Destinations

There are many places to stay and play on Moreton Island this is a list of all the townships across the Island. The settlements share a small-scale and rustic feel and are set amongst natural bushland.

Bulwer

The township of Bulwer was established in 1848 on Moreton Island as a pilot station. The township was named after Edward Bulwer Lytton ~ a British MP.
The township was a small community and even included a school until the end of
December 1909. Bulwer is a now a charming holiday and fishing village, surrounded by National Park located on the north west coast of Moreton Island, a part of Brisbane City Council. Bulwer is geared to deal with the travellers who arrive on the island and require food, bait and supplies.There is a small convenience and liquor store, Taxi Service, Public Phone and Bait & Tackle at the northern end of the village.

The rest of the village consists of a number of private holiday homes and a few fishing clubhouses scattered along the beachfront and separated by sand tracks and lush Island vegetation. Bulwer is about 12 km north of Tangalooma Resort.
There is no electricity to the Island, individual property owners supply their own services either by solar or generator.

The beach in front of Bulwer offers calm, crystal clear blue waters, white sandy beach, safe swimming and good fishing near the Bulwer Wrecks or on the beach in front of Bulwer. The bulwer wrecks has a nice wide area of beach between the wrecks is a safe area for children to play with no through traffic.
The wrecks also offer a safe swimming enclosure and snorkeling opportunities and a great spot to watch the spectacular sunsets back across Moreton Bay as it falls behind the mainland mountain ranges and Glass House Mountains.

See accommodation available in Bulwer

Cowan Cowan

The Village of Cowan Cowan is situated about 7kms south of Bulwer on the western Beach. There are aproximately 75 land allotments strung out along the beach for about 1km.
Cowan Cowan was first used by the Maritime Authorities as a pilot station for ships entering Moreton Bay once the Lighthouse at Cape Moreton was built in 1857. It was used as a Pilot Station until it was closed in 1963. During the World War, it was established as a military camp in 1937 and housed approx 1000 soldiers during the military occupation of Moreton Island. Remains of military buildings such as gun emplacements and forts can still be seen on on the beach in front of Cowan Cowan and are a reminder of Australia's involvement in WWII.

The large concrete structures collapsing onto the beach at Cowan housed a 6" gun capable of firing across the bay. During the war the gun was fired regularly for training purposes. The gun was removed to the Kelvin Grove Barricks after the war, but was then remounted in 1956 due to hostility during the Sues Crisis. Eventaully the gun toppled onto the beach and it was removed to the Maritime Museum at South Bank in Brisbane.

Cowan has no through traffic and the beach is closed off to all vehicle through traffic making it an ideal destination for families with small children.

Kooringal

The village consists of a number of private holiday homes and a few fishing clubhouses scattered along the beachfront and separated by sand tracks and lush Island vegetation. This is the Mellow part of Moreton Island.

Kooringal is also home to the famous Gutter Bar provide high quality seafood, meat, meals and other services for the local area. Renowned across the island for their seafood that is fresh from the local trawlers and oysters from the clear local waters. Fresh Oysters can also be bought from the Toulkerrie Oyster Farm grown right here in Moreton Island Bay waters.

This township has its own 500 m airstrip and is serviced by a vehicular barge that runs from Amity Point on North Stradbroke Island