Bulwer, Moreton Island: a 4WD and self-drive guide

Bulwer is the island's main township, and for self-drive visitors it is the place where the tracks, the barge landing and the shops meet. The island is a wedge of sand 37 km long and 10 km wide, and the whole of it lies 40 km from central Brisbane.⁷ Barges and ferries for vehicles and passengers run daily, with extra services in school holidays and on long weekends, and bookings are essential.⁸

On the ground Bulwer works as the supply point. Castaways stocks basic groceries, ice, firewood, recovery equipment and gas bottle exchange, and the township also has a bait and tackle store, a cafe and 4WD taxi and tour services.^9,10 A visitor searching for Castaways on Moreton Island is usually looking for this store and the accommodation beside it, and the store lies a 20 minute drive from the Micat landing point.¹¹ Not all shops on the island are open every day, so call ahead for opening times.¹²

Driving times give the scale. From Tangalooma to Bulwer via Cowan Cowan takes 35 min, and Kooringal via Toulkerrie is 55 min away.¹³ From Cape Moreton, Bulwer is 35 min via North Point and 55 min via Blue Lagoon Road.¹⁴ None of those figures include stops, creek crossings or waiting for the tide, and the island manager says times vary with the beach, the weather and the tide height.

The island manager is blunt on this point: 4WD vehicles are essential for driving on the island, and high clearance and low range are strongly recommended.² All-wheel drive vehicles without true 4WD function and vehicles with low clearance will have difficulty on the inland tracks and in soft sand and are therefore not suitable.³ Tangalooma adds that it strongly recommends only experienced 4WD drivers bring their vehicles across, since the island has no roads, only sand tracks that call for experienced driving.⁴⁰

Recovery gear is part of the rules. Every vehicle should carry a tyre pressure gauge, shovel, snatch strap, towrope or traction pads, and recovery of a bogged vehicle is the driver's responsibility.^39,41 A private vehicle recovery service operates on the island, which is a comfort but not a plan.⁴² Reduced tyre pressure within the manufacturer's limits helps traction on inland tracks and soft sand, and the tyres need re-inflating on harder surfaces.⁴³

On the Micat, many locals lower their tyre pressure to around 18 psi once aboard, though the operator is clear that every vehicle is different.¹⁹ There are air hoses on the Micat to re-inflate on the return.²⁰ Stay on designated roads, beaches and tracks, and keep off the foredunes and vegetation.²¹ The island has over 420 km of unsealed tracks, and none of them forgives a driver who has not read the conditions that morning.⁴⁴ Check the park alerts for closures before every crossing, as track and beach conditions change with weather and tide.

The Micat runs from the Port of Brisbane to the Tangalooma Wrecks and carries both pedestrians and vehicles.⁵ The crossing takes approximately 90 minutes, and the gates open 1 hour before departure in Brisbane.^6,17 Loading a full boat takes approximately 20 minutes, and secure parking at the terminal starts from $20 per day for the people who leave a car behind.^18,54 Arrive with the paperwork ready and the vehicle already prepared, and wait in your vehicle for the check-in at the gate.

The Micat runs on a demand-based timetable, up to 5 times per day in busy periods.⁵⁵ For a weekend or long weekend 4WD trip the operator recommends booking at least 4 weeks ahead, and for the September, Easter or Christmas Queensland school holidays it recommends 6 months ahead.^15,56 The vehicle landing is at the Wrecks, which Tangalooma places approximately 30 minutes north of its resort reception on foot (its wrecks page gives 15-20 minutes to the wrecks, so the walking times differ).^57,58 Resort guests arriving by Micat on foot find the resort approximately 2 km away with no pick-up service from the landing point, which is a useful reminder that the landing is not a town.⁵⁹

Fuel needs planning, as the island is not a service station. Castaways at Bulwer sells unleaded fuel in 20 L drums only, and vehicle access permits restrict the fuel kept in a developed camping area to 50 L.^60,61 Carry enough from Brisbane for the whole trip. Carry water as well: the island manager tells visitors to bring their own and to treat any water they collect, by tablets or by boiling for at least 10 minutes.^62,46