At the mouth of the Brisbane River. This protected stretch of water off the coast at Brisbane is almost 100 km long and filled with islands large and small. (You could visit a different one each day of the year and still have a few left over.) From 1867 St Helena Island was briefly the location of the notorious Moreton Bay Penal Colony. Later it became a top-security prison for incorrigible escapers. By 1932 most of the prisoners had either escaped or were due to be released, apart from a few hard-core lifers, and the prison was closed down. (The remaining prisoners continued their idle lifestyle at the government’s expense elsewhere.) Now it’s a national park, with a number of beaches where you too can indulge in the idle life. Another popular beach spot is Coochie Island (also known as Coochiemudlo Island), which can be reached by a short ferry ride from Victoria Point on the mainland south-east of Brisbane.

Another island worth visiting is South Stradbroke Island. Despite being so close to the Gold Coast, this 20-km-long thin island remains largely unspoiled. Although it is only 1 km wide, its inner scrubland still has kangaroos. The island is popular with fishermen and surfers (the best surf being at the south-eastern beach). Cruise trips run from Surfer’s Paradise down the coast: one of the main points of interest for day trippers to this remote spot is the noisy crowded bar at the aptly named Tippler’s Resort. Contrary to popular myth, survivors of a visit to this watering hole do not get their money back when they return to the mainland if they are still capable of articulating the name of the island.

For Bribie Island and Moreton Island see Between Brisbane and Hervey Bay, and North Stradbroke Island.