🏝️How to get from Brisbane to North Stradbroke Island
The short answer
- 1🚆Cleveland line to the end (~1 hr)
- 2🚌Free courtesy shuttle or local bus to Toondah Harbour
- 3⛴️Water taxi to Dunwich (~25 min); island buses meet the ferries
Train and bus are 50c each; the island ferry charges its own fare.
The journey, end to end
3 legs, 2 changes. Dashed lines are the parts that aren't public transport.
The best beaches within reach of Brisbane on a day trip, and the only one where you might see whales from the headland.
What is North Stradbroke Island?
North Stradbroke Island, or Straddie, sits in Moreton Bay off Cleveland, about an hour east of the city. It is one of the largest sand islands in the world and home to the Quandamooka people, whose country it is.
Three settlements: Dunwich where the ferry lands, Amity Point on the northern shore, and Point Lookout on the eastern headland, which is where almost everyone is heading. Point Lookout is the surf side, with the gorge walk and the whale watching.
Why go, and what to see
North Gorge Walk
A short loop around the headland at Point Lookout, and the best free thing on the island
Whale watching
Humpbacks pass close to the headland on migration, roughly June to October, visible from land
Cylinder Beach
Patrolled and protected, the swimming beach of choice
Brown Lake and Blue Lake
Freshwater lakes inland, tea-tree stained and warm
Amity Point
Quieter, calmer water, and dolphins around the jetty
Every way to get there, compared
Including the ones that aren't public transport, because pretending the car doesn't exist helps nobody.
🚆 Public transport, 2 changes
- 🚆Cleveland line to the end (~1 hr)
- 🚌Free courtesy shuttle or local bus to Toondah Harbour
- ⛴️Water taxi to Dunwich (~25 min); island buses meet the ferries
Time
About 2 hr door to island
Cost
Extra fare applies
Best for
Cheapest by a distance, and no parking to find
Train and bus are 50c each; the island ferry charges its own fare.
🚗 Drive
- 🚗30 km from the city centre, about 40 min in normal traffic
Time
about 40 min
Cost
Fuel and parking
Best for
Carrying gear, odd hours, or several people splitting the cost
That is the drive to the Cleveland ferry terminal. Taking a car across needs the vehicle ferry and its own booking and fare.
When to go
June to October for the whales, which is also the driest and clearest part of the year. Avoid the January school holidays unless you like queues for the ferry.
Worth knowing
The water taxi is a separate operator with its own fare and timetable, and it is the part of the trip that strands people. Work backwards from its last sailing, and remember you still need the island bus from Dunwich to Point Lookout at the far end.
Last service home →
Check your cut-off before you go, not after.
Anything disrupted? →
Live delays and closures across the network.
Live departures →
Times from the station you change at.
See it on the map →
The route drawn across South East Queensland.
More trips like this
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Getting to North Stradbroke Island: quick answers
How do you get to North Stradbroke Island without a car?+
Take the Cleveland line to Cleveland station, then a bus or short walk to Toondah Harbour, then the passenger water taxi across to Dunwich. From Dunwich an island bus runs to Point Lookout. The train is 50 cents; the water taxi and the island bus are separate operators with their own fares.
Do you need a car on North Stradbroke Island?+
Not for a day trip. The island bus meets the water taxi at Dunwich and runs to Amity Point and Point Lookout, which covers everything most visitors want. You would only want a car for the four-wheel-drive beach tracks or if you are camping with a lot of gear, and taking one across means the vehicle ferry rather than the passenger water taxi.
How do you get from Brisbane to North Stradbroke Island without a car?+
Cleveland line to the end (~1 hr), then Free courtesy shuttle or local bus to Toondah Harbour, then Water taxi to Dunwich (~25 min); island buses meet the ferries. Allow about 2 hr door to island.
How long does it take to get to North Stradbroke Island from Brisbane?+
About 2 hr door to island, door to platform to door, depending on how the connection lands. The planner on this page works it out from where you actually are rather than from the city centre.
How much does it cost to get to North Stradbroke Island?+
Part of this trip sits outside the flat 50 cent fare. Train and bus are 50c each; the island ferry charges its own fare. Check the operator for the current price before you go.
What time is the last service back from North Stradbroke Island?+
It changes by day and by line, and it is the thing that catches people out on a long day trip. Check the last service home tool before you head out so you know your cut-off rather than guessing at the end of the day.