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Moreton Island Camping
3 Nights 4 Days Australia 4WD Family Trip
SEP, 2025
We went on a 4-day, 3-night camping trip to Moreton Island with our friends’ family who came up from Melbourne.
Every year around this time, they make their way to Brisbane from Melbourne, towing their caravan and camping along the way before heading back home. This year, they were actually planning to go all the way up to Cape York. the very top of Queensland . so we thought we wouldn’t see them. But about two months before their trip, their Cape York plan was suddenly cancelled, and they decided to come to Brisbane instead.
Since Liam started school this year, we’d already planned our holidays around his school breaks. So when our friends’ plans changed, it threw ours off a bit too. If we’d known earlier, we could’ve made it a longer trip together. But since I needed to take time off work and Liam couldn’t miss too many school days, we ended up doing just a short 4-day camping trip.
Every year, when our friends’ family comes to visit, we try to think of a good camping spot near Brisbane. This time, the first place that came to mind was Moreton Island, which you can only reach with a 4WD.
They love camping in nature, and I thought it would be perfect — the water there is crystal clear, shallow, and calm, making it an amazing spot for kids to play. Plus, I’d never had anyone to join me for a 4WD-only camping trip before, so going with our friends, who are total experts with their vehicle, made me feel a lot more confident.
It had been five years since our last Moreton Island camping trip — and I couldn’t have been more excited! I still remember that trip so vividly. We didn’t expect much back then, but the island’s natural beauty completely blew us away.
If you’re planning a camping trip to Moreton Island, the first things you’ll need to sort out are your camping site, ferry tickets, and 4WD permit.
Make sure to check availability for both the ferry and the campsite first, and I’d highly recommend booking them together to make things easier!
Booking Campsite and 4WD Permit
You can book a campsite on Moreton Island through the website below. When you make your booking, it’s easiest to purchase your 4WD vehicle permit at the same time during the payment process.
The national park camping sites cost $7.50 per person per night, and children aged 1–5 are considered infants, so they stay for free.
As your camping dates get closer, you’ll receive your tent tag and 4WD permit via email as attached files. Make sure to print them out before your trip — the 4WD permit should be placed on your car’s dashboard, and the tent tag should be hung somewhere visible on your tent once it’s set up.
Since the tent tag can get wet, it’s a good idea to put it inside a ziplock bag before hanging it up. Rangers sometimes go around checking campsites, so be sure to bring both your printed tent tag and permit with you.
In our case, we only received the 4WD permit by email, and the tent tag attachment was missing. We had to email them again to ask for it, so it’s definitely worth double-checking that both files are attached before your trip!
Booking Moreton Island Ferry
Even though our trip wasn’t during summer or school holidays — and we booked almost two months in advance — I thought there would be plenty of spots left. But surprisingly, some ferry times were already fully booked! Australians really are the best when it comes to planning their getaways. ><
We booked the Thursday 8:00 a.m. ferry to Moreton Island and the Sunday 10:15 a.m. ferry back to Brisbane. Later, we wanted to change our return to the 3:00 p.m. ferry since the morning one felt too early, but it was already sold out.
If you’re not camping near the ferry landing, make sure to check the tide times (high and low tide) when you plan your campsite and ferry schedule. On the Sunday we left, it happened to be high tide, which made getting to the ferry on time a bit tricky. Our car managed fine, but our friends — even though they’re super experienced with 4WDs — got stuck in the soft sand while towing their heavy caravan. Thankfully, everyone made it to the ferry just in time and got home safely.
You can also buy your 4WD permit when booking your ferry, but it’s a little more expensive that way. And if your vehicle is longer than the standard size, you’ll need to pay an extra fee of around $65.
The ferry ride itself takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes, and since Moreton Island is quite a distance away, the ferry isn’t cheap — ours came to almost $400 just for the ferry (ouch 😭).
You can book the Moreton Island ferry at the website below:
👉Book Micat Ferry – Moreton Island Adventures
Day 1 – Heading Off to Moreton Island Camping!
The day of our Moreton Island camping trip finally arrived! 🎉
Our ferry was at 8:00 a.m., which meant we needed to check in by 7:00 a.m. We had packed everything and loaded the car the night before, so all we had to do in the morning was get up and go. For breakfast, we grabbed a whole pack of Costco croissants and hit the road a little after 6:00 a.m.
Since it was a weekday, we were a bit worried about traffic during rush hour, but thankfully the roads were clear, and we arrived before 7:00. To our surprise, there were already a few cars lined up ahead of us — some people had arrived even earlier!
Around 7:30 a.m., check-in opened and we started boarding the ferry. The excitement really kicked in at that moment — our Moreton Island adventure had officially begun!
It takes about 90 minutes to get to Moreton Island by ferry, quite a long ride, which probably explains why the ferry fare is so expensive.
Once on board, we followed the ferry staff’s instructions to park our vehicle, then headed up to the café on the second deck. We enjoyed a coffee along with the Costco croissants we’d brought for breakfast.
After that, the men went back down to deflate the tyres. Since Moreton Island has no paved roads and the ferry lands directly on the beach, it’s essential to lower tyre pressure before driving on the sand.
The kids spent their time exploring the outdoor deck and playing quietly inside with snacks, coloring books, and other activities we’d brought along. The ferry was large enough for them to move around safely and comfortably.
And then — we arrived at Moreton Island!
From the ferry landing, it took about 30 minutes to reach our campsite. Since it was high tide, we couldn’t drive along the beach as we normally would, so we took the bypass route to reach our spot.
Comboyuro point Camping Area
Our Moreton Island campsite was at Comboyuro Point Camping Area!
There are campsites closer to the ferry landing, but those areas have a lot of vehicle traffic. Since we didn’t want to constantly worry about cars while the kids played on the beach, we chose a quieter spot further away.
Comboyuro Point Camping Area has toilets and showers, and since it’s fairly large, you can pick a spot near the toilets or a beachfront site. After much consideration, we went with a beachfront site. It’s a bit of a walk to the toilets from there, so sometimes we sneaked to the nearby public beach for quick bathroom trips. For showers, we all drove together, then drove back to our campsite afterward. Note: the showers are cold water ><. A cold shower in early September is chilly at first, but surprisingly manageable once you get started.
Camping Area Facilities:
Toilets (non-flush): Pretty clean for a national park site, and there are plenty, so no waiting.
Cold water showers
Trash bins available
Dishwashing area
Comnoyoro Point Camping Area map
More About Comnoyoro Point Camping Area
Our home for the 4-day, 3-night camping trip was finally all set up! 🏕️
One downside of this campsite is that the sand contains black grains, which get blown around by the wind and leave everything — including the table , covered in black dust. Every time we wiped the table while eating, more black sand would come off, so we ended up keeping most of our gear inside containers. I’m sure all our camping equipment ended up with a bit of black sand on it. It was the same five years ago , the black sand never seems to change!
After finishing the campsite setup, we had lunch, then spent the afternoon on the beach right in front of our site, enjoying the water and sun.
The three boys were completely absorbed in playing in the sand, and all three were wearing Spider-Man swimsuits — so adorable ><
The water at Moreton Island is stunning — every part of the ocean looks like crystal-clear water, so just looking at it is beautiful enough. It’s definitely worth the 90-minute ferry ride from the mainland. The water is shallow and the waves are almost nonexistent, making it a perfect place for the kids to play safely and have fun.
In the afternoon, we drove north along the beach for a little while, but had to turn back when the path got blocked. We decided to explore the rest of the island tomorrow.
Back at our campsite, we played ball games and, as the sun went down, enjoyed a quiet evening watching a movie together.
For dinner, we always had a barbecue, and after eating, we built a fire with the kids and roasted marshmallows.
Once the kids were asleep, the adults sat around the fire, chatting quietly, and didn’t head to bed until late.
Day 2 – The Desert and the Southern Tip of Moreton Island
The Next Morning!
The kids were full of energy from the moment we woke up! Today we planned to explore the island from end to end, so we were busy from the morning getting everything ready, including packing lunch.
Our plan for the day was to head to the southern part of Moreton Island , visiting the sand dunes near Tangalooma Resort and then making our way to the southern beaches on the opposite side of the island!
We arrived at The Desert, the sand dunes of Moreton Island! 🏖️
TIP: Australia’s summer sun is extremely hot, so if you plan to visit The Desert, go early in the morning. Otherwise, the sand gets too hot to walk on, and walking under the blazing sun is no easy task.
Liam and Rio, 5 and 4 years old, were able to climb the tall sand hills on their own, in fact, they climbed even better than I did! Climbing the steep dunes straight up was really exhausting for the adults.
We didn’t have sandboards, so we used bodyboards that we normally play with in the water, but they didn’t slide down very well. The dads ended up running down the dunes to give the kids a push, and the kids had an absolute blast!
Since climbing the hills was so tiring, I thought the kids would only go down once, but they went multiple times, which really made me realize just how much energy and stamina kids have!
I had visited Moreton Island with Eddie before Liam was born, so coming back here with Liam felt completely new and exciting. I had always wanted to do a Moreton Island camping trip with Liam, but until now he was too young, and I was a bit hesitant about camping in a place without many facilities.
It felt wonderful to finally experience camping on Moreton Island with Liam, especially with another family joining us, it made the trip even more enjoyable and reassuring.
After a morning of playing at The Desert sand dunes, the kids were already getting hungry even though it wasn’t lunchtime yet.
There’s a trail that crosses Moreton Island to the opposite side, and we followed it to reach the other side of the island. The path seemed well-traveled, so the ground was quite firm, making the drive fairly easy and fun for 4WD driving.
Once we arrived at the opposite side of the island, we drove a little further south and set up a spot to stop. The kids had hot dogs with leftover sausages from yesterday, and the adults had a quick meal with instant noodles. The water on this side had a few waves, but it wasn’t a problem for the kids to play in. Still, I think the beaches near our campsite were even prettier.
After lunch, we spent some more time playing in the water, and then drove back to the southern tip of the island.
We made it all the way to the southern tip of Moreton Island. The wide stretches of sand and the ocean were absolutely stunning, beyond words ><
It felt like about a 30-minute drive from where we had lunch.
We had been worried about the high tide, but we still decided to drive down to the southern tip. On the way back, the tide had risen, and some areas between the beach and the water were too narrow to pass easily. There were two tricky sections we had to cross when the water was slightly lower. On the way south, there had only been one, but returning, the second one had appeared, and the water was deeper , it was tense and worrying.
At one of these sections, we got soaked by the waves. My heart was racing, thinking something bad might happen, but fortunately, we made it through safely. Until we reached the campsite, nobody said a word in the car, I think we were all thinking the same thing: as long as the car was okay…
Liam, oblivious to the tension, was thrilled all day, and after non-stop play, he even fell asleep with his mouth wide open, despite the bumpy, unpaved road.
After dinner, we spent the evening talking about the high tide adventure and wrapped up another memorable day on the island.
Day 3 – Northern Side of Moreton Island: Blue Lagoon, Yellow Patch & Honeymoon Bay
Tomorrow we’d have to catch the ferry early in the morning, so today was already our last day camping on Moreton Island.
We packed lunch and snacks for the day and planned to explore the northern side of the island.
Ideally, we could have driven straight north from our Comboyuro Point campsite, but the path was blocked. Instead, we had to cross the island to the opposite side and then drive up north , a bit of a hassle, but part of the adventure!
We arrived at Blue Lagoon!
There’s a driveable path to the Blue Lagoon parking area, but there was a deep pool of water up to adult thigh level, so we had to go around. Luckily, there’s a track from the Blue Lagoon campsite that you can walk along, so we took that route.
With a name like Blue Lagoon, we were expecting bright blue water, but when we arrived, it was more like a brownish lagoon. Still, since the campsite isn’t used by many people, the toilets were cleaner and better maintained than at other spots.
We originally planned to just take a quick look, but the kids had so much fun playing that we ended up spending about an hour at Blue Lagoon.
Yellow Patch, located at the northern tip of Moreton Island, was absolutely stunning , a vast white sandy beach with crystal-clear water. Since no one had walked on the sand yet, it looked even more pristine.
However, the wind was incredibly strong. While we tried to prepare lunch, even the chopped onions we had brought blew away, and it became impossible to cook. We had to give up on a proper meal and instead made do with the snacks and fruits we had brought to fill our stomachs.
The wind was still quite strong that day, so the water felt a bit chilly for swimming, but the kids played really well and didn’t seem to mind at all.
In the distance, we saw a lot of vehicles gathered at the northern tip of the island, so we decided to check it out. This area led to Honeymoon Bay, and surprisingly, there was almost no wind there.
There was a reason everyone was gathered in that spot , if we had known earlier, we could have parked there and cooked a proper lunch instead of struggling with the wind. It was a bit disappointing that we realized it too late.
A little further up the track, there’s a lookout, and from there, a path goes down to Honeymoon Bay. Since we had already visited all the beaches on Moreton Island, we didn’t go down; we just enjoyed the view from the lookout and then returned to the car.
After visiting Honeymoon Bay, we returned to our campsite.
The drive back was much safer than yesterday’s adventure, and we made it back without any trouble. Near our campsite, there’s a small village called Bulwer, which has a tiny shop named Castaways. You can buy any urgent supplies there, and unlike five years ago, they now also run a café and a small restaurant.
We ended our long day with ice cream, a sweet way to relax and wrap up another memorable day on Moreton Island.
Day 4 – Heading Back to Brisbane
Our departure in the morning happened to coincide with the highest tide of the day, so we’d been nervous since the day before.
The route to the ferry terminal has about four creek-like spots where freshwater flows into the ocean, and the sand above the waterline is extremely soft. We were worried about getting stuck. Until the bypass, the only path was along the beach, and the water had risen almost to cover the width of a single car. We agreed that we must stick together and help each other if anything happened.
However, we soon realized that our friends’ car wasn’t following us. I kept telling Eddie to stop and wait a few times, but he didn’t respond and just kept going straight. Everyone was tense, so I let it be for the moment. Finally, after navigating that long, nerve-wracking stretch of beach, we reached the bypass. Only then did I feel relieved and told Eddie he could stop , and he finally did. He must have been just as tense as we were.
We waited for over ten minutes, but our friends still hadn’t arrived. Since there was no other obvious route, we decided to head to the ferry terminal on our own. Keep in mind, phone reception on Moreton Island is very poor, so we couldn’t call them.
Our ferry was approaching, and soon we would be leaving Moreton Island. The 3-night, 4-day camping trip had flown by far too short!
Next time, we decided, we’d allow at least 5 days to fully enjoy the island at a more relaxed pace. This trip had been especially busy because it was the first, and possibly last, Moreton Island experience for our friends, so we spent our days exploring almost every corner of the island. Honestly, 3 nights and 4 days felt barely enough to fit it all in.
You don’t have to go far or travel overseas to experience such beautiful nature — Moreton Island has it all! 🌊🏖️
If you’re in Brisbane, you don’t need to go anywhere else — Moreton Island is a must-visit destination.
