Most island time
The 7:30am boat
Our choice
- Check-in1 hour before
- Ride slots10am to 3pm
- BackAfter 4.00PM
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A Moreton Island day tour from Brisbane, hour by hour
Moreton Island day with the ATV quad ride
★ 4.5 · From 532 reviews
3 options compared
Compare the Brisbane day options for your group
Add your group to price the island days that leave Holt Street.
- Quad dayRide included · price per person from $119
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View - Ferry and day passKayak or paddle board · price per person from $104
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View - Guided full dayGuided 4WD island day · price per person from $126
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Starting prices from GetYourGuide, converted at the ECB reference rate. You will see the exact price when booking.
A Moreton Island day tour from Brisbane with a quad ride is a long, simple day: a boat out, a ride, lunch and the pools, and a boat back. Here is how the hours fall.
Editorial team, moretonislandquadbike.com · Updated November 8, 2026 · 7 min of reading
Key facts
Getting to Holt Street Wharf
Every quad day starts at the same place: 220 Holt St, in the riverside suburb of Pinkenba. The resort puts the wharf 10 kilometres from Brisbane Airport and a short drive from the city centre.4 That makes it easy to reach by taxi or car, and awkward without one, since no bus or train route reaches it.5
Drivers can leave the car in the wharf car park, which costs AUD 20 per vehicle per day.6 You pay on arrival, and the resort does not take pre-bookings for parking.7 Allow time for that queue as well as for traffic, since the boat will not wait. If you are staying near the airport, the short taxi ride is the simplest option of all.
Think about the end of the day as you plan the start. On the plain quad day you are back at Holt Street about 75 minutes after the 4.00PM boat leaves the island, in the early evening. On a combo with dolphins you arrive after dark. Either way, book your ride home from the wharf before you set off, or keep the car.
The timetable
Resort boats between Brisbane and the island
| Leaves Brisbane | Leaves the island | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 7:30am | 9:30am | Quad day cruises use it |
| 10:00am | 2:30pm | Quad day cruises use it |
| 12:30pm | 4:00pm | Afternoon Escape out; plain day home |
| 5:30pm | 7:00pm | Late boat after the feeding |
Times from the resort timetable; they can change, so confirm your booking 24 hours before.10,12
Check-in and the morning crossing
The resort asks passengers to check in at Holt Street Wharf at least 1 hour before departure, and says every crossing must be booked in advance.1 Boats to the island leave at 7:30am, 10:00am, 12:30pm and 5:30pm, and the quad day cruises use the 7:30am or 10:00am boat.10,8 The listing's record gives 220 Holt St as the start, with no hotel pickup named.
If you booked direct with the resort, bring the card you paid with. The resort says its day cruise guests must show the matching credit card on arrival, and it asks everyone to confirm their booking 24 hours before travel.11,12 Those two small steps prevent the most common morning headache at any ferry terminal: a booking the desk cannot match to the person in front of it.
The crossing takes about 75 minutes each way, and the resort warns that weather and swell on Moreton Bay can stretch it.2 The boat is a fast passenger catamaran, and the packages throw in 1 tea, coffee or soft drink per guest on board.9 Sit outside on a calm morning and you may spot dolphins, or whales in the cooler months, on the way across.
Which boat to take
The earlier boat is the one we would choose. Leaving at 7:30am puts you on the island well before the first quad slot at 10am, with time to find the tours desk, eat something and settle in.8,3 If weather moves your ride, an early arrival leaves the most later slots to move into. It also gets you to the tours desk before the day visitors from the second boat, which matters on busy weekends and in the school holidays when tandem bikes, which cannot be booked online, are in short supply.16
The 10:00am boat suits travelers who cannot face an early start, but it shortens the island day considerably.8 The ride still fits, since slots run until 4pm, but lunch, the ride and any second activity must squeeze into the afternoon before the 4pm boat home.3,8 For a family with young children, that pace can still work.
There is also a later option. The resort's Afternoon Escape leaves Brisbane at 12:30pm with the quad tour and a sunset cocktail, but without the day lounge or the dolphin feeding, and returns after dark, between 7:30pm and 8:30pm.15 Its makers describe it as built for people who prefer a later start.17 It turns a Moreton day trip into an afternoon and evening, rather than a morning and afternoon.
Plan your day
Which start suits you
Find your situation below and the matching boat appears beside it.
If We want as long as possible
The 7:30am boat
It lands you on the island before the first ride slot at 10am.8,3
If We hate early starts
The 10:00am boat
Quad day cruises also leave Brisbane at 10:00am.8
If We want a sunset too
The Afternoon Escape
It leaves at 12:30pm and returns between 7:30pm and 8:30pm.15
If We are flying in that morning
Taxi from the airport
The wharf is 10 kilometres from Brisbane Airport.4
If We are driving
Use the wharf car park
Wharf parking runs AUD 20 a vehicle each day, settled when you arrive.6,7
Three starts
Early boat, late boat or the afternoon
Shorter day
The 10:00am boat
Gentler start
- Check-in1 hour before
- Ride slotsAfternoon
- BackAfter 4.00PM
Night boat home
The Afternoon Escape
Late start
- Leaves12:30pm
- Back7:30pm to 8:30pm
- PriceAUD 219 adult
Your ride slot and lunch
On the island the day is yours to arrange around the ride. The resort runs quad tours at 10am, 11am, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm and 4pm every day.3 Each slot lasts roughly 40 to 45 minutes from briefing to finish, so you will be back on foot within the hour.14 Rides not fixed in advance are arranged at the tours desk by Reception.21
Lunch comes as a voucher. On the ATV packages it is worth AUD 25 per adult and AUD 20 per child, and you can spend it at the resort's food outlets.9 The resort gives no change on a voucher, so pick a meal close to its value.22 Eat before a late-morning ride or after an early one; a full stomach on a bumpy track is nobody's friend.
Busy days change the rhythm. When a cruise ship is in, its passengers book their activities through the ship rather than the desk.23 Look at the resort's What's On Guide for the latest tour times before you travel, and expect queues at lunch when a ship is in.24 On such days the safest plan is to fix your ride time at the desk the moment you land, then eat, rather than the other way round.
Hour by hour
A plain quad day from Brisbane
1 hour before
Check in at the wharf
Be at the Holt Street desk 1 hour or more before the boat.1
7:30am
The early boat leaves
From 10am
Your quad slot
Rides at 10am, 11am, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm or 4pm.3
Midday
Lunch on the voucher
AUD 25 per adult, spent at the resort outlets.9
3:15pm
The dolphin talk
The presentation at the Eco Centre before the boat.
4.0PM
The boat home
Back in Brisbane about 75 minutes later.
Free time on the island
After the ride, the resort is your base. The day package gives you access to its facilities, from two swimming pools to the restaurants and bars, for as long as your boat allows.9 Lockers start from AUD 2 per use, which is handy for a bag you do not want to carry to the beach.20 Nobody patrols the island's beaches, so swim with care and stay near children.25
For something more active, the tours desk can add the Desert Safari, which leaves at 9:15am and 1:30pm, or a short helicopter flight from AUD 124.26,27 A second quad ride costs AUD 69 if booked during the same stay.28 All of these are sold to official resort visitors only, which your package makes you for the day.29 Add them at the desk early, since some, like the safari, only go ahead once enough people sign up.30
Late afternoon brings the resort's own talk on its wild dolphins. The record for this listing names a 3:15pm talk at the Eco Centre, called Discover the World of Dolphins, shortly before the boat. The feeding itself happens later, after the plain day has left; the combos page explains how to stay for it.31
Video
A resort day trip from Brisbane, reviewed
Motivated Travel on YouTube · Video data is requested only when you tap play.
Travel time from Holt Street Wharf to Tangalooma Island Resort is approximately 75 minutes each way. This can vary due to weather and swell conditions of Moreton Bay.
Before you leave
What to have ready for the day
At the wharf3
For the ride3
The boat home and the evening
On the plain quad day, the boat leaves the island at 4.00PM and reaches Brisbane about 75 minutes later. Be at the jetty in good time: the resort timetable lists departures from the island at 9:30am, 2:30pm, 4:00pm and a late boat after the dolphin feeding.10 Miss the 4:00pm boat and the next one is that late evening sailing.
Bring a layer for the ride home. The crossing is about 75 minutes, the bay can be choppy, and you will be damp from the pools or the beach.2 Seasick travelers do best in the middle of the boat, low down, looking at the horizon. If you drove, remember that the parking was paid on arrival, so you can walk straight to the car.7
If one day feels too short, the alternative is a night on the island, which our sister guide moretonislanddaytrip.com weighs up in its overnight page. For most quad riders, though, a single full day from Brisbane is enough: the ride, a swim, a long lunch and a slow boat home. Couples who want both the ride and the dusk feed without a hotel can book a combo with an evening boat instead, which the combos page compares.
A Brisbane Moreton Island tour without the stress
The listing behind this site is a Brisbane Moreton Island tour from $119, refundable in full until 2 days before. That window gives you room to watch the forecast: if a storm is coming, move the day before the deadline rather than gamble on the morning. Brisbane summer afternoons often bring storms, while winter days tend to be calmer, so the season you travel in shapes how closely you need to watch.
One more listing sits on the same boats. The ferry and adventure day pass starts from $104 and gives a free 3-hour kayak or 1 hour paddle board session instead of the quad, with the boarding pass picked up at Holt St from 6:30am to 6:45am. The guided full-day trip from $126 is a different day altogether, a guided 4WD outing with its own national park and ferry fees paid in cash.
For the quad, stay with the quad listing: it is the only plain day where the ride is already in the package. Book it, confirm 24 hours before, bring enclosed shoes and, if you booked direct, the matching card, and the rest of the day looks after itself.12,11,18 The other pages on this site go deeper into the price, the rules, the trail and what to wear, so you arrive at the wharf with no open questions.
FAQ
Straight answers to common questions.
Where does the quad day start?
At 220 Holt St, Pinkenba.
The listing starts and ends at Holt Street Wharf, 10 kilometres from Brisbane Airport.4
Can I take public transport to the wharf?
No.
Neither buses nor trains run to Holt Street Wharf, the resort says, so plan a taxi, transfer or car.5
How early should I check in?
At least 1 hour before.
The resort asks for check-in at least 1 hour before the boat leaves.1
How long does the crossing to the island take?
About 75 minutes.
The crossing takes about 75 minutes each way and can take longer in a swell.2
What time is the quad ride?
When do I get back to Brisbane?
About 75 minutes after 4.00PM.
The boat leaves the island at 4.00PM and reaches Brisbane about 75 minutes later.
Is there a later start?
Yes, at 12:30pm.
The resort's Afternoon Escape with the quad leaves at 12:30pm and returns at night.15
What do I need to show at the wharf?
Your booking, and the card if booked direct.
Guests who booked a day cruise with the resort must show the matching credit card on arrival.11
Sources
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · Passenger ferries and transfers, boat timetable ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · Frequently Asked Questions ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · ATV Quad Bike Tours at Tangalooma & Moreton Island ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · Frequently Asked Questions ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · Holt Street Wharf ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · Frequently Asked Questions ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · Holt Street Wharf ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · ATV Quad Bike Day Cruise ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · ATV Quad Bike Day Cruise ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · Passenger ferries and transfers, boat timetable ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · ATV Quad Bike Day Cruise ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · ATV Quad Bike Day Cruise ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · ATV Quad Bike Tours at Tangalooma & Moreton Island ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · ATV Quad Bike Tours at Tangalooma & Moreton Island ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · Afternoon Escape Day Cruise ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · ATV Quad Bike Tours at Tangalooma & Moreton Island ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · Afternoon Escape Day Cruise ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · ATV Quad Bike Tours at Tangalooma & Moreton Island ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · ATV Quad Bike Tours at Tangalooma & Moreton Island ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · Frequently Asked Questions ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · ATV Quad Bike Tours at Tangalooma & Moreton Island ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · ATV Quad Bike Day Cruise ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · Frequently Asked Questions ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · ATV Quad Bike Tours at Tangalooma & Moreton Island ↩
- Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation (mulgumpincamping.net.au) · Staying safe on Mulgumpin (Moreton Island) ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · Desert Safari Tour ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · Scenic Helicopter Flights ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · ATV Quad Bike Tours at Tangalooma & Moreton Island ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · ATV Quad Bike Tours at Tangalooma & Moreton Island ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · Desert Safari Tour ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · Frequently Asked Questions ↩