Visiting Bribie safely

Getting there and getting around

• Bribie Island National Park and Recreation Area map (PDF, 407.5KB)

Bribie Island is 65km north of Brisbane and 70km south of Caloundra, via the Bruce Highway. It is linked to the mainland by a road bridge.

Some areas within the national park and recreation area are accessible only by boat and others only by four-wheel-drive. Wherever you go on the island away from town areas, you need to carry drinking water and be self-sufficient.

Four-wheel-drive access

Four-wheel-drive (4WD) or six-wheel-drive (6WD) vehicles with high clearance and low range function are essential for driving through the national park and recreation area, including on the beach. All-wheel-drive vehicles without true 4WD function and vehicles with low clearance will have difficulty along inland tracks and in soft sand. Drivers should engage and stay in 4WD and adjust tyre pressure accordingly. Vehicles entering the national park and recreation area must be fully road-registered.

24hr number plate surveillance cameras in use

All vehicles entering and exiting the recreation area will have their vehicle number plates recorded. Vehicle registration details are checked against the Queensland National Parks Booking Service and a Penalty Infringement Notice (PIN) will be issued to the registered owner of any vehicle that does not have a valid vehicle access permit.

As of July 2022 a penalty of $215 applies for entering a recreation area without a valid vehicle access permit. This amount will increase each financial year from 1 July. To avoid receiving a PIN, ensure you purchase a vehicle access permit before entering the recreation area.

All camera footage obtained will be stored securely and only be viewed and accessed by authorised persons. The footage is retained in accordance with the Public Records Act 2002, which in most cases is 30–90 days, unless it is required for official purposes, or as a retained public record. For further information on our privacy and security practices visit the privacy page on the department's website. For more information see:

• Automatic Number Plate Recognition Cameras - FAQs (PDF, 167.0KB)

A vehicle access permit must be purchased and displayed on your vehicle windscreen before driving in the recreation area. You can enter the recreation area from the northern end of White Patch Esplanade or from the Eighth Avenue carpark off North Street, Woorim.

If you book online or over the phone, please collect your vehicle access permit from the information shelters at the entrances to the park, fill in your booking details, and display the permit on the lower left-hand side of your vehicle’s windscreen prior to entering the recreation area. Invalid or expired permits must be removed.

Hiring a vehicle or purchasing a vehicle with a vehicle access permit attached

On each occasion a rental vehicle is in a recreation area, the person who hired the vehicle for that occasion must be the person who applies for the vehicle access permit. The same applies if you have recently purchased a four-wheel drive that has a vehicle access permit. Permits are not transferable, and you must purchase a vehicle access permit under your own name for the vehicle.

Conventional vehicle access

Sealed roads provide access to the Bicentennial bushwalks that begin near the Community Arts Centre on Sunderland Drive. A vehicle access permit is not required for areas accessible by sealed road.

Boat access

Boats can be launched on the island at Bongaree and Bellara, and on the mainland at Sandstone Point, Toorbul, Donnybrook, Coochin Creek, Bells Creek and Golden Beach boat ramps.

Mission Point, Lime Pocket and Lion's Park are accessible only by boat with picnic facilities located at Lion's Park and Mission Point. Mission Point and Lime Pocket camping areas have relatively protected boat anchorage.

Wheelchair accessibility

There are no areas accessible by wheelchair in Bribie Island National Park or Recreation Area.

Staying safe

To enjoy a safe visit to this area, please:

• Take care when Driving in sand.
• Watch the tides! On Ocean Beach, travel as close to low tide as possible, as this is when beach driving conditions are safest. Avoid driving three hours either side of high tide.
• Bring enough water for your visit as drinking water is not available at any of the camping or picnic areas.
• Watch for 4WDs—often the sound of the surf makes it difficult to hear approaching vehicles.
• Take care in or near the water on Ocean Beach—it has dangerous rips and the beaches are not patrolled.
• Take care when using fire for cooking—use fire rings provided; put the fire out with water (not sand) when unattended; and supervise children to avoid burn injuries. Preferably use a fuel stove.
• Be aware that Lyngbya, a toxic blue-green algae bloom, can occur in Moreton Bay from late spring to mid-autumn. Contact with Lyngbya can cause skin, eye and respiratory irritation. Check local conditions and avoid swimming or contact with debris on the beach when algal bloom is present.
• Estuarine Stonefish (Synanceia horrida) frequent the Pumicestone Passage. They can inflict a painful sting if touched. Wear shoes when wading or swimming. Seek medical assistance if stung.

For more information, please read the guidelines on safety in parks and forests.

Before you visit

Essentials to bring

Preparation is the key to a safe and enjoyable visit. Make sure that you bring:

• Enough drinking water for your visit as fresh water is not available at any of the camping or day-use areas.
• A fuel stove for cooking or clean milled timber for use in the QPWS provided fire rings.
• Protective clothing, sunscreen, hat and sunglasses to protect yourself from the sun.
• Insect repellent to avoid mosquito and sandfly bites. Mosquitoes are especially prevalent during the warmer months of the year.
• A portable enclosed toilet system if you are camping in areas without toilet facilities.
• Extra tarpaulins to protect tents and vehicles from flying fox droppings—foraging flying foxes may be encountered at certain times of the year.

Opening hours

Bribie Island National Park and Recreation Area is open 24 hours a day. There is a tourism information centre on Bribie Island—for contact details see the tourism information links below.

Permits and fees

A vehicle access permit must be purchased and displayed on your vehicle windscreen before driving in the recreation area. Fees apply.

If you book online or over the phone, please collect your vehicle access permit from the information shelters at the entrances to the park, fill in your booking details, and display the permit on the lower left-hand side of your vehicle’s windscreen prior to entering the recreation area. Invalid or expired permits must be removed.

All camping areas within the national park and recreation area require a camping permit, which must be obtained before you set-up camp (there is no self-registration on site). Fees apply. A camping tag with your booking number must be displayed at your camp site.

• Buy your vehicle access permit and camping permits online.
• If you cannot book online, learn about our camping booking options.
• How to request transfer or replacement of a vehicle access permit.

Pets

Domestic animals are not permitted in the national park or recreation area.

Generators

Generators are not permitted anywhere in the national park or recreation area including all camping and day use areas.

Climate and weather

Bribie Island has a mild, subtropical climate. The average daily temperature range is 22–30° C in summer and 12–22° C in winter. For more information see the tourism information links.

Fuel and supplies

Fuel and supplies are available at several locations on Bribie Island. For more information see the tourism information links.