Kangaroos are a regular sight on quaint Bribie Island. Image / Scott Nelson
Spending 48 hours on Bribie Island in Queensland’s Moreton Bay, Tyson Beckett rediscovers the childlike joy to be found on a simple, secluded stay
9am: The first sign my trip to Bribie Island will be one of quaint delights comes when I’m dropped at the address given for the rental car pickup. It’s not a branded office, but a post-stamp-sized petrol station that also moonlights as a mechanic and UHaul trailer depot.
“Here you go, love,” the attendant says without asking any further questions, “Can I help with anything else?”
“Yes”, I ask internally, “Have I gone back in time?”
10am: It might not be bougie, but small-town baking really is unbeatable. Kenilworth Country Bakery was established in 1924 in the namesake town west of the Sunshine Coast and now has outposts on Bribie and in Mooloolaba. It’s told that people travel an hour from Brisbane just to nab their famed doughnuts and sausage rolls, some of which are offered in 1kg portions.
Queuing, I eye up a cabinet of tempting flavours (caramel pistachio, biscoff, Tim Tam, mint slice). Someone ahead orders a coffee doughnut - a house specialty in which a freshly baked doughnut is hollowed out, lined with Nutella, then filled with a shot of espresso and frothed milk. I settle on a more classic lamington version and scoff the whole thing in five bites perched on a picnic table, watching kids on a treat-fuelled sugar rush zoom around the adjacent playground.
11am: My own sugar rush sets in, so to burn it off and get my bearings, I go for a shorefront walk, stopping frequently when greeted by chatty locals (most of whom are seabirds). For a crash course on local history, I pop in at the Bribie Island Seaside Museum, which offers a glimpse into the island’s rich past, from the indigenous Ngunda or Jondoburri people who were Bribie’s traditional owners to World War II history.
12pm: I drive to the other side of the island, passing many kangaroo warning road signs, to meet Jason Brown, the friendly owner operator of G’day Adventure Tours. Brown’s unforgettable beach experiences take you first down, and then off the beaten path, through the raw beauty of Bribie Island National Park, which opens up to an expanse of pristine surf beach stretching over 30km.
Perfect for thrill-seekers and nature lovers alike, this guided tour offers a unique way to discover one of Queensland’s best-kept coastal treasures. We climb into his custom 4x4 van, and Brown primes me to keep an eye out for wildlife. “See there!” he soon says, pointing to a chiselled rock jutting out where the sand dunes meet the grassland. “Uh, huh”, I say quizzically, just as the stone moves and I realise it was the angular shoulders of a kangaroo nibbling on grass.
I spot and get up close to countless roos and wallabies over a 3.5-hour tour, which also takes in breathtaking views of the bushland and coastal flora. There’s an option to swim or kayak through lagoons of tranquil water coloured like tea by tannins leached from the surrounding melaleuca forests. As we cruise north towards Caloundra, Brown shares local stories about the island’s geography and ecology, and we park up close to what remains of some concrete World War II bunkers, now collapsing into the ocean.
Driving back, Brown says humpback whales are spotted between August and November and dolphins are another frequent sighting year-round. We see the nesting areas of endangered loggerhead turtles that return to lay their eggs in the dunes.
3pm: In the afternoon, it’s time to check into On the Beach Resort, located (you guessed it) right on the coastline.
Guests can choose from spacious, self-contained apartments or two and three-bedroom ensuite units that have plenty of room to unfurl and rooftop decks with BBQS and spa pools. Lush tropical gardens surround an expansive 20m saltwater pool and a sundeck bordered by a family-friendly outdoor cooking area.
6pm: No trip to the Queensland coastline is complete without a visit to a Surf Club, and Bribie’s is one of Australia’s oldest. Established in 1922, the beloved club is the heart of local social life, and on Friday night, I park up among tables of families, friends and colleagues unwinding over Queensland Classics.
I’m tempted by the seafood tower for two, but my table of one opts instead for what seems like a local delicacy, oysters Kilpatrick - grilled with bacon, worcestershire, tabasco, BBQ and tomato sauce. I wash down the heavy-hitting flavours with a shandy.
I’m full to bursting, but when a hunky slice of black forest cake is delivered to next table I hear in my head the Japanese phrase betsubara, which describes the second stomach your body finds, just for desserts.
9am: My day starts at Annie Lane Cafe, a cafe specialising in all-day brunch items, many of which feature produce from the Moreton Bay area. I try to start on a healthy note, ordering a coconut and lemon myrtle chia pudding with local lychee honey and fresh fruits, but am immediately and willingly led astray by a Turkish delight cold brew coffee that arrives at the table topped with a decadent chocolate mousse and fairy floss.
10am: Small towns are often home to jacks of all trades. Take Bribie Beach Shack, a busy do-it-all shop frequented by locals and tourists since 1951. Here, you can hire kayaks and boats, grab fish and chips, a glass of wine or beer and enjoy the views of the Pumicestone Passage - a haven for boating, crabbing, and fishing.
12pm: Squally weather means my plan to explore the Passage onboard a beautifully restored Venetian-style Gondola remain tethered to the dock. Instead, I happily potter around, taking in the charm of the local shops.
I while away an hour at least perusing the gloriously retro covers at The Book Bucket, a book exchange shop packed to the rafters with second-hand holiday reads. My leisurely browse means I get to Robbie’s Crystal Cauldron 15 minutes too late to get a reading in the Psychic Garden (guess they didn’t see me coming), but I don’t leave empty-handed - I get a good chuckle from psychic Annie’s crystal of the day: Sunstone.
3pm: Maybe the only thing better than small-town baking is the secondhand shopping. A Google search shows Bribe has at least eight op-shops and I duck showers by flitting between them, and the antique stores where I pick up some kitschy vintage tea towels and fabric badges as souvenirs.
6pm: It seems like everyone from the local area is descending on the crowd-pleasing Sandstone Point Hotel, the award-winning venue is heaving with people celebrating birthdays, engagements, or simply welcoming the weekend.
If the rain had lifted, you’d have found me farewelling the day al fresco at the venue’s new Oyster Shed Beach Club, which offers a menu of fresh seafood, a cocktail bar, fire pits and day beds surrounded by palm trees and water views. Instead, I sit cosily indoors with a friend I’ve convinced to drive down from Brisbane to justify ordering the lavish frutti di mare platter. We crack into Moreton Bay Bugs and prawns, oysters, Mooloolaba spanner crab and crispy calamari while overlooking the waterfrontage just past the expansive lawn. The hotel is home to Australia’s best outdoor entertainment venue, which has hosted the likes of Jimmy Barnes.
For a taste of the real South Australia, head to its bustling market stalls.