Moreton Island

Brisbane is blessed to have so many islands near by. One of those islands is the spectacular Moreton Island. We visited the island in summer as part of a big group for a family members birthday. Although most of us were adults, there were 3 children on the trip. My two toddlers who were just gone 3 and just gone 2 as well as my 11 year old niece. I can honestly say it is an amazing place for kids and adults alike. We stayed in a house which was not so kid friendly (multiple levels and up on a hill) but some friends of ours stayed in the beach front villas with their 1 year old and pregnant wife and they thought it was incredible. Easy access to all the amenities and a quick getaway if bub needed a nap. The beach is great, crystal clear water with little fish and star fish. Some sporting activities, good food, two lovely swimming pools and the breeze took away the scorching hot air. Highlights: The dolphin feeding! My kids usually go to bed before the feeding took place so I was worried about that, but it turned out to be a non issue because they were just so excited and loved watching the dolphins swim around. They were able to feed a dolphin and they have talked about doing so ever since. We didn't have to wait too long in the line, and the staff were so friendly and accommodating. One feeding session is included in your accommodation cost and you must book your session. The 4 wheel driving: My 2 year old fell asleep seconds into the drive so if you are looking for a good nap opportunity thats fun for the adults, go for a drive around the island. The track is pretty easy, only a few tricky spots and being 20 weeks pregnant it was a really bumpy ride! Completely worth it though because we were able to access all parts of the island and see things the on foot guests couldn't. The island is beautiful! The beaches are clean and the water is clear. The sunset: Spectacular! For bigger kids there is quad biking and sand dunes to ride down but mine were a bit young to do so. The downsides: The ferry ride takes about an hour and a half and there is not much to do on a ferry. The kids got a bit restless, heck so did I. That said the Micat was quite spacious and a far better experience then some other island boats I have been on. Our other guests took the foot passenger ferry and experienced extremely windy conditions and rocking. We didn't have that problem even though we were crossing at the same time. So my point is be prepared for entertaining the kids and possible sea sickness. If your kids are a bit older it would be easy to play a game of cards, read a book etc and even toddlers you could let them use their i-pad if you are so inclined or take some coloring in books. If you get a house up on a hill you will need a buggy. The stairs to get down to the resort are far from a casual stroll, we had adults that found them difficult to navigate and you would not want to go up and down in the dark. Being pregnant I didn't want to risk a fall so we used a buggy and it was fantastic entertainment for the kids. Costs: Passenger ferry - Adult $84 Child (3-14 years) $46 Infant (0-2 years) Free Micat 4wd ferry - We paid around $305 for 2 adults and 2 infants with a 4wd