild Dolphin crew members to skip the camera purchase this time around. The Queensland Coast has been getting quite a bit of rain this fall (yes, it is fall in Australia - currently a chilly 75 degrees) and the sediment is still settling in the bay. I took this shot of Conor right after he climbed out of the water. You can see a glimpse of the wrecks in the background.
This shot might give a better view of the wrecks (as well as the newer boats anchored in the bay). The ships were actually placed along the bay to provide a barrier between the beach and the strong waves - no, they didn't sink twenty meters from the beach. There are thousands of fish living in the wrecks. We swam along with the schools through the coral-lined metal and steel. I even saw a small shark! He was only a meter or so in length, but still quite spectacular!
After snorkeling we each jumped on the boom net. It was somewhat silly, but a lot of fun. Everyone has probably thought it or done it at one point - why not get towed through the warm, turquoise water by a boat? Shark bait, indeed.
After playing in the water for a couple of hours we spent some time on the island. It was nice to get off of the boat and walk around on solid ground. Conor went for a swim and I lounged on the beach for a while. The weather was awesome and the water was about 75 degrees. It was a great trip (aside from the nausea).
These shots aren't the best (we're both a little windblown in the first one), but they might be my favorite from the trip.
We finished off the day with a walk along the Redcliffe shoreline and a couple ice cream cones. When we arrived back in Brisbane that evening we walked to West End and had a fabulous dinner at Sawadee Ka, a delicious Thai restaurant with probably the best service in Brisbane.
Moreton Bay gets a thumbs up. Next island adventure: North Stradbroke!
Moreton Island is the third largest sand island in the world - North Stradbroke Island in second place and Fraser Island in first. All three of these islands are located along the Queensland Coast. Yes, you guessed it, a sand island is largely or completely made of sand. These islands are known for their beaches and beautiful white sand. In June the humpback whales make their annual trip North. Point Lookout located on North Stradbroke is a very popular whale watching spot - we're looking forward to that trip very much. In fact, we might just drag Jamie and Annie along!
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