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Bongaree Beach is My New Favourite Day Trip from Brisbane

With crystal clear water, fine white sand and no waves to speak of, Bongaree Beach on Bribie Island is my new favourite day trip from Brisbane. Families with kids of all ages enjoy the beach and surrounding parklands, but it is especially suited to families with toddlers and primary aged kids. If you are lucky, you may even spot a dolphin or a dugong!

How to get to Bongaree Beach

Located on the western side of Bribie Island, Bongaree Beach stretches along Welsby Parade. You can get there by making a right turn as you arrive onto the island (technically you do a u-turn at the round-a-bout once you depart the bridge).

Bribie Island is connected to the mainland at Sandstone Point over the beautiful Pumicestone Passage. (Check out what is on at the Sandstone Point Hotel for families too!) It is about a 3 minute drive down Welsby Parade.

Families Tip: You can park on the street but there is a car park at Brennan Park if street parking is full.

With driving time of around one hour and a half north of the Brisbane CBD, it is an easy road trip straight up the motorway. This day out with kids is an easy escape from the same old same old of Brisbane suburbs.

History of Bongaree Beach

Bribie Island was the home of the Gubbi Gubbi Aboriginal group who used bark canoes, nets for fishing and catching birds and spears for hunting local kangaroos and wallabies. The suburb of Bongaree is named after the Aboriginal explorer Bungaree who accompanied Matthew Flinders on a number of his voyages of exploration along the Australian coastline, including the islands in Moreton Bay. 

What is at the Bongaree Beach for families?

Bongaree Beach

Bongaree Beach is a perfect beach for families with little children (and all families really!) As it is on the western side of the island, it is protected from the winds from the east and is often referred to by locals as *the calm side.* It is a long beach with multiple entry points, so you are unlikely to have to fight for space. We usually find a nice spot near the jetty.    

If you have older children looking for a few more waves, then read our review of Woorim Beach on the other side of the island (a short 10 minute drive). It might be what you are looking for!

The Bongaree Jetty

Bongaree Beach Day Trip from Brisbane

First built in 1912, the jetty is a great place for bigger kids to practice their jumping skills while landing safely in the water below. At the end of the jetty and along the boat pontoons we saw people fishing. In the warmer months you will find people around the jetty well after sunset.

On either side of the jetty are white, sandy beaches, although there is a larger sandy spot next to the jetty itself with a bit more room to spread out and play in the sand.

Playground

Located in Brennan Park, this is a good little playground for younger children. There is a climbing frame, 4 swings, a net/rope climbing frame and a small flying fox.

Picnic tables and BBQs

There are a plethora of picnic table and BBQs available for use. Like everything in a popular area, we would recommend arriving early to secure your BBQ of choice.

Huge shade trees

If you are not up for the effort of BBQing, and fancy a picnic, there are plenty of  shade trees and expansive lawns to sit on near the beach.

Bribie Passage Seaside Stroll

Along the foreshore of Bongaree, you can walk the Bribie Passage Seaside Stroll. It is a 4,990m or 6240 step trail from Bongaree Beach to the Bribie Island Bridge. Allow at least an hour for this… longer if the kids want to stop and play in the water along the way!

Facilities

There are multiple toilet blocks located along the foreshore.

Bribie Island Library at Bongaree

Located at 1 Welsby Parade, Bongaree, the library is open from 8.30am to 6pm Monday to Friday with a later closing time on Thursdays. The library is also open from 9am – 2pm on Saturdays. The library is closed on Sundays.

Seaside Museum

Bribie Island Seaside Museum

Explore the intriguing and fascinating history of Bribie Island in a beautiful, contemporary museum. The Bribie Island Seaside Museum is located at 1 South Esplanade at Bongaree. It is FREE to enter and is airconditioned.

The museum features:

  • a theatre showing films about the S.S Koopa and holidaying on Bribie Island
  • a large collection of preserved fish dating back to 1905 from Moreton Bay waters
  • the social history of the people and places of Bribie Island and its role in World War II
  • the story and some belongings of the internationally-renowned artist Ian Fairweather and other Bribie Island personalities
  • a replica World War II bunker detailing some of Bribie Island’s role in defending the Brisbane line
  • a designated space for new exhibitions that change several times a year
  • interactive displays and activities for young and old
  • a diverse programme of events and workshops for adults and children.

Where to eat at Bongaree Beach

There are a multitude of places to eat that are close to the beachfront if you want to purchase a meal on your day trip. We chose @ The Jetty restaurant. It’s on the pricey end of places to eat in the area, but we loved the friendly service and the view couldn’t be beaten.

There are many other options some of which include:

  • The Family Cafe
  • Fish and chip shop
  • Or you can pop over to the Supa IGA

Looking after the beach and recreation area

Wherever you explore, minimise your impact. Terrestrial and marine plants and animals depend on us to keep land, ocean and estuarine areas clean.

  • Take your rubbish with you when you leave.
  • Don’t use shampoos and soaps in or near waterways.
  • When boating, go slowly over seagrass beds— dugongs may feed here.
  • When driving, stay on tracks and off the dunes. Fore dunes are important habitat for wildlife. Shorebirds lay their eggs on the sand and marine turtles bury eggs in the sand.
  • Obey signs and regulations—they are in place to protect this area for conservation and nature-based recreation.

A day trip to Bongaree Beach

A day trip to Bongaree Beach on Bribie Island should be on everyone’s weekend or school holiday bucket list. It’s a great place to barbecue, picnic, swim, relax and wear the kids out. You won’t regret a visit here. If you go, we’d love to hear about your visit in the comments!

Want more day trips from Brisbane? Check out these:

We love day tripping out of Brisbane. So much, that we have written a tonne of articles about it!

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Janine Mergler

Janine Mergler is a veteran Queensland teacher, graduating from QUT with a BEd majoring in Social Sciences. After many years in the classroom, Janine moved on to academia. She has proudly trained new generations of teachers in her role as a lecturer at Queensland University of Technology Faculty of Education. She has also worked in the Queensland Government as an education specialist, developing education resources and delivering community awareness programs to help families conserve water. Currently she is the owner and editor of Families Magazine, a publication specifically targeted at parents who value a quality education for children.  Janine leads a team of professionals who write about family lifestyle, early childhood, schools and education information and family-friendly events.

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