Things to do
Camping and accommodation
Camping
No camping is offered within South Stradbroke Island Conservation Park.
Other accommodation
There is a wide range of holiday accommodation on South Stradbroke Island outside the conservation park area. The Gold Coast City Council operates three campgrounds on the island—Tipplers, North Currigee and South Currigee.
Tipplers and Couran Cove Resort are also located just outside the park and offer a range of accommodation and dining options.
For more information see the tourism information links.
Look for bristled banksias on the Dux's Hut walk.
Photo credit: Cheryn Kelly © Queensland Government
Your view at the end of Tipplers walking trail.
Photo credit: Queensland Government
Walking
- South Stradbroke Island Conservation Park map
- South Stradbroke Island Conservation Park information guide (printable)
The best way to explore South Stradbroke Island’s natural diversity is on foot, with a variety of short walks available. Take care of yourself—carry a map, compass, food, drinking water and first-aid kit. Wear protective clothing, hat, sunscreen, sunglasses and insect repellent. Let a responsible person know where you are going and when you expect to return..
Dux’s Hut walk
Distance: 800m return
Time: allow 20min
Details: Linking Dux Anchorage to the eastern beach, this track is named after the heritage listed Dux Hut—built around 1930 by Augie Dux, a former oyster farmer who lived and worked on the island. Low, sparse vegetation provides little shade so it’s best walked in early morning or late afternoon. To access the track, head 1.4km north from Tipplers along Tipplers Road or from the eastern beach at emergency marker SSI 1 sign.
Tipplers walking trail
Distance: 1.7km return
Time: allow 45min
Details: Wind your way through a dense forest of bloodwood, brush box and cypress pine layered with an understory of banksias. The trail is located 50m off Tipplers Road, opposite Tipplers, and ends at emergency marker sign SSI 2 on the eastern beach. You can return via the same trail or head south along the beach for 400m to emergency marker sign SSI 3 and return via the Surf Beach walk. Both tracks will take you back to Tipplers.
Surf Beach walk
Distance: 1.6km return
Time: allow 45min
Details: Just north of the Tipplers campground you’ll find the Surf Beach walk. This track takes you through a dense forest of bloodwood and brush box trees before opening out to coastal dunes with spinifex, casuarina, acacia, banksia and pandanus. The track starts on Tipplers Road, 300m north of Tipplers campground, or from the eastern beach at emergency marker sign SSI 3.
Broadwater trail
Distance: 2.5km return
Time: allow 1.5hr
Details: Take a stroll along the waterfront and soak up the views over The Broadwater. Watch an array of shorebirds feeding on the tidal mud flats, building up their reserves for the long migration ahead of them. Starting at the northern point of Couran Cove Resort, the trail heads northwards for 1.25km. Return to Couran Cove along the same path.
South Currigee walk
Distance: 600m return
Time: allow 20mins
Details: Wander through sparse, low coastal dunes dominated by casuarina, acacia, banksia and spinifex, with a small pocket of forest at the eastern end. This short track crosses the island east to west. Starting at the South Currigee campground, it is the only walking track at the southern end of the park. To access the track from the eastern beach use emergency marker sign SSI 8.
Guided tours and talks
Commercially operated guided tours are available; see the tourism information links for more information.
Boating and fishing
South Stradbroke Island Conservation Park is surrounded by Moreton Bay Marine Park—a multiple-use marine protected area, which protects the high natural, cultural, recreational and amenity values of the bay. The marine park is zoned to allow for different uses. Most of South Stradbroke Island Conservation Park sits within habitat protection zone (HPZ15) with no trawling permitted and some restrictions on collecting. A marine national park (green) zone (MNP32) is located on the eastern beach near Currigee. All forms of collecting, including fishing, is prohibited in this zone.
Refer to the Moreton Bay Marine Park map and Moreton Bay Marine Park user guide for boundaries and restrictions relating to zones and designated areas.
Boating
Boating is largely unrestricted in the surrounding marine park, however boat operators must:
- adhere to rules in go slow and no anchoring areas (see designated areas )
- ensure they do not unreasonably disturb shorebirds anywhere in the marine park
- not discharge any waste, including treated or untreated sewage in marine national park (green) zones.
Jet skis and other personal watercraft (PWC)
In the zoning plan jet skis are considered vessels and the same rules apply. Operators must:
- adhere to rules in go slow and no anchoring areas (see designated areas )
- ensure they do not unreasonably disturb shorebirds anywhere in the marine park.
Motorised water sports
In the go slow areas for turtles and dugong and natural values , vessels (including PWC) cannot undertake motorised water sports. This includes:
- driving a vessel other than in a straight line; for example driving in circles, weaving, and surfing down or jumping over waves, swell or wash
- towing a person, such as for waterskiing, parasailing or wakeboarding.
Read more about boating safety and things you should do when boating to look after the park. See below for information on before you visit.
Fishing
Recreational fishing is popular along the eastern beach and The Broadwater. Tailor, flathead, dart, bream and whiting are often caught from the beaches. Reef and surface-feeding fish are caught offshore. Crabs are seasonal. Bag limits, size and seasonal restrictions apply to some fish species. For more information visit Fisheries Queensland, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for rules and guidelines.
When fishing in Moreton Bay:
- keep fish, bait and burley in sealed containers and away from wildlife
- bury fish remains and unused bait just below high tide mark; dig a deep hole and cover scraps, not in plastic, with at least 50cm of sand
- dispose of used bait bags and unwanted fishing line in bins or take them home
- do your fish cleaning away from camping areas
- stick to the correct speed limit; 'go slow' zones are there to care for seagrass beds and marine animals. Penalties apply.
Viewing wildlife
South Stradbroke Island offers excellent opportunities for viewing wildlife. With 150 birds, 26 mammals, 10 frogs and 19 reptile species recorded on the island, visitors to the park are bound to experience a close encounter of a natural kind.
Shorebirds
Beaches, sandbanks and mudflats are important areas for shorebirds (wading birds and seabirds). More than 40,000 migratory shorebirds visit the area each September to April and Moreton Bay is internationally recognised as a Ramsar site for its importance to the survival of these birds.
At least 17 species of migratory shorebirds and waders have been recorded in the park, including eastern curlews, grey-tailed tattlers, red-necked stints, greater sand plovers, lesser sand plovers, bar-tailed godwits and curlew sandpipers.
On the eastern side of Jumpinpin (at the northern tip of the island), the shingle beds and sand dunes are an important breeding ground for migratory and resident shorebirds including the red-capped plover (Charadrius ruficapillus), Australian pied oystercatcher (Haematopus longirostris), beach stone-curlew (Esacus neglectus), and the endangered little tern (Sterna albifrons). This area is one of the few known breeding locations in Queensland for the little tern.
How to help South Stradbroke Island shorebirds
When these migratory birds arrive in Australia they are exhausted from their long journey around the globe. They need to rest and recover so they can survive the arduous flight home again, and we can help them do that.
- Keep well away from shorebirds, even if you are walking or jogging.
- Observe shorebirds quietly from a distance (at least 100m).
- Reduce vehicle speed and drive around flocks of shorebirds.
- Reduce boat speed and avoid anchoring in the shorebird roosting areas.
- Choose a fishing site away from flocks of shorebirds.
- There are currently no park alerts for this park.