Our 3-hour Tour: Bribie Island

About an hour drive north of Brisbane is Bribie Island. We spent a beautiful Sunday afternoon exploring the island with some friends of ours; also from the States. Through G'Day Adventure Tours, we were driven along the beach in a 4WD while hearing the history of the island and Fort Bribie from WWII. There were also plenty of opportunities to put our feet in the ocean, brackish lagoons, and silicon-rich sand that squeaks underfoot.

Bribie Island is the 4th largest all-sand island in the world.

The lagoons just inland of the beach are brackish due to the mixture of fresh and salt water. A native tree, paperbark tea gum tree, contributes a medicinal antiseptic to the lagoon waters making it good for your skin. When the leaves of this tree are crushed, there is an aroma of menthol and eucalyptus. So, while the water doesn't look very inviting, it is warm and aromatic.

Fort Bribie was built to defend the North West Channel into Moreton Bay and Brisbane River during WWII. Fort Bribie was constructed between 1940 and 1942 and consisted of two 6-inch guns and their support infrastructure. What is left of the concrete infrastructures are slowly succumbing to the sea.

We were fortunate enough to see both kangaroos and wallabies in their natural habitat and plovers enjoying the surf.

Even though Bribie Island is all sand, there are lots of trees and shrubs conducive to growing in the sand and providing nourishments to the wildlife.

After the beach tour, Jason recommended a great local seafood shop called Savige's. We enjoyed grilled and fried fish and chips. Then, with full bellies, as we left Bribie Island, we captured a spectacular sunset.

Last, but not least...I'll leave you with this.