Category: Visit Moreton Bay Region

Healthy and Active, Moreton Bay Regional Council

9/25/2020

Where is it: Various venues throughout Moreton Bay Region

Why we love it: So many different options of fun and active things to do for everyone (and a special focus on the little guys)!

Tell me more: This is such a fantastic program from Moreton Bay Regional Council! Every month you can choose from a huge variety of active programs which are either free or at very attractive prices, and all of them with the same goal - to get us out and about, keeping active and socialising as well as learning new skills! There are so many activities to get involved in - from cooking to skateboarding, scuba diving to rockclimbing, from 2 years to the over 60s! There really is something for everybody!
They also have a special school holidays program called 'Active Holidays' and it's an awesome initiative to get the kids moving during the school holidays and again there are a huge range of sport and recreation activities specifically for kids 3 - 17 years! Book in for your favourite activities, or even something that you haven’t tried yet and get prepared for having fun!
All activities are provided by qualified instructors and are held across a number of locations throughout the region - with the range of activities that you can choose from and the fun that we've had trying new activities, this program is fast becoming one of our favourite things in the region!

Website: https://www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/healthy-active/active-holidays/

Amenities: Most activities take place in the local parks which provide access to toilets, barbeques and picnic tables, although it really depends on the activity! 👍👍👍

Parking: With so many different activities across so many different locations parking shouldn’t be a problem!👍👍👍

Access: All activities have varying degrees of access – confirm with your preferred event! 👍👍

Best for: There really is an activity for everyone, no mater what you ability! Great for having fun and keeping active! 👍👍👍👍

Summary: We absolutely love this program! It's such a great idea not only to keep active and occupied, but also great to keep socially active as well, and fantastic being free or at great prices! 👍👍👍👍

Hints: Get in early to book your event – some are very popular and may be booked out early!

Commando Run

Little Lifesavers, Woorim Beach

LaunchPad Gymnastics

Abseiling

Abseiling the Tower

Scuba diving

Surfing

AFL

Kinetic kids Multi-sports

Rockclimbing

Mums and Bubs Soccer

Fishing

Indoor Rockclimbing and Low Ropes

Food is fun

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Abbey Medieval Festival, Caboolture

1/31/2020

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Where is it: 1 – 63 The Abbey Place (off Old Toorbul Point Road) Caboolture, Queensland
What's it all about: Spend a weekend transported back in time and see history brought back to life when you attend Australia's largest medieval event!
How can I join in: There are a number of events on so check what best suits you and get your tickets! Or better yet, join a re-enactment organisation and get involved in the event!
Tell me more: Billed as Australia's largest medieval event, the Abbey Medieval Festival spans over a number of days during the winter school holidays, culminating in the Tournament Weekend - 2 days of non-stop reenactments, displays, entertainment and even a real and competitive jousting tournament! There really is no end to the experiences that you will have when you attend this festival - the costumes and the displays are authentic and the smells of the open fire roast cooking are amazing! It is a really well supported and run event and it's hugely popular! There is also a medieval banquet held at night which from all accounts really needs to be experienced, as well as some fun days through the week prior to the tournament just for the little guys! This is yet another of the 'must see' events in Brisbane!

Contact: https://abbeymedievalfestival.com/

Media launch 2020

2019

Media launch 2019

2018

Previous Years

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Teddy Bears' Picnic, Moreton Bay Region

8/16/2019

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Where is it: Various locations, Moreton Bay Region
What's it all about: A free event put on by Moreton Bay Regional Council - just for fun!
How can I join in: Come along to the park with your favourite teddy bear and be prepared to have fun!
Tell me more: Moreton Bay Region's Teddy Bears Picnic is a really fun and popular event for little kids! Aimed at kids under school age, there's lots of entertainment and activities on offer - it's a great way to get your little ones out and about in a safe and relaxed setting. The jumping castle was hard to get past - so much fun and it was great for the little kids to have one all to themselves without sharing with the older kids! There was more than just that on offer with a baby animal farm, face painting heaps of art and craft and of course teddy bears were everywhere, including a nice little teddy bear parade! There was even free teddy bear biscuits and fruit for our picnic! This annual event takes place in different locations so make sure you check out the details of the event - and make sure you check out what the theme is for the day! A really nice day out for the little ones!
Contact: https://www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/general.aspx?id=154571

Norfolk Lakes Park, Narangba 2019

John Oxley Reserve, Murrumba Downs 2018

Pine Rivers Park, Strathpine 2017

Jamieson Park, Scarborough 2017

Pine Rivers Park, Strahtpine 2016

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Kitefest Redcliffe Festival, Clontarf

6/15/2019

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Where is it: Pelican Park, Hornibrook Esplanade, Clontarf
What's it all about: A fantastic way to see out the end of winter! Redcliffe KiteFest gets you close to the water with a wonderful carnival of flying colour and fun! It's one of Moreton Bay Region's biggest annual celebrations!
How can I join in: On annually around the end of winter / start of spring, keep an eye out on Moreton Bay Regional Council's website for more details!
Tell me more: KiteFest is a truly amazing and colourful event with an amazing carnival atmosphere! Not only are there so many awesome kites from the international and professional kite artists, but there is also an incredible entertainment line-up - like aerobatics, jet ski and flyboard shows, carnival rides, kids zone, and main stage entertainment shows always have some great shows planned. Little kids and big are equally well catered for in the entertainment area! It's also right by the beach which just adds to the atmosphere, and lots of food and market stalls make this a complete event for the whole family!
The very popular public kite flying area lets you join in on the action, and if you can avoid getting your line crossed with the others in this area, you could stay in here for ages! It is a really popular event, so take note of the public transport and parking options - you will be very lucky to find parking around the area. Kitefest is great value too with both family passes and all-day rides passes available, and is a really fun day (or weekend) out by the beach at Redcliffe - we think that it's one of the best family events in the region!
And just when we thought that it couldn't get any better - in 2018 KiteFest added their 'KiteFest after Dark program - the rides and stall continue to operate into the night, illuminated kites fly high and a fantastic fireworks display, including pyrotechnic jetskis, provides the perfect finale!

Contact:  http://www.redcliffekitefest.com.au

2019

2018

2017

2016

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Walkabout Creek/ Enoggera Dam, The Gap

1/3/2019

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Where is it: 60 Mount Nebo Rd, The Gap QLD 4061

What's it all about: It's a complete nature experience - a small zoo, an information centre, bike and walking tracks, a lake to swim in or canoe on and even a cafe!

Tell me more: Walkabout Creek is part of the fantastic D’Aguilar National Park which borders the Brisbane! It’s really easy to get to as it’s right on the edge of the suburbs. The information centre which is open most days of the year has all the details that you need when you are exploring this fantastic national park! This is also where you will find the wildlife centre, which although small, houses some wonderful native creatures – including some platypus and you might even see a crocodile. A few bushwalking trails set off from the Information / Wildlife Centre and it’s only a short walk down a gravel path to get to Enoggera Reservoir which is itself an important part of Brisbane’s history (the dam wall is heritage-listed as it dates from 1866 and was the first major dam in Queensland)! There is a designated swimming area which is great for kids with a little bit of sand (and a bit of mud and weeds!) and lots of lawn to sit on and a few trees here and there for shade. You can also rent a kayak and as you will see, this is a very popular location for this pastime! And if all of this is not enough, there are some really fun bike trails here as well – great for everyone even for the little guys just starting out! A lovely place to visit!

Contact: https://www.npsr.qld.gov.au/parks/daguilar/walkabout-creek.html

Amenities: The information centre has adequate facilities (although there’s nothing down by the reservoir), and there’s also a café which can even host weddings! 👍👍👍👍

Cost: Free to enjoy the park, trails and reservoir, however entry fees apply to the Wildlife Centre! 👍👍👍👍

Parking: Parking is free and plentiful throughout the week, hover finding a spot on the weekend might be a little challenging! 👍👍

Access: Easy to get with you own transport – and public transport can take you to within a 10 minute walk. The path down to the reservoir might not be the best for wheeled devices! 👍👍

Best for: A lovely day our for families and great fun for all ages! 👍👍👍👍

Summary: D’Aguilar National Park is one of our favourite places because of its diversity, and the Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre really shines with all the different things that you can get in to! 👍👍👍👍

The Dam

Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre

Bicycle tracks

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Boombana Walking Trail, Mt Nebo

6/9/2018

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Where is it: About 30 minutes' drive past The Gap, Brisbane
What's it all about: A relatively easy bushwalk through some amazing forest - and so close to Brisbane as well!
Tell me more: Pitta Circuit at Boombana is one of the many walks throughout D'Aguilar National Park! It's an easy walk but a lovely little break from the city and it's so close, you really do feel like you've left the city for good when you are walking around this short, 1 km trail. It's a small loop which starts in eucalypt bush before slowly the forest changes into a temperate rainforest and it really is a lovely spot. Although it's a short walk and it would not be classed as challenging by any means, it did take us around an hour to complete as we were forever stopping to marvel at the amazing trees, searching for beautiful fungi, or trying to spot some wildlife in the dense forest!

Website: https://www.npsr.qld.gov.au/parks/daguilar/

Amenities: Picnic tables and barbeques at the start of the walk! 👍👍👍
Parking: Free parking! 👍👍👍
Access: It's a walk but not too challenging - not for wheeled devices! 👍👍
Best for: A great start for families to experience hiking in this wonderful national park! 👍👍👍
Summary: Pitta Circuit is a great introduction to bushwalking! Not too long or difficult, but great for a bush escape! 👍👍👍
Hints: Jolly's Lookout is not a far drive from here and has some magnificent views over the city!

2018

2017

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Exploring Northbrook Gorge with little kids

5/5/2018

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Where is it: Mount Glorius Road, Dundas, Somerset Region

What's it all about: A beautiful creek with crystal clear swimming holes, lovely waterfalls and a little bit of a challenge!
Tell me more: Northbrook Gorge is a place that we had been looking forward to visiting for a while now, but we had heard that it was a challenge so we were always been a little reluctant in trying it out! The reason that it's considered a bit of a challenge is that there is no signage and the only tracks to follow (where there is a track) are from the people that venture out for a look. Add to that the fact that you have to swim through some of the deeper waterholes to actually get further along the trail, especially with 3 little kids, and you start to see why we were a bit hesitant!

But we could wait no longer - we just had to see it! The weather was perfect, we found a great resource of information (see link) and we had the GPS coordinates for the starting point so we decided to tackle it! There is a rough car-park at the start of the trail, from there we had to cross the road to find the small trail in the bushland - miss this trail and your day might not be as enjoyable as ours. A relatively narrow and at times steep trail leads down to Northbrook Creek, and immediately you can see the beauty of this spot! Once we hit the creek navigation was easy, we just turned left and followed the creek! Sometimes there was a little trial and sometimes not, but the kids just loved climbing and clambering over the rocks and splashing in the little pools along the way!

We splashed our way along the creek - in at least two locations we had to swim in order to progress (the water was perhaps about 5 feet deep - too deep for the kids!) for about 2 hours before we reached the gorge, which is also where the a fantastic swimming hole is! We arrived reasonably early and the water was crystal clear and so refreshing! A small waterfall is at one end which, with a little effort, we were able to climb up. Past the waterfall it was still lovely but not too dissimilar from a lot of the creek, so if you don't feel like climbing up the waterfall (it was a bit slippery) you don't really miss out on too much.

We stopped at the waterhole for lunch and a swim for an hour or so before heading back - it was a long and tiring day but oh so worth it! It is such a beautiful location - quiet and cool and the kids had so much fun! Make sure that you come prepared to get wet - you won't get to the gorge without getting wet. We took dry bags and one of the kids' floating rings so that we could get through the deeper parts, and in most other areas we were walking or wading through water! And despite a few challenges, this would have to be one of our favourite outings!

Contact: https://www.visitmoretonbayregion.com.au/natural-attractions/northbrook-gorges

Amenities: No facilities here! 👍
Cost: Free to enjoy! 👍👍👍👍👍
Parking: Limited free parking is available! 👍👍👍
Access: A bit of a challenge to get here and get around! 👍
Best for: Anyone who is up for a bit of a challenge – a reasonable level of fitness is required! 👍👍👍
Summary: This was a fantastic day out! It may not be for everyone, but the creek, bush and gorge are beautiful and the challenge makes it all the more rewarding! 👍👍👍👍

Walking down to the creek

Following the creek to the gorge

The gorge

Some of the locals

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International Star Wars Day (May the Fourth)

5/4/2018

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Where is it: All over the world!
What's it all about: A day for all Star Wars fans! Probably the most popular film series ever, and most likely with the most passionate fans, Star Wars deserves its own special day!
How can I join in: Look for events around your local area! We've been along to events at Dreamworld and libraries previously, so theme parks and libraries are likely to have something planned, as are cinemas and shopping centres!
Tell me more: May the Fourth (Star Wars Day) is a special day for all fans of this awesome series of movies! For those that don't understand, Jedi knights often sign off from their conversations by saying "May the force be with you…", so May the 4th has been claimed by Star Wars fans as their day all over the world! So you can expect to see lots of stormtroopers, jedis, a few Sith Lords, jawas and any number of Darth Vaders! A lot of events double as fundraisers for various charities, but more importantly, it's great fun watching the little kids trying to work out whether they should trust all these people in costume! Keep an eye out for Star Wars movie marathons as well! Always a fun day!
Website: http://www.starwars.com/may-the-4th

May the fourth be with you, Ashgrove Library 2018

May the fourth be with you, Arana Hills Library 2017

Star Wars Day / Stormtrooper Weekend, Dreamworld 2015

Star Wars Day 2014

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Lyell Deer Sanctuary, Mt Samson

1/22/2018

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Where is it: Mt Samson, Queensland
What's it all about: Situated in the Samford Valley, The Lyell Deer Sanctuary has approximately 20 deer and a small gift shop with tea and coffee.
How can I join in: You can visit the deer farm on the weekends between 10 and 4pm, or through the week if you call ahead to make an appointment. They also cater for group tours or excursions and often have special events.
Tell me more: The kids love checking out animals so we went for a drive out to Mt Samson to have a look at some deer! It's always a nice drive out in the Samford Valley, so close to the city but you feel like you are miles away! The sanctuary has a few different types of deer and you can purchase some food pellets to feed to the deer as well - the kids really liked this! Just a point to note is that you are separated from the deer by a fence, so you have to feed the deer through the fence. You don't get to walk amongst them. The experience here is pretty much limited to this, but this was exactly what we came out here for - to get up close to some deer, and it certainly ticks that box! Overall, we were all quite happy with our visit here to the Lyell Deer Sanctuary, a nice and quiet morning out!
Contact: lyelldeersanctuary.com.au

Amenities: A little gift shop and café! 👍👍
Cost: A little expensive for the experience! 👍
Parking: No problems with parking! 👍👍👍
Access: Well maintained and grassy access! 👍👍👍
Entertainment: Just a quiet day out! 👍👍
Best for: Deer loving kids! 👍👍 Wildlife: Not too much native wildlife, but lots of deer! 👍👍👍
Summary: This was a nice, relaxing morning out. The experience was rather limited however the deer are lovely and the kids really enjoyed it! 👍👍
Hints: Might be best for a Mum's or Dad's day out as with two adults the cost may be a little off-putting!

2018

2016

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A day trip to Moreton Island

11/13/2017

2 Comments

Where is it: Ferry departs from Redcliffe Jetty – 160 Redcliffe Parade, Redcliffe
Why we love it: We love days at the beach, so of course we will love a 45-minute ferry ride to a beautiful and relaxed island that is all beach!
Tell me more: Just 30 kms off the coast of Brisbane lies the world’s third largest sand islands – Moreton Island! We hopped on board the new Redcliffe2Moreton Express Ferry for a day trip to rival any holiday!

Leaving from the Redcliffe Jetty (about 45 minutes’ drive from Brisbane’s CBD), this pedestrian-only ferry service runs twice a week – on Fridays and Sundays, heading off at 10am and leaving the island at 4pm for a return into Redcliffe by around 5pm, so it’s a perfect choice for quick day trip or weekend getaway! The ‘Supercat’ is comfortable and perfect for the 45 minute trip across the bay and you can grab a free tea or coffee (before leaving), there are snacks and drinks available for purchase and there are toilets on board as well. The fully-enclosed lower deck provides ample and fully weather-proof comfort, while the upper and outer back deck are great for getting some fresh air and provide great vantage points if you are lucky enough to spot some of the magnificent wildlife that inhabit the bay – whales, dolphins or even dugong can sometimes be spotted on the ride over!

Upon arrival at Moreton Island (just near the tiny township of Bulwer), you need to transfer into a smaller tender for the transfer across to the island. It’s only about 30m, but you land directly on the beach and you will get wet feet so be prepared. It might be an idea to bag up any electronics just in case. You can carry one bag of up to 30kgs and you can take a pram if needed, however it is sand everywhere so you won’t really get much use out of a pram on the island.

The arrival point at Moreton Island is right next to one of Bulwer’s most distinctive sights – 3 rusty shipwrecks which were deliberately beached to provide a bit of a break many years ago! The old shipwrecks are now more of a fascination for the tourists and locals alike, and provide beautiful photo opportunities! Transfers to other parts of the island or activities should be arranged to meet you prior to arrival – it’s a short walk (maybe a couple of hundred metres) to Castaway’s Café and Store where you can grab a bite to eat (their burgers are delicious!) and it’s about 1km walk to the closest campsite. Bear in mind that this is a sand island, so the walking can be pretty heavy going! There are no paved roads or footpaths here! Another point to note is the main beach also serves as a bit of a highway – it’s reasonably obvious where the 4 wheel drives run, so make sure that you are aware and try to stay out of their path!

While there are a number of places to explore and things to do here on Moreton, our plan for the day was to do as little as possible! We carried a portable gazebo with us so we could stay a little closer to the water, however there are a few shady spots under the trees to be found. The beach is superb – the sand is beautiful and soft; the water is clear and there are small waves to excite the little kids (but not enough to surf in). The shipwrecks can be explored although they are quite deteriorated and shouldn’t be touched – one of them is totally in shallow water while the other two are about half in the water and half up on the beach. And another joy for us here on the eastern coast is we got to water the sun start to sink across the water in the afternoon, something we don’t always get to see!

We had a fantastic day over at Moreton Island – the trip was comfortable and easy, the staff on the boat were very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable, the beach was absolutely gorgeous and our meal from Castaway’s Café was really yummy! And the day wasn’t too long either – we had about 5 hours on an island beach from a 9:30am start and back by 5pm. Just perfect! But next time we visit we might just have to stop for a night or two!
Website: https://www.visitmoretonbayregion.com.au/blog/posts/hop-aboard-the-redcliffe2moreton-express

Amenities: Amenities on the island are limited, however toilets are available for use at Castaway’s Café and you can purchase bottled water as well as prepared meals and general store items! 👍👍👍
Parking: Finding a park in Redcliffe shouldn’t be too much trouble, however take note of market times at Redcliffe – it can be a busy little spot! 👍👍
Access: On the mainland side access is easy! On the island side it’s a little trickier with the transfer vessel and landing directly on the beach – it’s not really that well suited for wheeled use! 👍
Best for: It’s a beautiful beach however it is definitely better suited to those who are more mobile – we travelled with a 2 year old but it might be a little trickier with a younger child! 👍👍👍
Summary: This really is a beautiful spot! The ferry is an easy trip over and the beach is so nice – we had a great time! 👍👍👍👍
Hints: Plan to stay for a couple of days so that you can explore more of the island!