Moreton Island camping, Queensland: Permit costs and best campgrounds

Moreton Island vehicle permits cost $53.65 for a month, and Moreton Island camping fees are $7 per person per night. The Wrecks campground is the most accessible Moreton Island camping area without a vehicle, but the Ben-Ewa campground is better if you have a 4WD.

Camping on Moreton Island is a relatively cheap way to experience this giant sand island near Brisbane.

Moreton Island, a short Tangalooma ferry ride from Brisbane, is an all-action escape from the city. There are dozens of activities on offer, including snorkelling among shipwrecks, sandboarding and hand-feeding wild dolphins.

You can do a Moreton Island day trip from Brisbane or take the Micat ferry and plan your own visit.

Sand dunes on Moreton Island, Queensland — Moreton Island has plenty of sand to go round. Photo by David Whitley/ Australia Travel Questions

The main Moreton Island accommodation option is the Tangalooma Island Resort. But if you’re happy to plump for something a little less luxurious, there are five campgrounds on Moreton Island. You will need to book a ferry crossing, 4WD vehicle permit and camping permit before you arrive, however.

Which Moreton Island tour should I pick?

There are several Moreton Island tour options, most including the ferry transfer. Pick your tour based on the activities you want to do.

For guided kayaking, snorkelling and sandboarding, book here.
For whale-watching on the way, plus a resort day pass, pick this winter months option.
To go on a marine discovery cruise and snorkel through the Tangalooma shipwrecks, try here.
For dolphin-feeding, use of resort facilities and a choice of other tours, go on the Tangalooma tour.

Moreton Island camping: Wrecks and Ben-Ewa campgrounds

The Wrecks campground, opposite the series of shipwrecks that are so great to snorkel around, is the closest Moreton Island campground to Tangalooma. This is realistically the best bet for campers without vehicles, as it’s within walking distance of where the barge arrives. If you’ve got a vehicle, you need to park on the beach, then walk to the campground.

Facilities at the Wrecks campground on Moreton Island are basic, with hybrid toilets and cold water showers. Generators and open fires are banned.

A little further north is the Ben-Ewa campground, which is accessible for caravans and trailers. The location in a valley keeps it protected from the winds, and being on the western side of the island makes for calm swimming in Moreton Bay.

Again, facilities are at the Ben-Ewa campground on Moreton Island arebasic. It’s hybrid toilets and cold water showers again, but you can light a fire as long as it’s in an existing fire site.

Moreton Island camping: Comboyuro Point, Blue Lagoon & North Point

The other Moreton Island campground on the calmer, western side of the island is Comboyuro Point further north. But if you really want to be away from the crowds, plump for Blue Lagoon on the eastern side of Moreton Island or North Point. Both are close to the surf beaches, but bring your own drinking water and expect to be more-or-less self-sufficient.

The same applies for the five beach camping zones, spread around the island. These Moreton Island beach camping zones come with precisely zero facilities. It is camping in the hardiest sense of the word, but should appeal to those who love freedom above all.

Moreton Island ferry prices

None of this comes as cheap as you might expect however. First of all, you’ve got to get there. The Moreton Island ferry from the Port of Brisbane, run by Moreton Island Adventures, is the one that carries vehicles. One way prices for the smallest 4WDs start at $72, and you need a 4WD to drive on Moreton Island as it’s all sand.

Moreton Island vehicle permit prices

You can book a Moreton Island vehicle access permit at the same time for $58.65. This Moreton Island permit price includes a $5 admin fee, and allows you vehicle access for up to a month.

Alternatively, save the $5 admin fee and book your Moreton Island vehicle access permit direct from Mugulpin Camping.

Moreton Island camping fees and permit prices

Mugulpin Camping is also the place to go for camping fees. Moreton Island camping permits cost $7 per person per night, or $28 per family. The family rate includes two adults and up to six accompanying children. There’s no fee, however, for children under five years old.

You also need a tent tag, which should be sent to you five days prior to arrival. This needs printing out, sealing in a snap-lock bag and affixing to your tent. It’s much less faff if you just download a tent tag from the Mugulpin Camping website, however

If camping on islands is your thing, it’s also possible to go camping on Bribie Island and Fraser Island further up the Queensland coast. Fraser Island permits need sorting in advance.