Day trips to enjoy in Moreton Bay Region, Queensland

Are you looking for easy day trip options from Brisbane?

Are you interested in visiting waterfront areas with great vistas of Moreton Bay?

Then check out some of what there is to see and do in the Moreton Bay Region.

The Moreton Bay Region is located on the eastern coast of Australia and is between Brisbane and the Sunshine coast.  The area is only a short drive from Brisbane CBD. It takes approximately 40 – 50 minutes by car to the various destinations listed below.

We have visited the Moreton Bay Region several times in recent years, since one of our children and her family moved to Brisbane. Recently they bought their first home. So, given we are retired, we came to help paint the home before they moved in.

So, in the summer of 2017, we spent several weeks nearby Moreton Bay. It was such a hot summer. And painting is such tiring work. Thank goodness the house has air conditioning! Some days we needed time out from painting. Then we always made our way to the Moreton Bay waterfront. And what beautiful places we found to cool off and recover?

There is heaps and heaps to do in Moreton Bay area. Here are the places we enjoyed.

Redcliffe

Redcliffe is on the north-eastern side of Moreton Bay. The road around this area hugs the coastline and provides for a very scenic drive.

Settlement Cove Lagoon is just a beautiful area to visit (pictured below). There is the wonderful seafront lagoon to swim in, plus multiple great playground areas. BBQ and picnic areas are also available. This recreational area is located right in the CBD of Redcliffe.

If you prefer to eat at a cafe or restaurant, then simply walk across Recliffe Parade. You will find an array of eateries just across the street.

Another favourite of ours is the Redcliffe Jetty. We love history. When we walked out along the jetty we found storyboards telling us all the history of the area.

From Redclifee you can catch a ferry to Moreton Island National Park. Or would you prefer a Whale Watching Cruise? The cruise boat pictured below was just returning from a whale watching tour. This photo was taken in July, when whale watching tours were available.

The boats pictured below were moored nearby the jetty.

Redcliffe is where the Bee Gee brothers were raised after immigrating from England. The Bee Gees Way is a walkway in their honour and was opened by Barry Gibb in 2015. It is located off Redcliffe Parade.

The Bee Gees Way was developed in conjunction with Barry Gibb. For example the story board below “I could tell you a hundred stories about my life in Redcliffe” is written by Barry. The walkway is divided into sections with reflections of different eras of the Bee Gees career. There is also a statue of the three brothers as boys, with bare feet.  According to the storyboard this was requested by Barry. Overall, the walkway is well worth a visit.

We loved visiting the Bee Gees Way, and we are certain many other baby boomers will too.

Manly

Manly is an eastern suburb of Brisbane, on Morton Bay. It is located just south of the mouth to the Brisbane River.

Manly is said to be the largest boat harbour facility in the Southern Hemisphere. What is for sure is there are so many boats. The boats are either moored in the marinas or stored in multi story dry docks.

Of course water activities are the order of the day. We were lucky enough to see the small yachts (with the bright sails) being towed by an inflatable motor boat out from the harbour. Unfortunately, I wasn’t quick enough to get a photo of them all being towed in a row. Perhaps they are young sailors from a sailing club?  In the photo below you can see a person observing from the inflatable boat. You can also see two people kyaking, probably totally unrelated to the sailing.

We visited Manly a number of times, as it is so lovely. Plus, it was close by where we were staying. If you are interested in somewhere to eat we suggest Barramundi Boys – Manly Fish Cafe. They specialise in seafood. There is a great view of the harbour and all the boats, plus a lovely breeze off the water. Monday to Friday they offer lunch time specials, with nothing over $20. Adjacent, in the side street, they serve fish and chips.

If you prefer a pub style meal we suggest the Celtic Corner Bar and Bistro. This is a block back from the harbour.  Even so, we still  got a beautiful breeze while we were enjoying the outside dining.

As people originating from New South Wales we love the Queenslander style homes. Queenslander homes are usually built of timber, elevated to help keep the home cool, and protected from termites. The Queenslander style remains popular. Below is a example of a large home in Manly.

Here are further examples of Queenslander style homes. The styles vary depending on the era they were built in.

Boats are a big part of life in this area. These quaint old boats were moored opposite the homes in the photo above.

Wellington Point Jetty and Park

Wellington Point is bordered by Moreton Bay on both sides, and located more in the southern end of the Bay.

This is a great place for the family to picnic. There is ample parking (we visited mid week), a number of BBQ’s, and a large undercover picnic area.

Plus there is a the lovely still water of Moreton Bay. We visited this area twice. Once was at low tide.

And on our next visit the tide was higher. But, it still was easy to paddle through the shallow water and walk over towards King Island. A funny name for the island when it is so small.

Many people were there with children. Most families were enjoying paddling in the water and building sand castles.   There is also a playground area adjacent to the water.

Adults interested in swimming will enjoy jumping off the jetty and swimming in the deep water. The jetty is on the opposite side of Wellington Point to the photo above.

There was so much happening on Moreton Bay. We enjoyed watching wind surfers, people on house boats, water skiers, and sailing boats.

We really enjoyed morning tea at the Point View Restaurant.  It was a really hot day. So sitting in shade, enjoying our drinks, was just what we needed. There was a wonderful breeze coming directly off the water. The panoramic view of Moreton Bay topped it all off. It was simply lovely.

Cleveland

Cleveland is a suburb of Redland City and is again on the shore of Moreton Bay. It is east, south-east of Brisbane and is the most southern of the four suburbs mentioned in this post.

We have visited this area twice. Most recently we travelled by car. Several years ago we travelled by train from Brisbane to Cleveland for a day trip. We then walked from the Cleveland Railway Station to the Lighthouse Cafe. By memory, it took a bit over 1 hour, with stops to take in the sights.

Firstly, we took in the sights of Raby Harbour. If you enjoy looking at big boats then this is the place to visit.

We walked along by some of the canals in Raby Bay. We admired the big homes with the big boats. Wow. What would it be like to simply walk out the back door, onto your boat, and sail out onto Moreton Bay?

It is an easy, flat walk to Cleveland Point. Once there we admired the Cleveland Point Lighthouse, which is located next to the car park. This lighthouse overlooks Moreton Bay to the east and Raby Bay to the west. Unique features of this lighthouse are it’s weatherboard cladding and hexagonal form. Plus, the lighthouse is exceptionally well maintained, as you can see from the photo below.

Then we went on to the Lighthouse Restaurant Bar & Cafe for lunch. You have the choice of a restaurant experience or a “Fish and Chippery”, both adjacent to each other. This place is busy, so we suggest booking a table out the back, by the water. Sitting beside Moreton Bay, looking out towards Stradbroke Island, while eating seafood is a really lovely experience.

On the walk back to the railway station we visited the Old School House Gallery. The Old School House dates back to 1872 and is interesting in itself. This gallery showcases the talents of local artists and is well worth a look.

From Cleveland you can also catch a ferry or a water taxi across to North Stradbroke Island. This could be another great day trip.

This post only shows a glimpse of what there is on offer in the Moreton Bay Region. If you are visiting Brisbane, do yourself a favour and take a day trip to enjoy some of what is on offer in the area. However, our tip is to choose one or two areas to visit in a day. Otherwise you will be travelling all day and not have time to explore and enjoy what is on offer.

So remember, next time you visit Brisbane, take a day trip out to the Moreton Bay Region.  We are certain you will not be sorry.

Safe travels

Cheers from Estelle and Greg – Retirees Enjoying Travel