Who knew you could squeeze this much adventure into two nights, just a 75-minute ferry ride from Brisbane?
We recently took our three children to Tangalooma Island Resort on Moreton Island (Mulgumpin), and what a little getaway it was! We snorkelled the shipwrecks, went quad biking, experienced wild dolphin feeding and sailed into the sunset. There was also plenty of time for swimming, playground visits and very competitive games of soccer. We came home feeling as though we had been away for much longer than a weekend.
If you’re thinking about visiting with children, I’ve put together everything we enjoyed, along with the details I’d want to know before booking.
Tangalooma Island Resort is on the western side of Moreton Island, also known as Mulgumpin, off the coast of Brisbane. Mulgumpin is the traditional Country of the Quandamooka People. The resort faces Moreton Bay, which means you can watch the sun set over the water—a rare treat on Queensland’s east coast.
Moreton Island is the name of the island, and Tangalooma Island Resort is where we stayed. There is plenty more to explore beyond the resort if you have a 4WD or book an island tour, but we filled our two nights with activities close to Tangalooma.
We drove down from the Sunshine Coast, left our car at Holt Street Wharf in Pinkenba and caught the Tangalooma passenger ferry directly to the resort jetty. Being able to walk off the boat and begin our holiday made the journey feel wonderfully simple.
The crossing takes around 75 minutes. Holt Street Wharf is at 220 Holt Street, Pinkenba, and Tangalooma currently asks guests to arrive at least an hour before departure for check-in and luggage. The resort has paid parking at the wharf, advertised at $20 per vehicle per day or $80 per week at the time of writing; you pay on arrival and cannot pre-book a parking space. If you’re coming from the Sunshine Coast, allow for your drive, traffic and ferry check-in as well as the crossing itself.
As at September 2026, the regular Brisbane departures are listed as 7.30am, 10am, 12.30pm and 5.30pm. The return services are listed as 9.30am, 2.30pm, 4pm and a late boat after dolphin feeding. That last departure changes with the season and the dolphins, so always check your booked sailing rather than planning around an exact 7pm return.
The ferry we took is passenger-only. If you want to bring your own 4WD, the Micat vehicle ferry leaves from 14 Howard Smith Drive at the Port of Brisbane and lands near the Tangalooma Wrecks, north of the resort. That trip takes approximately 90 minutes. Resort guests can bring a suitable 4WD, but you’ll need to organise the vehicle ferry, check the access and parking instructions for your accommodation, and get a vehicle access permit for driving on the island. A standard road car isn’t suitable for the sand tracks.
For our resort-based trip, we didn’t need a car on the island. I’d consider bringing a 4WD if we were staying longer and wanted to explore more of Moreton Island independently.
Tangalooma has accommodation ranging from hotel rooms and Resort Units to Family Suites, beachfront villas, Deep Blue Apartments and holiday houses. If you’re booking for five, check the actual capacity and bedding of the room you choose. Standard hotel rooms and Resort Units generally sleep up to four, while the Family Suites sleep up to six and have a separate bedroom, living area and kitchenette. Larger villas and apartments give you other options.
I’d also check what’s included in your particular rate. Ferry transfers, breakfast, parking, dolphin feeding and activities may need to be added separately, depending on the package.
Snorkelling the wrecks was one of the experiences I couldn’t wait to share with the children. All five of us went out together, and the big kids used sea scooters to explore. Seeing the shipwrecks, coral and marine life underwater was absolutely incredible. It’s one thing to admire the wrecks from the beach and another to be in the water beside them!
If you’ve seen the little underwater devices in our videos, Tangalooma calls that experience the Sea Scooter Safari. Ask the operator which snorkelling and scooter options suit your children’s ages and confidence in the water. We all snorkelled, but the big kids were the ones using the scooters.
The wrecks have an interesting story too. Fifteen vessels were deliberately sunk between 1963 and 1984 to create a sheltered anchorage for boats. They’ve since become home to coral and a wonderful variety of marine life. You can walk up the beach from the resort to see them, but don’t assume that means it’s safe to swim out on your own. Currents can be strong, the beach is unpatrolled and boats use the area. For a family visit, I would choose a guided snorkelling tour again.
From the water to the sand! All five of us took part in the ATV Quad Bike Tour, and we had such a fantastic time. It was fun to do something adventurous together that felt completely different from our morning at the wrecks.
If you’re planning this with younger children, check how each person will ride before you book. The resort’s current standard-tour rules allow children aged 5–9 to ride as tandem passengers with a parent, while children aged 10–15 may be able to ride an age-appropriate quad with an accompanying adult and parental consent. Tandem places need to be arranged by phone or at the tours desk, and the adult driver needs a valid licence. Bring enclosed shoes as well.
Another special part of our stay was experiencing Tangalooma’s Wild Dolphin Feeding Program. The dolphins are wild bottlenose dolphins that visit the shoreline, and the experience is supervised by the resort’s Dolphin Care Team and Eco Rangers.
If this is the activity you’re most excited about, check that it’s included in the accommodation or day-trip package you book. Because the dolphins are wild, their attendance and the way the feeding runs depend on the conditions. The resort also explains that an eligible booking doesn’t guarantee that each person will individually hand-feed a dolphin. We felt lucky to be able to experience it as part of our time on the island.
One evening we headed out for a sunset sail, and the island really showed off for us. We watched the sun sink over Moreton Bay and then saw a beautiful full moon that very same night. A perfect sunset and a full moon—how lucky is that?
After all our activities, being out on the water and taking in the view was such a lovely way to slow down. If sailing isn’t on your itinerary, make sure you still head to the beach for sunset. Yes, you really can watch the sun set over the water in Queensland!
If you’re looking to book a similar outing, check the exact sailing or cruise option and its inclusions; the operators list several different sunset experiences.
We also had a sneak peek at the new Tangalooma Dunes Cabana Club. The beachfront cabanas look like a gorgeous place to settle in between swimming and activities, particularly when you want some shade and a base for the family near the beach.
We saw the cabanas rather than spending a full day using one, so check the latest booking and opening details if you’d like to include a cabana in your stay.
We ate so well on this trip! We enjoyed breakfast, a café lunch and our other meals, but the BBQ dinners were a particular favourite. There’s something about finishing an island day with good food and a view of the water.
The resort has a range of dining options, including the Tursiops breakfast buffet, the Beach Café, Beach BBQ Bistro, Fire & Stone and the Coffee Lounge. Check the current opening hours when you arrive, especially if you’re planning dinner around a tour or dolphin feeding.
And of course, not every minute was spent on a tour. The children loved the pools and playground, played lots of soccer and really enjoyed the pelican feeding. Some of my favourite family holiday moments happen in those unplanned gaps, when everyone is simply happy to be there.
If you’re building your own itinerary, leave room for that. Tangalooma also has tennis, squash, Eco Centre experiences and other activities, but I wouldn’t try to fit everything into two nights.
Here’s a fun fact to tell the children: Tangalooma was used as a filming location for the 2002 Scooby-Doo movie, helping bring Spooky Island to life. The resort also lists Ticket to Paradise and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire among the productions filmed there. I loved learning that a place so close to home had its own movie history!
I’d keep swimwear and anything you might need before check-in in your hand luggage. Check what your accommodation and tours provide before hauling towels or snorkelling gear over to the island.
Absolutely! We managed to pack wild dolphins, wreck snorkelling, sea scooters, quad biking and a sunset sail into a two-night stay, while still having time for the pools, playground, soccer and family meals. The full moon was a bonus we couldn’t have planned.
If you’re looking for a family getaway that feels a world away without flying anywhere, Tangalooma Island Resort is one to put on your list.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Our stay at Tangalooma Island Resort was a collaboration. As always, all experiences and opinions shared here are my own.