Inspiration, Adventure, Explore, Nature

North Stradbroke Island

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To The Wild Author

January 20, 2023 On January 16, 2023

Just off the coast of Brisbane, Straddie (North Stradbroke Island), has some of the most stunning coastal scenery you’ll find in Australia. It is one of the world’s largest sand islands and is surrounded by long beaches with perfectly clear, turqouise water.

Recently one half of the To The Wild team travelled to this beautiful island, a 55 min ferry ride from Cleveland outside of Brisbane – which has been an annual adventure destination for the last 20 years.

As it hasn’t changed much over that period, you almost feel like it’s going back in time. There is poor phone connection in spots (yey – digital detox), and no highrisers and hardly any shops. Greenery, wildlife and beautiful scenery wherever you go – and – you learn to adjust to island time.

Accommodation

There are plenty of accommodation options (camping, apartments, shacks, villas). Glamping was the preferred choice this time – as you are a few metres from the beach and surrounded by wildlife (we saw koalas, wallabies and rich bird life close to the tent).

Things to do

When it comes to things to do, Straddie has something for everyone. The island is home to several gorgeous beaches, including Cylinder Beach, Frenchman’s Beach, Home Beach, Adder Rock which are all perfect for swimming, surfing, and boogie boarding. Cylinder Beach, Adder Rock and Main Beach have life savers on duty during the busiest seasons.

There are also plenty of bushwalking trails and lookouts for those who want to explore the island’s natural beauty. The North Gorge Walk at Point Lookout is a must do – between May and November you can watch whales migrating. During the rest of the year you can see manta rays, turtles, dolphins and in the bush along the way there are plenty of kangaroos.

We started every morning with a long beach walk which ended up where Frenchman’s beach meets Deadman’s beach -there were rock pools, sand dunes to slide down and lots of exploring in the maze of paths inside the bush. We even saw dolphins playing in the waves not far from us.

The waxed canvas bags came with us on each walk. These proved to be a great beach bag on this trip.

Dining and eating out

There are several restaurants on the island. Some are open for lunch, others dinner only or both.

Straddie Hotel is a good one for sunsets and view over the ocean, and if you want some gelati – there are two great shops at point lookout, where the North Gorge Walk starts/ends.

Straddie Brewing is a new addition to the island, which is worth a visit before heading back to the mainland (it is close to the ferry stop) with beautiful views over the bay.

A visit to North Stradbroke Island is a fantastic way to spend quality time with the family and friends (or just yourself) and create lasting memories. You’ll feel completely detoxed in so many ways after a few days.

Bags featured on this page:

Waxed canvas tote – London Grey

Waxed canvas tote – Rusty Pink