It goes by many names: Minjerribah, North Stradbroke Island or just plain ‘Straddie’ to those in the know, but whichever you choose to call it, all are agreed on one thing: that this little sand island off the coast of Brisbane is special.
30 km off the coast of Brisbane but a world away in time, Stradbroke Island is easily reached by a 45 minute car ferry from the Brisbane suburb of Cleveland, or an even quicker water taxi next to it.
People come for the unspoilt beaches, the laid back people and lifestyle, the getting-away-from-it-all vibe, the family holiday with the kids and the dog as it once was. The logo goes ‘Where a trip becomes a tradition’ and for many, it does indeed appear the case.
I came because I was intrigued by what I had heard about this enchanting place, a slightly off beat but very accessible destination.
Loading the ute onto the gaily painted car ferry went smoothly and from the top deck I was to have a bird’s eye view of the approaching low lying island and the little village of Dunwich where we disembarked.
Late for lunch, we decided to drive to Brown Lake, only 3.5 km east. There were shady picnic spots and afterwards we had a dip in this lake which is known as a ‘perched lake’: a carpet of leaves from the surrounding tea trees retains the water and their tannin gives the lake its startling colour. A rich amber on the edges, it rapidly turns an opaque Guinness black, but the water was pleasantly cool rather than cold and we enjoyed our dip.
Refreshed, we headed towards Point Lookout to find our campsite at Home Beach and we were soon flinging our shoes off on the white sand of a long tree lined beach.
We walked up to Adder Rock where the eponymous rock offered superb sunset viewing. Little did we know but this was to be the last we really saw of the sun for the duration of our stay.
A Walk to North Gorge
Straddie is made for pootling and pootling is exactly what we did on our first full day on the island.
Walking south from our campsite at Home Beach, this rapidly segued into Cylinder Beach where lifeguards patrol an area under the rugged headland. Popular with families, we watched as dolphins surfed the waves – there is a resident population of between 700 – 1000 individuals.
A steep climb up the headland bought us to a car park where there is a memorial to the hospital ship Centaur which was bombed on 14th May 1943 as it was en route from Sydney to Papua New Guinea. Only 64 of the 332 people on board survived – it is frightening to think how close the Japanese came to Australia.
Another memorial stone tells us that Matthew Flinders stopped by in August 1803 looking for fresh water and found friendly aborigines who pointed the way.
We dropped down to Deadman’s Beach, quite a small pretty one with lots of rocky outcrops. We had our lunch on one and then carried on towards a rugged headland. A man flicked a crab out of a rock pool and came past with it firmly latched onto a stick – it was destined as fishbait.
Here we could have taken a steep sandy detour over the next headland to Frenchman’s Beach, but instead did some rock scrambling around the cliff base to reach it – this may not work at high tide!
This was probably my favourite beach, it’s quietness probably due to the long steep flight of stairs to access it from Point Lookout. We panted up these but there are plenty of scenic benches en route!
At the top, a quick left takes one into the village and the start of the North Gorge Walk, probably the most famous walk on Straddie.
It is only 1.2 km long but has a stunning array of coastal scenery with high rocky cliffs, lush forest vegetation and lots of wildlife – before we had even reached the wide boardwalks we had seen the dark shadows of manta rays swimming below us. Apparently they come close to shore in order for little fish to clean them and this is one of the best places to dive with them in Australia.
A turtle also bobbed along in the waves and at Headland Park we were to see a troop of grazing kangeroos.
The path wound around a deep rocky inlet with vivid turquoise waters before rounding the next headland to give us superb views over Main Beach which covers the entire east coast of the island. This can only be accessed in a 4 x 4 and there is remote camping near by the end (a permit is required).
The trail comes out surprisingly near where it started and it seemed a good time to visit Oceanic Gelati & Coffee Bar on Mooloomba Road – they have a superb range of home made ice creams and good coffee which comes in colourful cups. Sit outside or cross the road to lounge on the grassy headland with stunning views of Frenchman’s Beach.
We headed home on the Whale Trail, a high path which mirrored the beaches far below and emerged above Deadman’s Beach. Between June and November it is possible to see humpback whales passing on their migration route to and from Antarctica.
We dropped back to Cylinder Beach for our return stretch, which led us speedily back to camp and an end to a lovely day of pootling.
Mount Vane Walk
We weren’t having much luck with the weather. We moved to the stunningly located Amity Point Campsite yet the day continued grey and drizzly.
The temperatures were good for hiking though so we decided to explore some of the interior of the island. I get the feeling most people who visit Straddie look outwards to the water, and walk information was hard to come by: neither of the two campsites we stayed at could help but at least there was a reasonable map near the carpark once we found the Blue (Kaboora) Lake walking area which is within the Naree Budjong Djara (My Mother Earth) National Park. This is about 8.5 km due east from Dunwich.
The Mount Vane Track is the newest track and was designed and constructed by the island’s Traditional Owners, the Quandamooka People. It is accessed from the Kabul Track which climbs steadily up the hill from the car park – in fact the first kilometre on this track is probably the hardest. The Jarlo Beetle Track then turns off and leads 3 km to the top of Mount Vane at 199 m.
It is fairly easy going, largely following a sandy ridge with a short climb to the end. There are expansive views out over the bushland which was a pleasant mix of the distinctive scribbly gum trees – their trunks are scarred by the larvae of the scribbly gum moth which burrows between the old and new bark of the tree before emerging fully hatched in the spring – dwarf eucalyptus and banksia trees, the latter sadly past flowering on our visit.
Vivid grass trees grew in profusion, their spiky fronds glistening with raindrops as we dodged spider webs crossing the path. The view from the top was somewhat muted, the skyline indistinct beyond the island – on a good day there are 360-degree views of Moreton Bay, Quandamooka Country and the Gold Coast.
We had our picnic lunch then backtracked to the Kabul Track where we turned right to follow it 2.5 km down a ridgeline to the Blue (Kaboora) Lake. The track widened at the bottom and followed a broad track to the lake, which looked more a murky green than blue. Some claim it is sacred and one shouldn’t swim in it, others just say ‘go ahead’ – either way the cloudy weather wasn’t condusive to swimming on our visit.
Backtracking a little, it is possible to climb up 1.2 km on the Dakabin Track to a lookout over the lake. The Neembeemba Track then leads back to the car park past more scenic lookouts over the ocean and 18 Mile Swamp which shadows the eastern coast.
However, we had had enough by then and returned on the Kaboora Track which led straight back along the valley to the carpark, climbing a little to curve round the hillside above the vivid green reed fringed edges of Tortoise Lagoon.
Odds & Ends
Straddie wasn’t living up to its billing: the untarnished starry skies were hidden behind rain clouds which decanted themselves all night and throughout our third day, which proved to be the worst yet with the addition of 100 km per hour gusts of wind.
Images of lounging by sunny seas fled. Other entertainment would have to be sought. We decided to check out the North Stradbroke Island Historical Museum in Dunwich ($6) which whiled away a pleasant hour.
It held the usual hotch potch of rural Australian miscellanea including lots of info on the Dunwich Benevolent Asylum which ran from 1865 until its closure in 1946. In the days before social care, this was basically a home for the destitute, although it also had sub sections for the inebriants, the lepers and the incontinents, the latter in the appropriately named ‘foul ward’.
It covered most of the Dunwich headland although little remains today, bar the cement base where the inmates played a giant draughts game and Adams Beach, so called due to the male inmates naked bathing.
We thought of going back out to Blue Lake to do the walking trails we had missed previously but decided something shorter might be more sensible so headed back to the North Gorge walk.
En route we stopped at Myora Springs where ancient freshwater springs have been long used by the native people and wildlife. There is a short boardwalk with a view over a mangrove swamp and the remains of an aborigine shellfish midden. Although swimming is allowed, I think it would be rather a muddy spot.
The gorge walk appeared a silly idea, especially at the start when I found myself hanging onto a pandanus tree to avoid being blown over the edge! We certainly didn’t dare venture off the thankfully well fenced boardwalk but were rewarded with a wild grey seascape of huge waves which tumbled up the gorge in a frothy mass. Kangeroos grazed happily on the leeward edges.
Main Beach was almost entirely under water. We headed back, visiting the little library cupboard by the toilets in Headland Park to stock up on some more reading material.
After a quick coffee at Oceania, we headed home, stopping only at Adder Rock to admire the oldest European ruin on Straddie: a cattle dip which dates back to 1895 when Bill North had a grazing property at Point Lookout. The cattle were swum over from the mainland. In 1903 he won the contract to supply the asylum. Ironically, although he left the island after his retirement in 1930, he returned to become an inmate at the asylum, dying there and been buried in an unmarked grave in 1936.
Straddie was to tease us later in the evening with a brief sunset between the horizontal rain, a glimpse of a flaming sun sinking over distant mountains, picturesquely framed by a moored fishing boat.
Over & Out
In the night, perfect quiet other than the wind and the haunting shrieks and wails of the bush stone curlews who haunt the camp. They are sometimes called willaroos and are quite bizarre looking birds who freeze and glare with owlish eyes.
Our last morning: a glimpse of sunshine and just time for that elusive breakfast by the sea before a sudden squall arrived.
The day was very windy and when we arrived at Dunwich to get our 12.30 ferry back to Brisbane, we discovered it was delayed by 3 hours. Stuck in a queue, it was a frustrating end to our trip.
I think Straddie and I have unfinished business: what should have been one of the highlights of our holiday became one of the disappointments. We had the perfect campsite on the perfect beach with the perfect view, yet we had to spend the time sheltering in a windy camp kitchen. I enjoyed what I saw of Straddie but I feel it could offer so much more: with perfect weather to go with the perfect everything else, I think it could well be a destination to die for – I hope to get back one day and see it in the sunshine; after all, Minjerribah does mean island in the sun.
NOTES
Getting there: Sealink leaves from Toondah Harbour in the Cleveland area of southern Brisbane, with both passenger and vehicle options. They run every day from approximately 5 am until 7 pm. There is also a water taxi for foot passengers. A bus meets the passenger boats.
Getting Around: There are local bus services for those without a car or it is possible to hire scooters. StradEasy also runs a ferry shuttle and other island transport can be arranged.
Accommodation: Minjerribah Camping has the widest choice of camping on the island. Amity Point wins hands down for the beach front sites, grassy shade areas and great sunsets, but Cylinder Beach and Adder Rock are other possibilities. Adder and Amity also have safari tents and beach hut options. Main Beach and Flinders have beachside camping for 4 x 4 vehicles. Covid vaccination certificates have to be uploaded when booking.
YHA have budget lodging at Manta Lodge near Home Beach and also run a diving centre. The Old Barracks at Dunwich are another budget option. More up market options include the Stradbroke Island Beach Hotel or Anchorage on Straddie.
There are classic waterfront cabins at Sea Shanties at Amity or find your perfect beachfront pad at straddie rentals. Check out Amity Shaws and Amity Treetops near the jetty at Amity Point and kick back for that perfect sunset.
Eating Out: Near Point Lookout, check out Oceania for ice cream and coffee, Fins N Fries for good value fish and chips or Kokomo for restaurant dining.
Beaches: I loved Deadman’s and Frenchman’s. Dunwich and Amity Point have safe netted areas – the latter has a deep channel nearby and actively warns that there could be sharks present.
Main and Cylinder have safe swimming areas with lifeguard cover.
Walking: More information can be found on the walks here. Other than the 5 tracks in the Blue Lake area which I have mentioned, there is another signposted on the main road between Dunwich and Point Lookout. This is the Mount Bippo Penbean Track which leads 3.2 km to a lookout (171 m) over 18 Mile Swamp all the way to NSW. At least you know on Straddie that nothing is going to be terribly high – the highest point is actually 239 m – and they are all generally fairly quiet.
