Fishing in Gheebulum Kunungai (Moreton Island) National Park

Gheebulum Kunungai (Moreton Island) National Park sits in Moreton Bay, roughly 40 kilometres northeast of Brisbane. The island is a large sand mass — one of the largest sand islands in the world — and the park covers most of it.

The surrounding bay and ocean waters are what draw anglers here, not rivers or impoundments. The island's interior lakes and streams are off-limits: fishing or collecting bait in lakes and streams within the park is not permitted.

That restriction shapes how fishing works here. The action is coastal — beaches, gutters, and the waters immediately offshore. The eastern ocean beaches and the western bay-facing shores fish differently, and most anglers work them from the sand or by boat.

Access to the island requires a ferry or barge crossing from the mainland; if you're bringing a 4WD, you'll need to book vehicle passage, as the beaches serve as the main tracks.

Mirapool is designated a special protection zone and a marine national park zone — no fishing there. The stretch between Comboyuro Point and Tangalooma Point carries a specific restriction: no spearfishing in those waters.

These are Queensland Parks rules, and the zoning is part of the broader Moreton Bay Marine Park framework. Check current zoning maps at qld. gov. au/MBMPzoning before you go, as marine park zones govern what's permitted on the water around the island.

Camping permits are required for all campgrounds and camping zones within the national park and recreation area, and must be obtained before arrival through Queensland Parks.

The fishing here is tied to the rhythms of a bay and ocean environment — tides, seasons, and the health of a system that also supports humpback whales on their late-winter migration and resident dolphin populations.

That context is worth keeping in mind when you're working a gutter at dusk.