Up close with the wild dolphins in Tangalooma resort
A relaxing 75-minute ferry ride from Brisbane across Moreton Island puts visitors on the doorstep of Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort, a place that provides the opportunity to interact closely with native wildlife.
The highlight of any stay at the resort is the opportunity to see wild dolphins up close, which eagerly swim up to the shallow beach each evening to be rewarded with fresh fish hand fed to them by visitors.
It is by far the resort's most popular activity that both adults and children can participate in.
The dolphins, which come in groups of five to nine, are wild creatures that are not trained or tamed in any way. Visitors are not allowed to pat, pet, stroke or swim with them.
In the mornings visitors can also hand feed pelicans and cormorants with bucket of fish on the beach.
Between July and the end of October, there is also the opportunity to participate in a whale watching cruise, when the animals migrate into the area.
Another highlight of the visit is sand surfing or sand tobogganing, taking place at an enormous sand blow some 42 hectares in size, situated southeast of the resort.
It takes traversing dense woodlands before the foliage opens into dazzlingly bright sandy desert.
Visitors have to climb their way up to the top of the hill before sliding down the desert.
The toboggans -- simply pieces of Masonite waxed on the smooth side -- can achieve speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour on the fine sands.
Riding an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) in a group tour is the most adventurous way to see the best the island has to offer. A tour guide will take visitors through the 380 square-kilometer island, which was a whaling station from 1952 until 1962.
During the period, some 6,277 humpback whales and one blue whale were slaughtered for their oil here.
The wide range of activities available on the island include tennis, squash, archery, snorkeling, fishing, sailing, scuba diving, bushwalking, practicing on a golf driving net and wilderness four-wheel Drive escorted tours to many of the Island's conservation parks, such as Queensland's oldest lighthouse at Cape Moreton and the "Blue Lagoon".
Due to its beautiful natural scene and its wilderness, the resort island was used by Warner Brothers in 2002 as a location to film the Scooby Doo movie.
The island is visited by about 1,200 guests per day.
-- Rendi A. Witular
Eyebox
Some hotel and entertainment rates (in Australian dollars)
1. Dreamworld
Adult: $58 Children: $37
2. Warner Bros Movie World
Adult: $58 Children: $37
3. Gold Coast Sea World
Adult: $58 Children: $37
4. Currumbin Sanctuary
Adult: $23 Children: $15
5. Moolobala UnderWater World
Adult: $22.50 Children: $13
6. Australia Zoo
Adult: $24.30 Children: $15.30
7. Gold Coast Champagne Sailing Cruise
Three-hour sunset dinner cruise: $140 per person
8. Tweed Endeavor Crab Catching Cruise
Two-hour lunch: $100 per person
9. Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort
Hotel: $265 per person per night (low season)
Ferry: $56 (adult/return) $28 (children/return)
10. Gold Coast International Hotel (four star)
$100 per night (low season)
11. Gold Coast Watermark Hotel (four star)
$97 per night (low season)
13. Caloundra Rydges Oasis Resort (four star)
$97 per night (low season)