Day 46: Moreton Island

Moreton Island is just off the coast of southeastern Queensland, Australia

The protected sand island is known for its beaches and steep dunes, like Mount Tempest. On the west coast, a dive site features coral and tropical fish around a group of sunken boats called the Tangalooma Wrecks. A dolphin feeding spot is nearby. Humpback whales can be viewed from Cape Moreton, the site of a 19th-century lighthouse.

Our tour was in a 4 wheel bus. 4 wheel drive vehicles are required on the island since there are no paved roads. Most of our drive will be on the beach or one way sand roads.

It was a wild ride being so close to the ocean

Some of the roads were cut into the sand so deep that we were looking at ground level from our window

First stop was Honeymoon Bay. Nice stop a few days after renewing our vows.

Toni helped a lady get up the steep trails

Lunch 

Not only did we drive near the ocean, in some places we went through water

We got to visit the lighthouse

These are called squiggly Gum trees because a worm gets under the bark, and as it moves and eats, it leaves a sweet secretion, turning every little bit in a zig zag motion. Then it turns around and eats the secretion leaving the marks.  The gum tree also drops all of its bark periodicall.

We had some visitors as we were waiting for our tender ride back

It was a great day on Moreton Island

A day at sea tomorrow to rest up before Moreton Island and the Great Barrier Reef/