MORETON BAY: Brisbane’s boating playground — Rivergate Marina and Shipyard

Just a few hours’ easy cruise from Rivergate Marina & Shipyard on the Brisbane River, Moreton Bay is the idyllic sheltered waterway that has long been a boating paradise for locals, and is now attracting visiting superyachts keen to enjoy its peaceful anchorages, pristine beaches and natural wonders.

The Tangalooma wrecks are a fantastic anchorage and great place for diving and snorkeling.

Considered one of the east coast’s best kept secrets, Moreton Bay extends from Caloundra in the north to the Gold Coast Seaway, covering more than 3,400-square-kilometeres (1,313-square miles) of tranquil waterways with an average depth of 6.8m (22ft).

Dotted with windswept islands, Moreton Bay was declared a Marine Park in 1992 to protect ecologically significant habitats. It’s home to over 1,000 species of fish, six of the world’s seven sea turtle species, three species of dolphin and the reclusive dugong (manatee), as well as various shark and ray species.

Whales make their annual pilgrimage from southern waters to the tropical north via Moreton Bay.

Majestic humpback whales travel 6,000km annually from their Antarctic feeding grounds along the eastern coastline of Australia to give birth in the tepid lagoons of the Great Barrier Reef in mid-June. After calving, from July, the humpbacks start their return south and many of them stopover in Moreton Bay where they can be seen frolicking with their calves until early November.

Other species known to visit Moreton Bay Marine Park include southern right whales and minke whales, along with large pods of coastal and oceanic dolphins all year round.

Feeding the dolphins at Tangalooma resort on Moreton Island.

Despite its protected status, the region offers fantastic fishing in the waters of the Pumicestone Passage and the ocean beaches of Moreton Island and North Stradbroke Island.

The clean, calm waters of Moreton Bay are sheltered from large swells by Moreton Island and North Stradbroke Island. There are around 360 islands in total, including the populated Russel, Macleay, Lamb and Karragarra Islands, known as the Southern Moreton Bay Islands.

At the northern end of the Bay off the western side of Moreton Island are some peaceful anchorages such as Lucinda Bay, Sand Hills, Days Gutter and the turquoise waters of the famous dive site the Tangalooma Wrecks.

To the south-east lie the historic islands of St Helena, Green, North Stradbroke and Peel which offer safe and picturesque anchorages and abundant fishing and crabbing.

Further south on the eastern side of North Stradbroke Island is the tranquil anchorage at Myora Point with its freshwater spring, or further south at One Mile. Horseshoe Bay on the southern side of Peel Island boasts a pristine beach and protection from southerlies at Lazaret on the northern side.

The warm waters, reefs and wrecks provide plenty of interest for divers and watersports enthusiasts.

Warm all year-round, the waters of Moreton Bay provide scuba divers and snorkelers great visibility, particularly around the submerged shipwrecks and reefs.

Considered “nature’s theme park”, Moreton Island is 95 percent National Park and remains relatively untouched. There are several protected anchorages and access to a diverse range of water and land activities: diving, snorkelling, bushwalking and quad biking. Moreton Island delights visitors with its massive sand dunes adjoining the beaches, where you can enjoy an exhilarating sand-toboggan. It’s also home to one of the world’s highest sand dunes, Mt Tempest at 280m (919ft) high.

Moreton Island is also one of the only places in the world where you can hand feed wild dolphins who visit the shores of Tangalooma Resort each day.

While onshore, visitors can spot wallabies and kangaroos and wander through significant historic sites, including military fortifications and the quarantine station at Fort Lytton, and the former prison on St Helena Island.

The pristine waters of Peel Island offer tranquil anchorages.

The experienced team at Rivergate Marina & Shipyard has worked with Captains and Owners on personalised itineraries, providing detailed maps and insider information on anchorages and attractions in Moreton Bay, the Whitsundays to Cairns, as well as south to Sydney, Melbourne and Tasmania, and further afield to the incredible cruising destination of the Kimberleys in Western Australia.

For local insight from Brisbane-born Captain Travis Heyen, skipper of 69m (226ft) Feadship superyacht, MY SAMAYA, read his tips for making the most of Brisbane and Moreton Bay here.