📍12 Best Adventurous, Fun & Free Things To Do On Bribie Island, Queensland. (Activities, Tours & Attractions.) (2025.)

WONDERING WHAT THE BEST THINGS TO DO ON BRIBIE ISLAND ARE?

If you’re looking for seaside relaxation that blends Australia’s famous golden beaches, a peaceful atmosphere and pristine terrain close to Brisbane, Bribie Island is the perfect place to visit. Located just two hours north of the capital, it is amongst the world’s largest sand islands and one of three hotspot islands destinations within striking distance of the Queensland Capital.

But where it differs from Stradbroke and Moreton is that it is the only place offshore accessible by bridge, making it an unspoilt coastal paradise and idyllic island getaway that’s super easy and convenient to get to for people with all vehicle types. And if you have a 4WD or join a tour, things get even better, as most of Bribie is a national park with beautiful attractions that require a car with off-road capabilities.

However, thanks to the island’s close proximity to the mainland, separated by a stretch of water known as Pumicestone Passage, it’s a quick boat trip across to the best remote places, or a gentle paddle or jetski to the western side’s top stuff, giving everyone several alternatives to reach various places.

So, from 4WD Tours to self-drive off-road adventure trips to the national park’s natural lagoons and historic fortifications to the several campgrounds to spend the night under the stars, here are the best things I found to do on Bribie Island.

👉 My top 3 picks for what to do on Bribie Island, QLD:

4WD Adventure tour.
Swimming in the freshwater lagoons.
Overnight paddling adventure.

Best Things To Do In Bribie Island National Park.

Occupying a significant amount of Bribie Island’s real estate is its national park and recreation area, which is the forefront for many of the island’s fun and adventurous activities and experiences. With long golden beaches, stunning coastal landscapes, and pristine seaside lagoons, it is the closest place to Brisbane where you can immerse yourself in the unspoilt wilderness of this terrain. making it a huge drawcard for nature lovers.

Note: All 4WD activity requires a permit.

1. Join An Adventure Tour.

One of the best ways anyone can experience the essence of Bribie Island and its beautiful scenery and historical significance is by joining a G’day Adventure Tour, which takes passengers to the most fascinating parts of the island inaccessible to those who don’t have a high-clearance 4WD.

Their signature 5-hour Bribie Island 4X4 Adventure Tour offers the most complete and immersive taste test of this place that they offer, which includes driving along the pristine beaches, swimming and kayaking at one of the lagoons, and exploring the fascinating decaying WWII fortifications at the northern end of the island. Then they switch gears, heading inland and tackling the interior’s changing vegetation before stopping for lunch at Poverty Point, where views of Pumistone Passage and the Glass House Mountains await. It’s a fantastic, hassle-free way to see this beautiful island, and is even better with the option to be picked up and dropped off from Brisbane. Perfect for out-of-town visitors who don’t want to hire a car.

They also have shorter 3 and 4-hour tours that cover the eastern side of Bribie, with the longer one also including a kayak in one of the lagoons, ideal for people who have less time to spare.

2. Take A Scenic & Historical Self-Drive 4WD Beach Tour.

For those with a capable high-clearance 4WD, Bribie Island is the perfect place to choose-your-own adventure, especially if you dedicate a few days to properly exploring the terrain and ruins, with a circuit along the ocean-facing beach, then on the rugged inland trails, a must. Plus, because you can pack a lot into these vehicles, you can get even more out of the experience than you can do any other way. It just depends on what you have to bring.

Boogieboards, skipboards, and sandcastle-building equipment are great for family fun at the beach. Kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and pool floaties are great for the lagoons and Pumistone Passage and encountering aquatic wildlife. Fliteboarding and kitesurfing are great for adding thrills to both, as are boats and jet skis, which are also fabulous for reaching the less accessible areas around the island. Plus, there’s more time to explore and experience everything, including the fascinating ruins of World War II fortifications.

You can also reach several of the campgrounds and make it as basic or borderline glamping as you like, which is just the ultimate way to cap off the day at Brisbane’s closest coastal wilderness.

3. Discover The Island’s Flora & Fortifications.

While Bribie Island National Park is mostly off-road driving, some short official walking trails start from 2 different places on the island. In town and accessible to everyone are the Bicentennial bushwalks, located near the Community Arts Centre on Sutherland Drive, taking you through lovely flora landscapes, which include eucalypt forests, wallum heathlands and paperbark wetlands.

Meanwhile, for some fascinating history, old fortification structures lie scattered across the island’s coastline. The ruins of Fort Skirmish lookout tower are easily accessible for conventional vehicles at Woorim, while a short walk a little further up along the beach gets you to the Submarine Indicator Loop Control Room. Also at the northern tip lies the fascinating Fort Bribie Heritage Walk. You can get to the trailhead in a high-clearance 4WD, either your own or by joining one of the aforementioned adventure tours, or by landing your boat or jet ski nearby.

There, you’ll encounter several decaying World War II Fortifications & Gun Emplacements that were vital in monitoring Moreton Bay, guarding the North West shipping channel and defending Brisbane from potential invasion, which are haunting reminders of how close war could have come to the Queensland capital, especially in their dilapidated and weathered state. Some have even had the foundations they were built upon eroded around them and are now landmark features on the beach, adding another layer of intrigue to these ruins.

Submarine Indicator Loop Control Room is part of Fort Skirmish and easily accessible by walking a short distance along the beach

4. Wild Swim At One Of The Freshwater Lagoons.

Another fun and free way to experience Bribie Island’s natural beauty is by seeking out one of its freshwater lagoons and taking a dip in them. There are four lined up along the eastern coastline north of Woorim Beach, which can all be accessed by driving along the beach in a 4WD, which is the best, as you can also take a kayak pool floaty or a stand-up paddleboard. Alternatively, you can park your boat on the beach and walk across.

Freshwater Creek Lagoon is the closest, at 2.2km away, making it also easily reachable on foot, perfect for everyone to enjoy. Norfolk Creek is about 1.7km further and has the most aquatic terrain to play around in, especially with the kayak, where you have better chances of encountering majestic birdlife.

The next furthest away is Mermaid Lagoon, at 7.3km from Woorim Beach, which is the widest and most unusual-shaped, and is the perfect recreation pitstop while driving along the foreshore to Ocean Beach Campground, where the last coastal lagoon, Welsby, is and at 11.5km away offers the most pristine and remote experience.

5. Camping.

There’s no better way to cap off a wild outdoor adventure on Bribie Island than following that with a night spent camping under a billion stars. Luckily, the powers-that-be know how much of a fundamental part of the experience this is and spoils nature-enthusiasts rotten by providing not one but 5 separate campgrounds to do just that! And they each offer a unique experience, with different ways to get there and different amenities and historical landmarks.

Four of them lie on the western banks overlooking Pumistone Passage and the Glass House Mountains, giving campers a calm seaside experience to watch the sunset, before night comes and the mainland’s glittering lights accompany the moonlit water and twinkling stars.

Gallaghers Point is the closest to civilisation and the most accessible, being about 2.6km from the national park entrance on White Patch Esplanade and reachable by 4WD, boat or by hiking in for keen campers

Poverty Point is the most popular for both off-roading and boat adventures, with a separate area for small camping set-ups and a bigger section for trailers and large groups. They are also one of the few that have cold shower facilities.

Further north, Mission Point and Lime Pocket offer the exclusivity of being the national park’s two boat-only accessible campgrounds, with the former also having picnic tables and cold showers.

Meanwhile, on the island’s eastern side lies that last one, Ocean Beach, which, as its name suggests, resides by the sea. It is a huge area accessible by 4WD and boat, and is the perfect place to spend the night listening to the lapping at the shoreline.

Best Things To Do In Pumicestone Passage.

What is Bribie Island without Pumistone Passage, the body of water separating one of the world’s largest sand islands from the mainland? This channel is such an intrinsic part of this offshore destination’s appeal by being a fantastic natural playground that all comers can experience in various ways.

Boat ramps are available on the eastern side of the channel from Toorbul, Donnybrook, Roys Road, with an additional two situated along Golden Beach Road near Caloundra. On the island, there are two launch points at Bongaree and Bellara, while in the national park, you can tow your boat behind your 4WD and launch from Poverty Creek Day Use Area & Lighthouse Reach.

Note: When boating over seagrass beds, go slow for those below—dugongs and turtles feed in these areas. Also, beware of low tide as it may make some areas inaccessible by watercraft.

5. Boating.

With plenty of aquatic terrain and small islands to navigate around and explore, there is no experience more synonymous with Bribie Island’s enviable lifestyle than this. It’s a fantastic way to travel around, and you can access a significant portion of its coastline, not just on both sides of the passage, but also on the ocean-facing eastern side.

This includes some areas inaccessible to 4WDs and significantly too far to reach on foot, making it the ultimate way to drink in the island’s natural beauty and easily visit its best attractions, including its breathtaking freshwater creeks and historical World War II fortifications.

It’s the only convenient mode of transport that allows you to reach ALL 5 of the campgrounds, for if you want a boating adventure, with 2 of the 4 ones on the Pumistone Passage side being exclusive boat-only accessible ones, and the other two being fantastic for a combo adventure with a 4WD.

As for the Ocean Beach campground, the only one on the eastern side, you can’t launch from there, as there are no boat ramp facilities, however, you should be able to anchor your boat on the sand.

6. Jet Ski Hire.

Taking a page out of the boating handbook and cranking things up ten notches, jet skiing turns this peaceful aquatic channel into your own adrenaline-pumping adventure playground! The passage is over 35km long, and that’s plenty of space to zip around while having the time of your life.

Better yet, they are available to hire for several hours nearby, which offers the perfect visitor experience. Or, if you have your own, you can turn it into an overnight jet-ski adventure, which is just an awesome way to go about it.

7. Kayaking.

Pumicestone Passage’s calm waters also make it the ideal place to enjoy a few hours gently kayaking the serene channel. This is also the best way to see birds and marine life, as it’s not disturbing the ambience and scaring them away, so they’ll be more likely to curiously come closer to you. If you’re lucky, you may see dolphins, sea turtles and most magically, dugongs, especially around the seagrasses for the latter two, as that’s what they love to feed on.

With so many possible launch spots and several campsites on the island’s western side, along with the distance from the mainland being so close and easily manageable for most people, it’s perfect for turning a day trip on the water into an overnight paddling adventure!

👉 Paddle Pumicestone Passage’s northern tip by hiring a kayak near Caloundra.

8. Stand Up Paddleboarding.

Another great way to spend time out on the passage is with a stand-up paddleboard. The calm waters create ideal conditions for this experience, and visitors can hire one from the town and explore the peaceful water. Just like kayaking, it’s a great way to mingle with the local marine wildlife population, as they will be more inclined to approach you if you aren’t making a lot of noise or ripples, opening up more opportunity for magical close encounters.

More Things To Do On Bribie Island. (Without A 4WD or Boat.)

While Bribie Island is primarily a 4WD and boaties paradise thanks to the national park and passage that separates it from the mainland, that isn’t all it is. Day trippers and budget travellers without an off-road vehicle can have a lovely time exploring its southern end, which gives visitors a taste of this beautiful, accessible sand island.

9. Spend Time At The Beaches.

One of the best things to do on Bribie Island that everyone can enjoy is its beautiful beaches. The eastern side, in particular, is lined with gorgeous golden beachfront extending the entire length of the island and offers many opportunities for play.

Woorim Beach sits right in front of the township of Woorim and is Brisbane’s closest patrolled beach, offering the best and safest quintessential Australian seaside experience for visitors looking for an authentic local swimming experience. It’s also great for beginner swimmers and budding surfers looking to learn to craft thanks to the typically low waves, making it the perfect place to visit for families and those who aren’t the strongest in the water.

If you like long walks on the beach, heading north from there is a great place to enjoy the sand between your toes and the fresh sea breeze flowing through your hair. Intrepid walkers could even take their swimmers and take a refreshing dip at the aforementioned Fresh Water Lagoon, which is a great way to spend a few hours. However, this is part of the 4WD beach, which will be busy on weekends and public holidays.

Somewhere else that’s great for this activity that doesn’t have cars coming past is Red Beach, which lies along the bottom edge of Bribie, which is a beautiful spot that makes you feel miles away from civilisation. If you walk far enough near the southwest corner, you’ll come across the Humpty, which is what the locals have called the rustic branch shelter on the beach, which is a cool thing to come across. (If it is still there after the intense weather caused by Cyclone Alfred in 2025.)

Over on the western side lie even more beaches, such as Bongaree, Sylvan, and Banskia, which all sit along the calmer waters of Pumistone Passage, and offer a better experience for families with young children to frolic around, having seaside picnics without the windiness from ocean-facing beaches, and easy pool floaty, kayaking and stand-up paddleboard launching.

Plus, it has lovely views looking back towards the mainland, which includes the distant scenery of the distinct peaks of the breathtaking Glass House Mountains, which is a plus.

10. Buckley’s Hole Conservation Park.

If you enjoy birdwatching, Buckley’s Hole Conservation Park is one of the loveliest places to visit. This beautiful spot on the island’s south west corner is an area of global significance due to the prolific shorebird populations that visit these wetlands in the summer to roost and feed after their annual migration from their breeding grounds, which include places in Alaska, Siberia and China! So definitely take the binoculars and relax, waiting for these international birds to appear!

11. Bribie Island Seaside Museum.

For those interested in the discovering more about the rich history of this breathtaking sand island, a visit to the Bribie Island Seaside Museum is a covers Elder stories from First Nation groups, and the important role that the island’s played during the second world war, which makes it great accompaniment to the visiting the fortification ruins scattered along its eastern seaboard.

The museum also runs a range of events and workshops, allowing you to gain an even deeper insight into its fascinating heritage.

12. Water Tower Art.

Another fun thing to do on Bribie Island is to go hunting for the water tower artworks. There are three of them scattered throughout Woorim and are beautiful additions to the township scenery.

Accommodation: Where To Stay On Bribie Island, Queensland.

Budget: Poverty Point Campground.
Mid-Range: Bribie Waterways Motel.
Luxury: Fairways Golf & Beach Retreat.

Conclusion: What To Do On Bribie Island, QLD.

With long, unspoilt beaches to walk along, a calm channel to jet ski through, peaceful lagoons to swim in, and several campgrounds to spend nights under the stars, there is no shortage of outstanding things to do on Bribie Island that outdoor adventurers will love.