By Rashmi Yeole

Taking the time out to travel for a week isn’t always practical because it requires a lot of planning, especially if you need to process your leave applications. I feel very blessed to live in Brisbane where we are fortunate to have so many beautiful weekends escapes, just a short ride away. I was lucky enough to experience magical things on my trip to Tangalooma- watching wild dolphins, snorkelling around shipwrecks, watching pelicans feed and rolling down sand dunes. yes, you heard me! All of this in one magical, action-packed weekend.

Tangalooma Wrecks is one of the most sought-after weekend getaways for people living in and around Brisbane. Moreton Island is about sixty kilometres north-east of Brisbane. It is the third largest sand island in the world located on the coast of south-east Queensland, Australia and combined together with Fraser Island, makes it the largest sand structure in the world. The history of Tangalooma wrecks is interesting because fifteen vessels were deliberately sunk to create a space that ended up becoming a famous snorkel site.

We took a ferry departing from Brisbane (Holt Street Wharf, Pinkenba) to Tangalooma Island which took us only about 70 minutes. The ferry was comfortable but you should take some ginger or a lozenge if you tend to get seasick in choppy waters. Snorkelling and Scuba diving activities are very popular activities and the wrecks are not too far from the beach (a comfortable 30-minute walk from the resort).

We started our trip by making our way to the desert for some sand tobogganing- which is great fun. For the uninitiated, sand tobogganing is another word for sandboarding- a fun activity for adventure lovers. Located only about a 40-minute walk from the resort, it’s actually pretty easy to reach if you follow the designated pathway from the beach.

Once we reached the desert, I couldn’t help but marvel at how vast it was and we had the whole space to ourselves. Imagine a private desert to roll around in and have fun?

We spent the next few hours hanging out, rolling down the sand and obviously, sand tobogganing. Warning- dress appropriately because I got sand in my hair, face and even in my ears (don’t ask me how it happened). After our desert shenanigans, we headed to the ocean to cool off and snorkel with the little fish. Note to self and my readers- please apply a generous layer of sunscreen to avoid sun damage.

We walked over to the wrecks, which one can see from the main resort area and it took us a good 30 minutes after which I was starving. Note that the current here is strong and it sweeps between the wrecks and the beach and it’s very hard to swim against it. I suggest not to swim against the current and walk further along the beach towards the resort i.e. upstream from the current then swim over to the wrecks. Note- if you are not an experienced swimmer and snorkeler it is much safer to explore the wrecks with the guide and also they provide all snorkel equipment and will be there to assist, in case you are uncomfortable. Do always seek advice from the resort before swimming in this area as the water conditions can change rapidly.

We were famished so we headed to the restaurant for an early dinner. I think the snorkelling, walking to and from the resort as well as the sand tobogganing meant we worked up quite an appetite. As we waited for our meal to arrive, I observed the magic in the sky at sunset as the sky went from orange to almost crimson as it melted into the horizon. We were so busy marvelling at the sky change colours that I forgot to take out my camera and take a photo. After dinner, we headed towards the shore for dolphin feeding as every night a group of wild bottlenose dolphins come for fish which are fed to them by the tourists. They must be very clever to know when and where to come for the food, after all, they are the smartest mammals on the planet! We queued up as there were hundreds of tourists. At one time only 3 people are allowed to go with the guide to feed the dolphins. You can only be with the dolphins for about a minute so enjoy while it lasts and the photographer takes a few photos (which you can see the next day at the photo studio and buy a copy to take home).Although it got over quickly it was still exciting to feed a wild dolphin called Tinkerbell.

The next day we walked along the beach, spotting pelicans, seagulls and starfish. it was low tide and the visibility was quite great so we didn’t have to venture too far to see the fish. The water was crystal clear and perfect for non-swimmers too because you don’t have to go deep to see the schools of brightly coloured fish. Everyone had a great time and we returned tanned, happy with a belly full of adventures and incredible food.

Weekend getaways like this don’t need too much planning and yet, we come back to take on Monday all refreshed. Walking around and snorkelling for hours in itself is a good workout and enjoying leisure activities can lower levels. You return feeling rejuvenated, invigorated and with a sense of purpose. If you live by the sea, I urge you to take time off with friends and family to enjoy the outdoors and let nature do the healing for you. Queensland has so many beautiful destinations for you to choose from- all you’ve got to do is go. Happy and Safe Travels!

About the Author:

Rashmi Yeole is currently living in Brisbane with her husband. Although a medical social worker by profession, she has a diverse educational background with a bachelors in mass media specialising in advertising and masters in social work with a research focus on alcoholics anonymous.She also holds a diploma in business management and is a certified weight training professional.

She firmly believes that obsession with body size is vain and one must enjoy the activities and train to be happier and stronger. She loves doing abstract style oil paintings for mediation. @philterkilter is her Instagram handle which features images about travel, food fitness and lest we forget, happiness.