Moreton Island is a wonderful place for a family holiday. A tropical island paradise just a short ferry ride from the Brisbane CBD. Here your family will have days of fun in the sun, swimming, snorkelling, relaxing and going on 4WD adventures.
If you are planning a trip to Moreton, you’re probably now looking for some great Moreton Island accommodation. While there isn’t an endless supply of places to stay on Moreton Island, there is a sufficient supply of great family accommodation.
Many families choose to go camping on Moreton Island – but if this isn’t your family’s idea of a holiday, then you’ll be pleased to know the island also has resort style accommodation, holiday homes for rent, budget units and you can even go glamping on Moreton Island.
To help you choose the very best holiday accommodation Moreton Island has for your family getaway, this guide covers a range of different options. There is also a map so you can see exactly where the different places are and a table so you can easily compare them.
So let’s get into it and find the best Moreton Island stay for your family holiday!
Main Image Credit: Thanks to Tourism and Events Queensland
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Moreton Island Accommodation Map
While you can camp in a million different places across the island, there are fewer areas to stay, in terms of holiday accommodation on Moreton Island.
Below I’ve given a brief overview of the different areas where you can stay on the Island so that you can choose the perfect location for your family holiday. I’ve also included a map that covers the different accommodation options covered in this guide.
Tangalooma Island Resort
When most people think of where to stay on Moreton Island, they’ll usually think of the Tangalooma Island Resort. Now while this Moreton Island resort isn’t a town as such, I’ve listed it here, because to be honest, it is bigger than any of the island’s towns and it has the most facilities and accommodation options.
There is a range of accommodation options at the Tangalooma Resort, Moreton Island, from apartments to villas and even holiday homes – but more on the accommodation options below.
The resort also has a range of restaurants and cafes, including a Japanese restaurant, a Chinese restaurant, a coffee shop and a cafe. In addition, the resort has a bar, convenience store and you can buy alcohol too.
There is a huge amount to do here, including multiple swimming pools, a playground, a beautiful beach, water sports and more. Basically, you could stay here and never get bored.
You use to be able to visit Tangalooma while staying elsewhere on the island, however now only guests of the resorts can access all the different facilities of the resort – so you know it will never be overcrowded.
Tangalooma is super easy to reach as it’s on the western side of the island and right where both the Tangalooma ferry comes in and a short walk from where the Micat ferry comes in.
For families coming over to the island to live it up – Tangalooma is the place for you!
Cowan Cowan
Cowan Cowan is a small town on the island, just 9km north of Tangalooma. While there are no services in town in terms of shops or cafes, it’s just s quick drive or a short walk to the nearby town of Bulwer.
There aren’t any resorts or hotels in Cowan Cowan for families; however, there are nice holiday homes. From here, it’s an easy walk down to the beautiful sheltered beach – perfect for swimming with young kids. Plus, the beach here doesn’t allow vehicles, so you don’t have to worry about the kids staying away from cars.
Cowan Cowan is the perfect place for a quiet, relaxing holiday with the kids.
Bulwer
Just 12kms north of the Tangalooma Resort is the small town of Bulwer. This is the main place on the island to stock up on supplies like groceries, alcohol and petrol.
Bulwer has a lovely beachfront with crystal clear blue waters making it ideal for swimming. There are also a few wrecks here (more on that below) where you can go snorkelling to see a range of marine life.
The Castaways Store and Cafe is here, which is your local convenience store and a great place to come for a meal (the fish and chips are amazing!). Castaways, Moreton Island, is open daily for breakfast and lunch from 9 am to 3 pm, and during peak times, it is also open for dinner Thursday through to Sunday. You can see their menu here.
Castaways is also where you’ll find the very popular Moreton Island glamping. As well as glamping, Castaways also has self contained units. There are also two holiday homes in Bulwer available for rent.
Bulwer is a beautiful spot to come for some fantastic sunsets, with spectacular views across Moreton Bay and out to the mainland mountain ranges.
Kooringal
Kooringal is situated at the very southern tip of Moreton Island. This very small residential area is home to the “Gutter Bar”, a popular place on the island for fresh seafood and a cold drink. As well as being a place to eat, the Gutter Bar doubles as a convenience store for stocking up on supplies.
While mostly a residential area, Kooringal does have a holiday home available for rent, which is a lovely option for families wanting a secluded spot on the island.
Holiday Accommodation Moreton Island Overview
Below is a super quick overview of all the family accommodation in Moreton Island, reviewed in this guide. You can use this overview to quickly determine if any of these options are right for you and your family. For a more comprehensive review, keep reading below.
| Name | Location | Type | Facillties | Check Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Tangalooma Villas | Tangalooma | Villas - sleep 6 to 10 | 2 or 3 bedrooms across 2 levels, 1 bathroom, kitchen & balcony | Check Price |
Tangalooma Apartments  | Tangalooma | Apartments - sleep 4 to 6 | 2 or 3 bedrooms across 2 levels, 1 bathroom, kitchen & balcony | Check Price |
Tangalooma Holiday Homes | Tangalooma | Holiday Home - sleeps 10 | 4 bedrooms across 2 levels, 3 bathrooms, kitchen, balcony | Check Price |
The Jetty | Cowan Cowan | Holiday Home - sleeps 4 | 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, kitchen & balcony | Check Price |
Signal Cottage | Cowan Cowan | Holiday Home - sleeps 7 | 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, kitchen & balcony | Check Price |
Castaways | Bulwer | Glamping & units - sleeps 2 to 7 | Glamping tents with private bathrooms and communal kitchen or 2 or 3 bedroom units - fully self contained | Check Price |
Kiarabilli | Bulwer | Holiday Home - sleeps 14 | 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, kitchen & balcony | Check Price |
The Boarding House | Bulwer | Holiday Home - sleeps 8 | 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen & balcony | Check Price |
The Island Retreat | Kooringal | Holiday Home - sleeps 9 | 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen & verandah | Check Price |
Accommodation on Moreton Island Reviews
Below we’ve provided our picks on where to stay on Moreton Island with kids.
Tangalooma Island Resort
As mentioned above, for families holidaying on Moreton Island, the Tangalooma Island Resort is the most popular place to stay. The resort offers a huge range of accommodation options, activities galore and a very beautiful beach for water sports.
Many people choose to stay at Tangalooma Island Resort because of all the great facilities on offer. There are two great swimming pools, a playground, tennis courts, wildlife talks and entertainment – all free. There are also multiple restaurants and cafes and a convenience store.
There are also plenty of optional extras that you can do while staying at the resort. This makes it really easy to experience all the island offers if you haven’t got your own vehicle on the island. There are guided snorkelling tours, dolphin feeding, island tours, quad bike tours, segway tours and more. Honestly, you won’t get bored here even after a week!
Now let’s chat about the different accommodation options available.
There is a range of modern two and three bedrooms villas available to accommodate anywhere from six to ten people. The villas are two-storey, fully self-contained and overlook the beach’s northern end, so they have superb views across Moreton Bay. All villas come with air conditioning, parking, kitchens and more.
Here are links to a few of the self contained villas on offer at Tangalooma Island Resort:
- Beachfront Villa 55 – Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, sleeps 6.
- Beachfront Villa 31 – Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, sleeps 10.
- Beachfront Villa 21 – Three bedrooms, one bathroom, sleeps 8.
- Beachfront Villa 15 – Three bedrooms, one bathroom, sleeps 6.
Apartments are located at the southern end of the property, looking out across the beach and the dolphin feeding area. Apartments are two or three bedrooms and can sleep between four and six people. Some apartments are hotel style, while others are self contained. All apartments come with air conditioning.
Here are links to a few of the apartments on offer at Tangalooma Island Resort:
- Apartments – self contained with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, sleeps 4 to 6.
- Split Level Apartments – self contained with two bedrooms, three bathrooms, sleeps 6.
Larger families or multiple families travelling together may like to stay in one of the holiday homes on Tangalooma Island Resort. The holiday homes are located at the back of the resort, with an elevated position and great views across Moreton Bay. However, this does mean a bit of a walk every time you want to head down to the beach. Although these holiday homes are spacious and come with everything you need, such as full kitchens, open plan living areas, huge verandahs, air conditioning and more.
Here are links to a few of the holiday homes on offer at Tangalooma Island Resort:
- Coral Crescent – four bedrooms, three bathrooms, can sleep up to 10 people.
With so many great facilities, things to do and great accommodation (reasonably priced too, I might add), it’s easy to see why so many families love staying at Tangalooma. However, a resort style holiday isn’t for everyone, and there is plenty of other options in terms of places to stay on Moreton – read on to see what else is available.
Signal Cottage
For families looking for a quiet getaway, yet a short drive to the shop in Bulwer, then the Signal Cottage beach shack in Cowan Cowan is a great option. This holiday home sleeps up to 7 people and is just metres away from the lovely sheltered waters of the Moreton Bay Marine Park.
This beachfront property comes with three bedrooms, with the master featuring a queen, the second bedroom has a double and the final bedroom has bunk beds and a single bed.
The home also features a living area, small kitchen, one bathroom and laundry. Outside you have verandahs on the front and back of the home and a large grassy yard for the kids to run around. Plus, you can walk straight from the yard down to the beach – how’s that for location!
This is a fairly basic holiday home without any flash modern amenities. However, it may well be the perfect accommodation for the family that wants to get away from it all on beautiful Moreton Island.
Just keep in mind that there is no air conditioning here, just a few fans provided so that it may get hot during the peak of summer.
Click here to check availability and current pricing.
The Jetty
Just a few houses up from the Signal Cottage, you’ll find The Jetty holiday home, another great property located right on the beachfront in Cowan Cowan. The family will love sitting out on the verandah watching the sunset over Moreton Island.
This home is slightly smaller than the Signal Cottage, featuring two bedrooms – both bedrooms have a queen bed to accommodate up to four people. In addition, this beautiful beach holiday home has a fully equipped kitchen, bathroom, BBQ and a balcony looking across Moreton Bay. The highlight, of course, is the property backs straight onto the beautiful Cowan Cowan beach.
Just keep in mind that, like the Signal Cottage, there is no air conditioning here, just a few fans provided, so it may get hot during the peak of summer.
Click here to check availability and current pricing.
Kiarabilli
Just a short walk to the beach and the Castaways Cafe is the beautiful Kiarabilli holiday house. This is a lovely huge home that can sleep up to 14 people! So it’s perfect for the largest of families or even ideal for two or three families holidaying together.
This holiday home has everything you need for a great getaway. There is a large kitchen, huge dining area, spacious lounge area, a laundry and multiple outdoor areas for relaxing. There is also plenty of grassy space in the yard for the kids to play.
There are five bedrooms at Kiarabilli, so everyone gets their own space. There are three queen beds in three bedrooms and two sets of bunk beds in two of the bedrooms. And don’t worry about having to wait in line for the bathroom, because this huge home has three of them! There is even a spa in one of them!
Like most of the properties in this guide, Kiarabilli doesn’t have any air conditioning, but fans are provided.
For a large family or a big group of friends, Kiarabilli is an excellent place to stay. From here, you can easily walk to the beach and cafe, as well as the convenience store to stock up on supplies. It is one of the more expensive properties in this guide, but it can work out good value for money if you have a few families travelling together.
Click here to check availability and current pricing.
Castaways
Image Credit: Thanks to Tourism and Events Queensland
Located in Bulwer, Castaways offer families a great range of accommodation – in fact, the cheapest accommodation on the island, apart from camping. Accommodation is provided in either glamping tents or self contained units.
There are 11 glamping tents on the property, which can accommodate up to four people. The two man tents come with a queen bed, or the four man tents come with a queen bed and set of bunk beds. They also have a private ensuite, a small deck with outdoor furniture and access to the communal kitchen. The kitchen has a fridge, BBQ, utensils, tea and coffee making facilities, a seating area and a fire pit.
If you prefer a bit more space or have a larger family, then the two or three bedroom self-contained units are worth considering. These units offer great value for money for families. These units can sleep up to seven people, with the two bedroom unit coming with a queen bed in the master bedroom and two singles in the second bedroom and the three bedroom unit coming with a queen bed in two rooms and a bunk bed in the final bedroom. A trundle bed is also available for an additional person.
Both kinds of accommodation come with all you need including linen and towels. From here you’re just a 5 minute walk from the beach and you’ve got the Castaways Cafe and store right next door.
Like some of the other accommodation listed above, there is no air conditioning at Castaways, and while there are fans in the units, there aren’t any in the tents.
Click here to check availability and current pricing.
The Boarding House
The Boarding House is a lovely modern little holiday home just around the corner from Kiarabilli and 500 metres from the Castaway Cafe. This is an excellent property for the family that wants to be close to the beach, able to prepare their own meals and be within walking distance to supplies when needed.
The Boarding House has three bedrooms and can accommodate up to eight people – so perfect for a large family or even two smaller families travelling together. Two bedrooms have queen beds, while the last room has two sets of bunk beds – so the kids can all bunk in together.
This holiday has a lovely modern kitchen with all the appliances needed for preparing meals while away. There is a huge open plan living area where you’ll find the kitchen and lounge area. In addition, there are two bathrooms, a laundry and a lovely veranda with an outdoor dining area and a BBQ. Although this holiday home does not have any air conditioning or fans.
For families after a spacious holiday home on Moreton Island, close to a shop, cafe and the gorgeous beach – you can’t go wrong with the Boarding House.
Click here to check availability and current pricing.
The Island Retreat
Located on the southern end of Moreton Island, The Island Retreat is the place to go for a secluded getaway with all the comforts of home. This holiday home is situated in Kooringal, a quiet residential area on the island and just 350 metres from the island’s famous Gutter Bar.
If you’ve ever been to Bali, you’ll be immediately transported back as you enter the Island Retreat. It’s been decorated just lovely so that you automatically get that holiday vibe as soon as you arrive.
All the rooms here are extremely spacious; there is a huge kitchen area, lots of sitting areas and a lovely outdoor area under a Bali like hut, complete with lounges, dining table and BBQ.
The Island Retreat sleeps up to 9 people, so there is plenty of room for a large family or multiple families travelling together. There is a king bed in one room and queen beds in two other rooms. Then in the last room, there are four single beds where the kids can all bunk in together. There are also two bathrooms, so no lining up for the toilet or shower.
Families can wander down to the beach from the Island Retreat, which has calm water perfect for the little ones to swim in. Plus, it’s just a short walk to the Gutter Bar, where you can grab a meal or stock up supplies.
If you’re prepared for some of the downsides like no air conditioning, fans, solar panel and bore water, this property offers excellent value for money and a beautiful place to stay on Moreton Island.
Click here to check availability and current pricing.
Camping on Moreton Island
Many families completely bypass all of these accommodation options and camp on Moreton Island. It’s a brilliant way of exploring the island and I mean, who can really pass up having the beautiful views of Moreton Bay as your view whether you’re cooking, sleeping or sitting around. It really is a great way to holiday on the island.
If you’re interested in camping on Moreton Island, I recommend checking out our guide on camping over on our Queensland Camping website.
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Hopefully you found this guide on where to stay on Moreton Island helpful. You can check our guide for things to do at Moreton Island with kids here or if you’re short on time see our guide on the best Moreton Island tours here.