Visit a South Stradbroke Island Resort

Take a short trip across the broadwater and spend the day at a South Stradbroke Island resort, where you’ll enjoy the natural beauty of tropical gardens, rainforest, and miles of pristine beaches.

Lizards, wallabies and other native wildlife abound in natural bushland areas, and the quizzical kookaburra is just one of a variety of birds that make the island their home.

Access to the island is via a 20 minute ferry trip across the broadwater.

Or, you can make a day of it and climb aboard one of the cruises that specialise in tours to the island resorts. It takes ~ 45 minutes to reach the part of the island where the resorts are located.

All day-trippers are welcome and for those planning a longer break, some resorts offer overnight accommodation. Couran Cove, South Stradbroke Island, Queensland TQ

Your escape to a South Stradbroke Island resort can be as relaxing or as active as you choose.

Beautiful lagoons make swimming a pleasure and you can slide, paddle or kayak your day away with water sports.

Some resorts offer parasailing, jet skiing or sailing for an additional cost and you may find beach volleyball or other organised sports on offer.

If that’s not your scene or you tire of the water, take a rainforest walk and explore South Stradbroke Island - or head to the east coast beaches, where regular swells create fantastic surfing breaks.

If all this sounds like too much effort, simply grab a good book, relax on a lounge by the pool and do nothing more energetic than raise your glass for an occasional refill.

The cost of a day trip to a resort generally includes lunch, and you may enjoy a scrumptious smorgasborg and help yourself to a choice of BBQ steak, chicken or seafood and an array of delicious salads.

Alternatively, a couple of the larger resorts have a choice of restaurants where you may order a-la-carte meals.

Following such a wonderful banquet, a quick siesta beneath swaying palms may be the order of the day…

Resort Departs Contact

South Stradbroke Island Resort Runaway Bay 07-5577 3311

Island Beach Resort Main Beach 07-5501 3555

Couran Cove Resort Hope Island 07-5597 9995 or 1800 268 726

and while day guests will be returned to the mainland on a late afternoon cruise, those of you lucky enough to be staying on can look forward to another gastronomical feast at dinnertime!

So add a visit to South Stradbroke Island to your list of Gold Coast holiday adventures… you’ll surely have a great day out!

Return from South Stradbroke Island Resort to Cruises, Boat Hire, and Charters

Return to Gold-Coast-Australia-Holidays homepage

FAST FACTS

Cost

Adults: cost ranges from $45-$80
Kids (3-12 years): cost ranges from $25-$40
Cost includes ferry transfers, and various free activities. A BBQ lunch may be included in some packages - check with operators when booking.

Facilities

Toilets, lagoon pool, café/restaurants, other free activities which vary between resorts.
Additional activities may be available for a cost, such as bike riding, or parasailing, or speedboat rides.

Wet Weather

Limited undercover activities (unless you’re an overnight guest).

Operating Hours

All year round.

Duration

The morning cruises depart at ~ 10am, and return in the late afternoon.

Handy Hints

- Take hat, sunglasses, and SPF 15+ sunscreen.
- Take plenty of drinking water, to avoid dehydration.
- Ensure you check the departure time of the last ferry for the day, and make you’re on it!

How To Get There

- Some operators may arrange pick-up from & drop-off to your Gold Coast accommodation. Check with operators.
Refer map references at end of article for departure points for island day tours.

Further Info

Refer tour operator table at end of article.

View South Stradbroke Island in a larger map

Stradbroke Island

Stradbroke Island was one of the largest sand islands in Australia when it became divided into two separate islands (North & South) in 1898.

A few years earlier, in 1894, the ship Cambus Wallace was carrying explosives when it was wrecked on a narrow part of the island. The cargo later exploded, and it's thought that this may have contributed to the division of the island by apparently weakening the sandy foundations - it was this same area where the sea broke through just a few years later.

Today, Jumpin Pin Bar is the wide body of water which separates North & South Stradbroke Islands, and is considered a hazardous crossing for small boats.