T
he coastline of Australia boasts a stunning array of picturesque islands and coral cays. In Western Australia, there is Rottnest, in South Australia Kangaroo and Neptune, the State of Victoria has Philip Island, and in New South Wales, there is Lord Howe, and these are just the tip of the iceberg. Queensland is also blessed with some real gems. North Stradbroke Island, or Straddie as known colloquially, is a stone’s throw from Brisbane. It has long been a popular destination for Brisbanites to escape the hustle and bustle of city life for a relaxing weekend away. Straddie, and its neighbour Moreton Island, sit in Moreton Bay and act as two huge barriers protecting the city of Brisbane from the might of the Pacific Ocean. They are also one of the reasons that Brisbane is bereft of the stunning sandy beaches that the Gold and Sunshine Coast are famous for. These barriers force the Brisbane River to deposit its silty cargo in the bay rather than out to sea, creating mud flats instead of golden beaches. Fortunately, North Stradbroke Island, the secondlargest sand island in the world, has plenty of the sandy beaches that Australia is famous for, and it is only a 30-minute ferry ride from Brisbane. These sandy beaches make the island a mecca for surfers and holidaymakers and over the school holiday, the population swells to more than twice its normal size. The area is also a popular destination for divers, and the temperate waters around North Stradbroke Island contain an abundance of marine life and a superb array of dive sites. The diving is excellent year-round, but there are two distinct seasons which each provide very different animal encounters. In the summer months, from November to April, the main attraction is the manta rays and leopard sharks. In the winter months from May to October, grey nurse sharks aggregate in large numbers. This is also when the spectacular humpback whale’s migration occurs. The diving here is very weather-dependent, with some of the sites exposed to the open ocean and prone to strong currents. However, there are some sheltered areas, so there is usually a Plan B to fall back on if the weather is not very co-operative.
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