Moreton Island: North
What do you get when you put a bunch of keen explorers on a huge sandy island with a few 4WD’s, a couple of TREDs, and the freedom to do whatever they want? An adventure packed few days with loads of laughs, a lot of sand, and a few epic recoveries. As a crew full of explorers, it’s in our blood to want to get out and about every chance we get. Living in Queensland, Australia, means we can call up the crew, jump in the car and hit the coast at a moment’s notice. One of our favourite spots to visit is the world’s third-largest sand island, aka the beautiful Moreton Island.
Getting to Moreton Island
After a short 1-hour ferry trip on the MICAT from Brisbane, we’re driving down the ramp and onto the picture-perfect white sandy beaches of Moreton Island. With the salty wind blowing in our hair and the sound of crashing waves coming through the window, Cale from EC Offroad couldn’t resist a quick dip to kick off the trip.
The Cowan Cowan Bypass was where it really started to get interesting because after all, what’s a trip with the crew if there aren’t a few practical jokes to keep them on their toes? With the dusty sand proving to be softer than usual, it could only mean one thing: we’re glad we work for TRED.
The first sand recovery
Driving in soft sand means there’s less time to enjoy the view and a much higher chance of getting stuck in it. As always, Barney from Legendex couldn’t miss an opportunity to have a laugh and ‘stalled it’ leaving anyone behind him in a tough, or should we say ‘soft’ spot. Thankfully, we know a thing or two about vehicle recovery and just happened to have a few TRED boards handy to get the convoy moving again. The one thing we love about having a pair of recovery boards at the ready is the convenience and confidence knowing that there are very few tough situations where you’ll need additional equipment to help get you out of trouble.
Exploring Northern Moreton Island
We’re always on the lookout for campsites with a view and this one well and truly delivered being only a few steps from the beach; that’s the beauty of Moreton. Heading up to Cape Moreton toward the 150-year-old lighthouse, there’s no doubt that Northern Moreton is an absolute treat; from honeymoon bay to yellow patch, it’s not hard to see why so many families and tourists flock to Moreton Island to get away from the city. Even when the temperatures are soaring, the vast and open landscapes provide an Instagram-worthy shot at every turn. We thought it was only fitting to get the sand boards out, fill up our pockets with a few handfuls of sand and take the dunes for a test drive!
Fishing for flatheads
There couldn’t possibly be a better way to wrap up our time spent on the Northern end of Moreton than grabbing the fishing rods before the sunset creeps in. The optimism of our fisherman hoping for a couple of 3 metre flatheads didn’t last long but nevertheless they persisted before settling for a few smaller catches.
For our crew, a successful trip is measured by the number of recoveries we can get in, the intensity of the t-shirt tan we have by the end of it, and buckets of sand we can clean out of the footwell of the car. There is never a dull moment when we hit the road, and it’s a good thing we’ve got some of the world’s most gorgeous landscapes on our doorstep to make it even more worthwhile.