Bribie Island 4WD Guide – A Weekend of Island Time Just 2 Hours From Brissie

Fishing, wildlife, wild swimming, and campfires await on this epic piece of Queensland beach where you can drive along the sand with waves lapping at your wheels, writes Sarah Tayler.

Quick Overview

Yarun/Bribie Island is a two-hour drive from Brisbane. Although it’s an island it can be reached by road bridge – no exxy ferries for this adventure. A small section of the island is residential, with the rest dedicated to Bribie Island National Park. The national park and its campsites are accessible only by 4WD, with sand tracks along the beach and inland.

About 4WDing on Bribie Island

Yarun/Bribie Island is one of the three major sand islands in Queensland’s Moreton Bay. There are so many reasons why Bribie Island should be your next 4WDing trip. Not only can you drive almost the full length of the 34km long island on the beach, but you can change it up on the way home and explore the inland track as well. Bribie is only 8km across at its widest point, so going from the protected inland channel to the waves of the Pacific Ocean takes mere minutes. 

There are four freshwater lagoons on the island too. So no matter the weekend adventure that takes your fancy, there’s an activity for everyone. 4WDing on Bribie Island is ideal for beginners and experienced drivers alike.

Read more: 9 Things to Think About Before Your First 4WD Trip

Bribie Island History

The Joondoburri people lived on Yarun/Bribie Island for thousands of years before Europeans arrived. The Joondoburri call the island Yarun or Yirin, which means hunting ground – which you’ll understand when you see the abundance of wildlife there. Before European arrival, Joondoburri people are thought to have resided on Bribie Island permanently thanks to the availability of food and year-round mild weather.

The Joondoburri lost a lot of their tribe when the Europeans arrived, and the descendants of the surviving Joondoburri still reside in the area. During WWII, Bribie Island was taken over by the military. The fortifications they built are now heritage-listed and can be seen at the northern end of the island. The road bridge was built in the 1960s and the residential areas and suburbs quickly followed. 

How to Get to Bribie Island

Just two hours from both Brisbane and Noosa, Bribie Island is perfectly positioned between the state capital and Sunshine Coast. 

By car

Bribie Island is just off the M1 highway. The island can be reached by road bridge from Ningi. Once on the island, head to the North Street Car Park to access the national park and 4WDing track along the beach. The car park is spacious and shady so you can prepare for your adventure. If you’re going inland, go to White Patch Esplanade and drive the inland Poverty Creek Access Track and Northern Access Track, which join the Ocean Track at the top of the island. 

By public transport

The closest train station to Bribie Island is Caboolture Station. Once you get off the train you can reach Bribie Island by bus which takes about 40 minutes. If you don’t have your own 4WD to explore the national park you can join a local tour or hire a 4WD. 

Where to Stay on Bribie Island

The best place to camp on Bribie Island is Ocean Beach at the top of the coastal 4WD track. You’re just steps from the water and the sunrises are epic. There are toilets and showers here, but you might have to drive to them depending on which site you book, so check the map before you choose a place to pitch.

‘We have 62 pitches at Ocean Beach’, Senior Ranger for Bribie Island and the Southern Bay Islands, Terry Eeschek.

‘To preserve the national park for other visitors it’s important campers only camp in their designated pitches, only make fires in the fire rings provided rather than on the beach (check for fire bans), and don’t bring any domestic animals such as dogs with them.’

Don’t forget! A vehicle permit is needed to drive on the 4WD tracks and camping has to be booked in advance. Both can be done online. Make sure to print your camping permit and have it with you because the rangers regularly patrol and check permits.

Where to Eat on Bribie Island

The best places to eat and drink on Bribie Island (if you don’t fancy cooking) are all just off the sand in the suburb of Woorim – it’s so close you don’t even need to inflate your tyres if you drive carefully. Bribie Island Surf Club has a breezy balcony with ocean views and great pub food. And the row of cafes opposite (Pigface, Mokha, and Mojo’s) serve everything from gelato to hot chips or a brekkie roll. 

Bribie Island Activities

• 4WDing
• Fishing
• Wild swimming in freshwater lagoons
• Surfing
• Bird watching
• Whale watching (June-Oct), dolphin and dugong spotting 
• Wildlife photography 
• Exploring WWII heritage listed forts
• Family-friendly bush walks (from the Community Arts Centre on Sutherland Drive)
• Camping
• Kayaking and boating (launch from boat ramps on the mainland or on the island)

Essential Gear for Bribie Island

• Drinking water
• Hat and sunnies
• Sunscreen
• Swimmers and a rashie
• Shade – there’s very little shade available
• A pool inflatable for floating on the lake
• A surfboard for catching early morning waves
• Fishing gear
• Jacket or jumper – it can get cold on a windy day/ when the sun goes down
• Bug spray – the mozzies can be overly friendly
• Firewood – you aren’t allowed to collect wood from the national park
• Camera
• 4WD recovery gear – minimum a shovel and a bucket. Wise to pack shackles, snatch straps, and Maxtrax too
• The best bit of 4WD kit I’ve invested in is a four-pack of automatic tyre deflators for letting down your tyres to the perfect PSI –  it’s much quicker than doing each one individually, plus you can’t accidentally let them down too low

Read more: What Should You Carry In Your 4WD Rescue & Repair Kit?

What It’s Like to 4WD Bribie Island

Whether you like a game of beach cricket while cooling off shin-deep in the lake, or simply enjoying a brew in your camp chair with the ocean breeze in your hair, Bribie Island is an excellent choice for your weekend wind down. But of all the activities on Bribie Island, 4WDing is probably the most popular. Here’s my ideal 4WD weekend itinerary for Bribie Island.

Day 1: Ocean Beach Drive

Distance: 23km from North Street Car Park to Fort Bribie
Duration: 50 minutes driving
Difficulty: Beginner

Driving onto the sand at Bribie Island is like leaving the world behind and marooning yourself on a desert island. As we pull up in the North Street car park to deflate our tyres, the excitement is palpable. Surrounded by fellow 4WDers with their music playing, everyone does a final repack of the car to prepare for the bumps.

Please note! If you plan to drive the coast track, check the tide times and weather conditions. Only drive this track two hours either side of low tide. This gives you ample compact sand to drive on.

The access track to the beach is flat, but fairly long, and can get cut up with deep soft sand. We take our time, making sure to keep our momentum and pick some tracks to follow. As we emerge from the track we’re greeted by the Pacific Ocean. We wind down our windows and enjoy the blast of air as we carve fresh tyre tracks along the hard sand.

We stop off at one of the freshwater lagoons for a spot of wild swimming. The sandbank up to the lagoon is steep, so we give ourselves a bit of a run-up to avoid getting bogged. If you don’t fancy a swim this is also the perfect spot to chuck in a rod to try and catch something fresh for dinner.

Refreshed from our swim in the tea-tree-stained lagoon, we continue driving north taking in the ocean views. Once we get to the top of the Ocean Beach Track, most of the day visitors peel off and we don’t see many other cars. It’s just us, the waves, and quite a few goannas (who like to raid your food, so be mindful of what you leave out).

It feels like we’re just as likely to wander past a wallaby as another human. The wildlife here is abundant – and fairly used to humans – so they hang about and we both check each other out before they scurry away.

Locating our secluded beach pitch is easy as the map is accurate and the pitches are clearly marked. We set up camp, make some dinner, and relax around the campfire before strolling across to the beach for sunset.

Day 2: Northern Access Track and Poverty Creek Access Track

Distance: 21.5km from Fort Bribie to White Patch Esplanade
Duration: 50 minutes driving
Difficulty: Intermediate

Waking up in our tent to the sound of the waves, we head to the beach for a bit of sunrise whale watching and then grab our boards and hit the surf. You won’t find world-class waves here, but there’s usually enough swell to make it worth the paddle.

We pack up our camp and hop back in the truck, turning left out of the campground to continue driving north towards Fort Bribie. Driving across the sand feels like we’re gliding. Watching waves rush in right next to us is a magical feeling and there’s wide-open sand as far as the eye can see.

From here we follow the track inland to cross over to the Lighthouse Reach day-use area. The western side of the island looks back at the mainland over the top of the protected Pumicestone Passage waterway – which is very popular with boaters and kayakers. The inland track is easy enough for beginners, but if you’re feeling nervous about the rougher soft sand, you can go back the way you came on the Ocean Track instead.

We continue down the Northern Access Track and Poverty Creek Access Track until we reach the bitumen.

If you’re not ready to say goodbye just yet, there are few adventures you can do on two feet. Take a bush walk from the Community Arts Centre on Sutherland Drive or head to Buckleys Hole Conservation Park and attempt to spot all 23 different migratory bird species found there.

Hot tip! When it’s time to head home, rather than working up a sweat reinflating your tyres, drive carefully to the Caltex on First Ave where you can use the compressor. There’s also Kings Car Wash in Ningi which has an under-car wash to rinse the salt off your rig, so you have one less job to do when you get home.

Tips for 4WDing on Bribie Island

If you haven’t driven on sand before Bribie Island is a great place to try it out, but it’s important to know what to expect.

‘The biggest mistake even experienced 4WDers make on Bribie is not letting their tyre pressure down,’ Ranger Terry tells me.

‘When driving on sand, conditions are changing all the time with the tide, so the best thing is to drive two hours either side of low tide and stick to the harder wet sand. This is not only easier to navigate, but also protects the plants, animals, and turtle eggs that might be in the soft sand of the dunes.’

Other tips for 4WDing Bribie Island

• Avoid driving on the dunes to protect the plants, animals, and turtle eggs
• Give other vehicles plenty of space when you’re 4WDing on the beach and especially at the 4WD entrance track to the park. It can get quite cut up so give the car in front plenty of space in case they get bogged
• When driving on sand, try not to brake when you park, just roll to a stop slowly. This prevents your tyres from sinking in and allows you to get out easily
• Momentum is your friend – if the sand is soft and deep don’t stop and keep up the speed
• The ‘road’ isn’t clearly defined on the sand (although road rules and speed limits still apply) so be careful when walking on beaches and watch for oncoming cars, especially when with kids
• The bridge to and from the mainland can get busy, so build in some extra time for traffic if you’re driving at peak times

Tips for getting out of a sand bog:

• Try letting down your tyres a little and digging away the sand around your tyres
• If you’re not too deeply bogged, rock the car back and forth with drive/reverse to create some harder sand to drive out on by compacting it with the car
• If you’re on the beach and have a bucket wet the sand to make it harder
• If you need help try flagging down another vehicle, most people are happy to help out
• If all else fails, the phone service is fairly good on the island and you can call a recovery service

Bribie Island 4WD FAQs

Can a 4 wheel drive on Bribie Island?

Absolutely, you almost have to 4WD on Bribie Island, there’s only a small part of the island with sealed roads. If you want to get into the more natural parts of the island and out of the town there, you need a 4WD.

Can you drive Bribie at high tide?

You shouldn’t drive the Bribie Island ocean track or along the beach any time close to high tide. It’s recommended to only drive the Ocean Beach Drive track within two hours either side of low tide.

Do you have to catch a ferry to Bribie Island?

Nope! No ferry necessary to get to Bribie Island, the road takes you all the way there.

Do you need a vehicle permit for Bribie Island?

Yes, you need to have a permit for your vehicle to enter Bribie Island. For a week or less, the permit costs $55.50 per vehicle. For more than one week and up to one year, the permit costs $173.30.

Can you free camp on Bribie Island?

No, unfortunately there’s no free camping available on Bribie Island, however there are three campgrounds accessible by 4WD, Gallagher Point, Poverty Creek, and Ocean Beach. If you’re planning on camping you need to book and pay in advance.

More Adventures Near Bribie Island

• Moreton Island Camping: A Guide to Staying at One of Brisbane’s Neighbouring Islands
• A Long Weekend Guide to Moreton Island
• The 5 Best Beaches to Drive on Near Brisbane
• Best Spots for a 4WD Adventure Near Brisbane