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The islands of Moreton BayBrisbane Day TripsPlunging off the top of a 90m sand dune on a thin wooden board and hanging-ten is not for the faint-hearted. After the experience, Dominique White reports she is still emptying sand from her pockets. Anyone who arrives in Brisbane by plane will be greeted by scenes of the adjacent 1,000 square kilometre body of sheltered water called Moreton Bay, home to 155 islands and many days of holiday options. One of the biggest islands in the Bay is Moreton Island - 35km long and 98 per cent National Park, including a vast sandy region of 42ha known as the Tangalooma Desert. Direct launch transfer easily reaches it from Brisbane. Heading out from the Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort on a four-wheel-drive coach, our guide explains about the island's terrain, its formation and vegetation. Emerging from the woodlands, you are greeted by a huge expanse of dazzling white sand. Moreton Island is one of several islands on Queensland's southern coast - including North Stradbroke and Fraser Island - which have been formed over millions of years as sand deposits washed from rivers in Northern New South Wales and deposited around rocky outcrops. Visitors are told that the desert on Moreton Island was once vegetated but about 150 years ago, it is thought a lightning strike ignited the woodlands and burnt a vast area before rain stopped the fire. Now, towering waves of sand beckon those seeking the ultimate adventure thrill - clinging to a thin piece of board and being launched off the edge of a 90m sand dune. Prior to climbing the sand hills, a guide gives visitors demonstrations on how to 'sand surf'. The most popular position is facing straight ahead, lying down on your front two-thirds up the board, legs and feet held up, elbows out wide and your hands gripping the leading edge. "Keep the front up - whatever you do, don't put that end down, that's the emergency brake. But if you want to steady yourself, use your feet like rudders," our guide demonstrates. Some people are less conventional - they sit upright on the board, some go doubles, some lie on their backs and go down backwards and blind. But our guide has his own special way. He stands up on the board and surfs his way down to the sound of applause. While on Moreton, you can't miss the night time hand-feeding of a pod of wild dolphins that swim into the area near the jetty at Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort. This is a special experience that guests should not miss. Great wreck snorkelling is also on offer. A former whaling station until 1962, Tangalooma has 150 low-rise units, and is the only resort on the island. Another accommodation option is camping, which the National Parks and Wildlife Service issues permits for. There is lots of adventure to enjoy on Moreton Bay. Start by heading out of Manly harbor on board the Solo yacht. This former champion racer has slipped easily into a new role as an adventure cruiser, exploring the waters and islands of Moreton Bay. Owner David Farley started the Solo Adventure Sailing and has scheduled departures four days each week at 8am, taking visitors to a choice of three destinations on the Bay. "Our busiest time is summer," he said. "I think people sometimes forget how beautiful the Bay is in winter, when the air temperature is seldom below 20 degrees Celsius." For nature lovers, Moreton Bay is a bird habitat and it is also known for its marine life - turtles, dugongs, dolphins and migrating whales during Spring. The islands themselves are havens for wildlife - with kangaroos, possums, goannas often spotted.
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