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Moreton Island day trip from the Gold Coast or Redcliffe
Full-day Moreton Island trip from Brisbane
★ 4.5 · Rated by 2,260 guests
Fast answer
A Moreton Island day trip from the Gold Coast works with a guided pickup or an early shuttle, while Redcliffe visitors have a Sunday walk-on launch to Bulwer.
Start facts
3 options compared
Compare the Gold Coast days
Set your party size and read off the from price of each day.
- This site's tour1 day · per person, from $126
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View - Gold Coast day12 hours · per person, from $152
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View - Snorkel cruiseGold Coast pickup · per person, from $188
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View
From-prices on GetYourGuide, shown at the ECB reference rate. Your exact price is confirmed during booking.
Starting south or north of Brisbane changes the clock, not the island. This page lays out how a Gold Coast morning and a Redcliffe departure work, using the times that are published.
Editorial team, moretonislanddaytrip.com · Updated November 7, 2026 · 8 min of reading
In brief
- From the Gold CoastThe site tour is described as fully guided from Brisbane or the Gold Coast.
- The distanceBrisbane Airport is approximately 80 km from the Gold Coast.1
- The early startThe resort's Gold Coast shuttle starts collecting at 6:35AM.2
- From RedcliffeA Sunday walk-on launch runs from Redcliffe Jetty to Bulwer.3
- The crossingPassenger ferries take 75 minutes each way from Holt Street Wharf.4
Starting from the Gold Coast
The short answer is yes: a Moreton Island day trip from the Gold Coast works, and the record for this site's tour agrees. It describes the trip as fully guided from Brisbane or the Gold Coast. The meeting-point lines in the same record show a Brisbane coach terminal departure and a Port of Brisbane check-in for the option shown, and they add that the meeting point may vary with the option you book. A Gold Coast question is therefore really a question about which option you pick and where the guide's vehicle collects you, so read the pickup line for your date before you plan the morning.
The Gold Coast sits a long way south of the harbour that the island boats use. Destination Gold Coast puts Brisbane Airport approximately 80 km from the Gold Coast and notes that transfer times depend on traffic.1 Its own guide also lists the Airtrain between Brisbane Airport and the Gold Coast, with G:Link or bus connections onward.5 Those are mainland links and none of them touches the island. A day that starts south of Brisbane is a long road leg followed by a short sea leg.
A guided option takes the road leg off your hands. A separate Gold Coast listing meets guests at Mantra on View Surfers Paradise, runs for 12 hours and is rated 4.3 from 59 reviews. A snorkel cruise listing offers pickup from the Gold Coast or Brisbane and has 1,178 reviews. Both are listed here only for comparison, because the site tour in this guide is the one that carries the booking button, and the cards further down set the three side by side.
Starting points
Starts side by side
| Start | Where you meet | What the source fixes |
|---|---|---|
| Gold Coast shuttle | Hotels on the resort's pickup list | First pickup at 6:35AM2 |
| Gold Coast listing | Mantra on View Surfers Paradise | A day listed at 12 hours |
| Brisbane coach terminal | Brisbane Coach Terminal | Site tour departs at 7 AM |
| Port of Brisbane | 14 Howard Smith Dr | Site tour check-in at 7:30 AM |
| Holt Street Wharf | Pinkenba, Brisbane | Check-in at least 1 hour before sailing7 |
| Redcliffe Jetty | Redcliffe, north of Brisbane | Sunday launch at 10am, back at 4pm3 |
The times belong to the products named and can change, so check the date you book. Prices elsewhere on the page are from prices.
The resort shuttle, clock in hand
Tangalooma runs its own bus from the Gold Coast for resort guests and day cruises. Pickups run from 6:35AM at The Star Gold Coast, 6:45AM at Legends Hotel, 6:50AM at Mantra on View Hotel and 6:55AM at Marriott Gold Coast.6 Transfers from select Brisbane and Gold Coast hotels must be pre-booked and prepaid, and the morning bus connects with the 10:00am passenger ferry from Holt St Wharf.10,8
Even if you book another operator, that timetable shows how a Gold Coast morning is built. Check-in at Holt Street Wharf is at least 1 hour before departure, and the crossing takes 75 minutes each way.7,4 Return shuttle pickups at Holt St Wharf are at 5:30PM for the 4:00pm ferry and 8:15PM for the 7:00pm ferry.9 Put the two ends together and the day is long on the road at both ends of the sea crossing.
The shuttle is priced at $50 per person each way, and infants aged 0-2 travel free on an adult's lap.11 Guests on a bus transfer for a day trip may bring only 1 carry on bag, so a beach chair and an esky stay at home.12 The shuttle belongs to the resort's own day cruise, and it should not be assumed for another operator's tour. Treat the figures as a model of the timing, and ask your own operator for its pickup sheet.
Minutes on the clock
The times that shape a start
Redcliffe and the north side
A day trip to Moreton Island from Redcliffe is a different animal. Redcliffe sits on the peninsula just north of Brisbane. Visit Moreton Bay describes it as a 30 minute drive from Brisbane Airport, across the Houghton Highway,13 and puts its visitor information centre at the historic Redcliffe Jetty.23 The jetty matters for this page: the island manager lists a Sunday passenger launch that leaves Redcliffe Jetty for Bulwer at 10am and returns at 4pm, for pedestrians only.3
Bulwer is a township on the northern part of Moreton Island, a long way from the wrecks that most day trips are built around. On the island's own tracks, driving from Tangalooma to Bulwer via Cowan Cowan takes 35 min,15 and vehicle access is prohibited on the beach at Cowan Cowan township.24 A walk-on from Redcliffe has no vehicle at all, so a Redcliffe day is a day on foot around Bulwer and not a day at the Tangalooma Wrecks.
The launch details come from the manager's list and carry no date, so confirm the service with the operator before you plan around it. For a walk-on day, the limits are food and water: not all shops on the island are open every day,25 visitors are told to bring their own water,26 and Castaways in Bulwer stocks basic groceries, ice and firewood for those who need them.27 A full day at the wrecks from Redcliffe means joining a Brisbane start instead.
Pick your start
Which start is yours?
Read down the left column until you find where you sleep, and take the answer beside it.
If I sleep on the Gold Coast and want no driving
Book a guided option
A Gold Coast listing meets at Mantra on View Surfers Paradise, and a cruise listing offers pickup from the Gold Coast or Brisbane.
If I will drive myself to the harbour
Book the vehicle ferry
The Micat departs from 14 Howard Smith Dr, and bookings are essential for passengers and vehicles.17,18
If I want to skip a very early start
Stay a night on the island
Castaways has glamping tents, units and dorm accommodation, and camping costs $7.75 per person per night.19,20
If I am at Redcliffe and have no car
Check the Sunday launch
The island manager lists a pedestrian-only launch from Redcliffe Jetty to Bulwer, leaving at 10am and returning at 4pm.3
If I want to arrive by air
Ask the resort about transfers
Helicopter transfers from the Gold Coast and Brisbane are listed for official resort guests.21
Pick a day
Days that suit a Gold Coast start
Brisbane starts, for comparison
For a Gold Coast to Moreton Island day trip, the Brisbane start is the comparison point, and from Brisbane the site tour is simpler to read. Its record lists a Brisbane Coach Terminal departure at 7 AM and a Port of Brisbane check-in at 14 Howard Smith Dr at 7:30 AM, and says the exact departure time is given when the reservation is confirmed. It is a full-day trip with a 75-minute cruise, a live English guide and free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance. The listing price starts from $126, a from price rather than a quote.
The Micat vehicle ferry departs from the same street address, 14 Howard Smith Dr at the Port of Brisbane, and takes approximately 90 minutes to reach the island.17,14 The record for the site tour does not name a vessel, so do not assume which boat carries you, and ask your operator which terminal your option uses. If you drive to the terminal yourself, its gates open 1 hour before departure and secure parking starts from $20 per day.30,31 Allow time for loading as well, because a full boat takes approximately 20 minutes to load.32
Bookings are essential for both passengers and vehicles on the Micat.18 The operator recommends booking walk-on tickets a week ahead, or at least 2 weeks ahead in school holidays.33 A Gold Coast driver who hopes to turn up on the day meets the same rule as everybody else, and for the September, Easter and Christmas school holidays the advice stretches to 6 months in advance.34 A guided tour that collects you at a named point is a calmer way to meet those queues, with the crossing handled inside one booking.
A Gold Coast morning
The shuttle day in order
Early pickup
Shuttle pickup
The resort's Gold Coast shuttle collects from 6:35AM and finishes its round at 6:55AM.6
At the wharf
Check-in at Holt St
Check-in at Holt Street Wharf is at least 1 hour before departure, and the shuttle connects with the 10:00am ferry.7,8
Crossing
The ferry ride
The passenger ferry takes 75 minutes each way across the bay.4
On the island
The island day
This site's tour is listed with snorkelling, a transparent kayak, sand tobogganing and 4WD driving, plus a lunch break.
The way back
Back to the bus
Return shuttle pickups at Holt St Wharf are at 5:30PM for the 4:00pm ferry and 8:15PM for the 7:00pm ferry.9
When the long day stops paying
A day that starts on the Gold Coast can run 12 hours on a listing that meets at Surfers Paradise. Add the 75-minute crossing each way and ask honestly how many daylight hours are left at the wrecks.4 The same listing says the activity depends on weather, wind and tidal conditions, and the island manager describes Moreton Island as being in exposed waters.35 A long day with a cancelled activity is a poor trade, and it is worth asking an operator what happens to your booking when the sea or the wind stops the main activity.
People who find the trade poor can stay the night. Castaways at Bulwer has glamping tents, units and dorm accommodation, with a store and a cafe, and it lies a 20 minute drive from the Micat landing point.19 Camping costs $7.75 per person per night from 1 July 2026, and permits must be obtained before arrival because there is no self-registration on site.20,36 The overnight page of this site goes through those options in full, with the permits, the camp types and the cost of each.
Resort guests have one more route in. Tangalooma lists helicopter transfers from Brisbane, the Gold Coast and other locations across South East Queensland, and the page presents them as a service for official resort guests.21 It is a different product from this site's tour and sits at a different price level, which is why it appears here as context and not as a recommendation. Anyone who is not a resort guest should treat the helicopter as out of reach and plan around the boats instead.
Video
How long to Moreton Island and the Tangalooma wrecks from the Gold Coast
The Rudder on YouTube · The video stays unloaded until you press play.
There are no bridges to Moreton Island, there are no sealed roads on the Island and the only access is by boat.
Start sorted
Plan the start, then the day
Plan the start4
Choosing your start
Put the pieces together. From the Gold Coast, the lowest-effort start is a guided option that collects you, whether the site tour with the pickup point your booking shows or a Gold Coast listing that meets at a named hotel. The shuttle model of the resort is worth knowing because it shows the real clock: a pickup in the 6:35AM to 6:55AM band, check-in an hour before sailing, and a return that reaches the wharf in the evening.6,7,9
From Redcliffe, treat the Sunday launch to Bulwer as its own small trip, and take a Brisbane start if the wrecks are the point of the day. The airport is a 30 minute drive from the peninsula, which puts a Brisbane harbour start within reach of an early riser.13 Leave a margin on the drive, since check-in at Holt Street Wharf is at least 1 hour before departure.7 Check the departure point on your booking, because the meeting point varies with the option.
Whichever way you start, the price you see on a listing is a from price, so read the final figure for your date before paying. The site tour starts from $126 and the Gold Coast listing from $152. Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance applies to both, which makes the booking easy to move if the weather forecast turns. Read the cancellation line again at checkout, as it is the part of a listing that changes your options most when plans slip.
FAQ
Fast answers to common questions.
Can I do Moreton Island in a day from the Gold Coast?
Yes, on a Gold Coast or Brisbane option.
The site tour's record describes the trip as guided from Brisbane or the Gold Coast, and a separate Gold Coast listing meets at Surfers Paradise.
How far is Brisbane Airport from the Gold Coast?
What time does the Gold Coast shuttle leave?
Can I go to Moreton Island from Redcliffe?
Yes, on a Sunday launch.
The island manager lists a pedestrian-only Sunday launch from Redcliffe Jetty to Bulwer, leaving at 10am and returning at 4pm. Check that it still runs.3
How long is the ferry crossing?
Can I take a car across from the Gold Coast?
Is there a helicopter from the Gold Coast?
For resort guests.
Tangalooma lists helicopter transfers from Brisbane, the Gold Coast and other places in South East Queensland for official resort guests.21
Does the Gold Coast shuttle cost extra?
Yes, $50 each way.
The resort's shuttle is priced at $50 per person each way, and infants aged 0-2 travel free on an adult's lap.11
Sources
- Destination Gold Coast · Getting here and around ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (official site) · Bus and coach transfers ↩
- Mulgumpin Camping (Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation) · Getting there ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (official site) · Launch transfer times and information (ferries) ↩
- Destination Gold Coast · Getting here and around ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (official site) · Bus and coach transfers ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (official site) · Launch transfer times and information (ferries) ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (official site) · Bus and coach transfers ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (official site) · Bus and coach transfers ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (official site) · Bus and coach transfers ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (official site) · Bus and coach transfers ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (official site) · Bus and coach transfers ↩
- Visit Moreton Bay (Tourism and Events Moreton Bay) · Redcliffe ↩
- Moreton Island Adventures (Micat ferry operator) · Micat Moreton Island ferry ↩
- Mulgumpin Camping (Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation) · Staying safe ↩
- North Stradbroke Island official information site · Getting here ↩
- Moreton Island Adventures (Micat ferry operator) · Micat Moreton Island ferry ↩
- Moreton Island Adventures (Micat ferry operator) · Micat Moreton Island ferry ↩
- Moreton Island Adventures (Micat ferry operator) · Moreton Island accommodation ↩
- Mulgumpin Camping (Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation) · Camping fees ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (official site) · Helicopter transfers ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (official site) · Personal 4WD vehicle access and parking
- Visit Moreton Bay (Tourism and Events Moreton Bay) · Redcliffe ↩
- Mulgumpin Camping (Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation) · Staying safe ↩
- Mulgumpin Camping (Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation) · Camping on Mulgumpin ↩
- Mulgumpin Camping (Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation) · Before you go ↩
- Mulgumpin Camping (Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation) · Camping on Mulgumpin ↩
- Moreton Island Adventures (Micat ferry operator) · DIY day tour ↩
- Mulgumpin Camping (Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation) · Staying safe ↩
- Moreton Island Adventures (Micat ferry operator) · Micat Moreton Island ferry ↩
- Moreton Island Adventures (Micat ferry operator) · Micat Moreton Island ferry ↩
- Moreton Island Adventures (Micat ferry operator) · Micat Moreton Island ferry ↩
- Moreton Island Adventures (Micat ferry operator) · Planning your escape ↩
- Moreton Island Adventures (Micat ferry operator) · Planning your escape ↩
- Mulgumpin Camping (Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation) · Getting there ↩
- Mulgumpin Camping (Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation) · Mulgumpin Camping home ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (official site) · Launch transfer times and information (ferries) ↩
- Mulgumpin Camping (Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation) · Getting there ↩
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