Your own bike
Solo quad
Most riders
- PriceAUD 89
- Length45 minutes
- BookingOnline or desk
Clickable checklist
Riding a quad bike on Moreton Island: the rules that matter
Moreton Island day with the ATV quad ride
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In brief
To ride a quad bike on Moreton Island you steer your own bike from age 10 with an adult along, ride as a passenger from 5, and need a licence to drive a tandem.
Rule essentials
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Get a seatBefore you ride a quad bike on Moreton Island, check four things: your age, your licence, your health and the waiver. Here is each rule as the resort and the safety regulators state it.
Editorial team, moretonislandquadbike.com · Updated November 8, 2026 · 7 min of reading
Key facts
- Steer your own bikeFrom age 10, with an adult along and a parent's signature.1
- Ride as a passengerAges 5 to 9, behind a parent who shows a licence.2
- Licence neededTo drive a tandem, and for the Easy Rider beach tour.3,4
- Not allowedDuring pregnancy, and for anyone intoxicated.5,6
- Before you bookRead the waiver: it is a condition of booking.7
Who can ride, and at what age
The resort that runs the quad bike ride on Moreton Island sets clear age bands. Children aged 5 to 9 may ride on the back of a parent's bike, provided the parent has signed every waiver and shows a valid driver's licence from their own country.2 Riders aged 10 to 15 may steer their own quad as long as an adult rides with them and a parent signs the waiver.1
Younger riders do not get the same machine as adults. The resort gives anyone under 18 a quad that matches the maker's safety and age specifications, which can mean a smaller or less powerful bike than the adults ride.8 Its day-cruise page describes those as smaller bikes for riders aged 10 to 15.9 That matches the national safety advice from the consumer regulator, which says children under 16 should never ride an adult quad bike, even with an adult beside them.10
The package price follows a separate age line. On the resort's ATV day cruises the child rate covers ages 10 to 14 inclusive, and the resort says the gap between adult and child prices comes from the boat and the lunch voucher, not from the ride or the bike.11,12 So a 15-year-old pays the adult package but may still be given a smaller bike.
Who may do what
Quad rules by rider
| Rider | Allowed | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Child aged 5 to 9 | Passenger only | Parent signs and shows a licence |
| Rider aged 10 to 15 | Own smaller bike | Adult along, parent signs |
| Under 18 | Age-matched bike | May be lower-powered |
| Tandem driver | Carries a passenger | Valid driver's licence |
| Easy Rider driver | Beach as open road | Open or unrestricted licence |
| Pregnant traveler | Not permitted | Resort rule |
Rules from the resort's quad pages and FAQ; check them again before you book.2,1,8,3,4,5
Quad bike meaning: what you are actually riding
If you are new to all this, the quad bike meaning is simple. Australia's consumer regulator files quad bikes and side-by-side vehicles together as all-terrain vehicles: off-road motorised vehicles that travel on 4 wheels, where a quad has a single seat the rider straddles and handlebars to steer.17 You sit astride it like a motorbike, with a thumb throttle and brakes on the bars.
That riding position is why the safety advice is so specific. The regulator tells riders to wear a helmet every time, to avoid rough terrain and steep slopes, and notes that quad bikes cannot travel safely on all types of terrain.18,19 It also advises against carrying a passenger on a quad built for one person.20 The resort answers that last point with tandem quads, designed for 2 people, which it sells separately.21
Rollover protection is the other piece of national advice. The regulator recommends using a quad bike fitted with rollover protection, also called an operator protection device.22 That advice is written mainly for farms, where quads rank among the leading sources of deaths and serious injuries.23 A guided ride on marked tracks is a different setting, but the physics of a 4-wheeled machine on sand is the same, so ride within what the guide shows you.
Do you need a licence?
The resort ties the driver's licence to three situations. A tandem driver may carry a passenger only with a valid licence from their country of origin.3 A parent carrying a child aged 5 to 9 must show one.2 And the Easy Rider tour, which uses the beach as an open road, needs an open or unrestricted licence that you bring with you on the day.4
The beach matters because the island's tracks and beaches follow road rules. The Quandamooka body that co-manages the island says the same road rules apply on its tracks and beaches as on the mainland, and that every driver or rider must hold the right licence.24,25 The beach speed limit outside the 30 km/hr zones is 60 km/hr.26 That is the logic behind a licence rule for a tour that runs along the sand.
Tandem bookings are handled by people, not the website. The resort says tandem quads cannot be booked online because there are few of them, so you call or ask at the tours desk when you arrive.14 If you plan to carry a partner or a child, bring your licence and sort the tandem early, before the slots fill.
Can I ride?
Your situation, the rule
Find the line that fits you and see what the resort allows.
If My child is still small
Passenger only
Ages 5 to 9 ride behind a parent who signs and shows a licence.2
If My child is a young teen
Own bike, with you
Ages 10 to 15 steer their own bike with an adult and a parent's signature.1
If I have no licence
Solo standard tour
The licence rules apply to tandem drivers and the Easy Rider tour.3,4
If I am pregnant
Not this time
The resort does not permit the quad bikes during pregnancy.5
If I have asthma or epilepsy
Tell them first
The resort asks you to disclose such conditions before booking.13
Three ways to ride
Solo, tandem or the beach tour
Licence needed
Tandem quad
Driver plus passenger
- PriceAUD 67 each
- DriverValid licence
- BookingPhone or desk
Open licence
Easy Rider tour
Beach as open road
- PriceAUD 89 solo
- Length60 minutes
- ChildrenTandem only
Can you ride a quad bike on the motorway?
The licence question often comes with another: can you ride a quad bike on the motorway? In Queensland the answer runs through registration. The state's conditional registration scheme is for non-standard vehicles that fall outside normal registration rules yet genuinely need some limited road use.30 A vehicle used only on private property does not need it, and one driven on a road must have it.31,32
Even then, access is limited. Conditional registration permits 3 levels of road access: limited to worksites and designated areas, zone access of 20km, 40km or 80km, or unrestricted access with specific conditions.33 Riders and passengers on quad bikes using roads must wear an approved motorcycle helmet.34 None of that describes a quad cruising a motorway like a car.
For your island ride, none of this is yours to arrange: the resort sets the rules for its tour and you ride where the guide leads. It matters only if the day gives you a taste for quads at home. In that case, read the state rules first and treat a quad as a farm and trail machine, not a road vehicle.
Price the day
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Tell us how many will ride to see the total for each day.
- Plain quad dayHome on the 4pm boat · price per person from $119
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View - Quad and viewingMinimum age 10 · price per person from $156
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Starting prices from GetYourGuide, converted at the ECB reference rate. You will see the exact price when booking.
From booking to the tracks
The safety steps in order
Before booking
Read the waiver
Reading it is a condition of reserving the ride.7
Before booking
Disclose conditions
Injuries, pregnancy, epilepsy, asthma or heart conditions.13
At the desk
Book a tandem
Tandems are booked by phone or at the tours desk.14
At the start
Briefing and gear
A safety talk and the kit are part of every package.15
On the tracks
Follow the guide
Staff directions must be obeyed on the tour.16
Health, pregnancy and the right to say no
The resort wants to hear, before you book, about any injury or condition that the ride might aggravate or that could affect safe riding, naming pregnancy, epilepsy, asthma and heart conditions as examples.13 Its FAQ is direct about pregnancy: the quad bikes are among the activities not permitted while pregnant.5 If you are unsure, tell the resort and settle it before you book.
Staff also decide on the day. They may refuse anyone who is intoxicated, under the influence of drugs, carrying alcohol or drugs, abusive, or showing signs of a medical condition that could endanger others.6 Staff directions must be followed, and refusing to co-operate can mean being excluded from the tour.16 The national advice says the same thing in fewer words: never ride under the influence of alcohol or drugs.28
This is not a box-ticking exercise. A rider who hides a bad back or a heart condition takes on the risk alone, and the waiver below makes clear who carries it. If something could be an issue, settle it before paying: a cancelled ride inside the 48 hours before a resort day cruise is not refunded.35 On GetYourGuide the quad day can be cancelled free up to 2 days ahead, which leaves time to check with your doctor and still get the money back.
Video
ATV safety: what riders need to know
TRACKER OFF ROAD on YouTube · Video data is requested only when you tap play.
Children under the age of 16 should never ride an adult quad bike, even when an adult is present.
Possible quad injuries, and what the waiver says
It is worth being honest about possible quad injuries. Nationally, the consumer regulator counts 234 deaths in quad bike accidents in Australia since 2011, with males over 80% of them from 2011 to 2024 and children under 14 around 12%.36,37,38 A Queensland air ambulance service attends 25 quad bike injury cases a year on average.39 Its doctor describes broken limbs and ribs, and in serious cases pelvic fractures, spinal injuries and head trauma.40
Those national figures cover all riding, and farms are where quads do much of their harm: they rank among the leading causes of death and serious injury there.23 A guided resort tour on dedicated tracks, after training, is a controlled setting.41 Still, the resort does not pretend the risk is zero. Its waiver is a contract to take part, in which you acknowledge that the activity carries a risk of serious injury, physical harm or death.42
The same document aims to exclude the operator's liability, to the extent the law allows, for personal injury or death resulting from the ride.43 A parent or guardian signs for a young rider and confirms they have explained that risk.44 Reading it before you book is a condition of reserving the ride, so take the time; your travel insurance is worth a look at the same time.7
The briefing, the pace and riding well
Every ride starts on the ground. The resort describes basic training on the bush tracks for every rider, whatever their experience, and its packages include a safety briefing and the safety equipment.41,15 Counting that instruction, the tour lasts roughly 40 to 45 minutes, so actual riding time is less than the headline.29
Ride to the guide's pace, not to the rider in front. The regulator's advice to stay off rough terrain and steep slopes applies even on a fun ride, and its list of protective gear, from goggles to long sleeves, long pants, boots and gloves, explains why the resort asks for enclosed shoes.19,45,27 Make sure you are properly trained before you start, as the regulator puts it.46
Finally, accept that the resort can change the plan. It can change, delay or call off a tour when safety, operations or the environment require it, and safety changes bring no refund.47 On a sand island in storm season, a delay is the system working, not failing. Gear is covered in detail on our what-to-wear page.
FAQ
Straight answers to common questions.
What is the minimum age to ride the quad?
Do I need a driver's licence for the quad ride?
Can I ride while pregnant?
No.
The resort lists the quad bikes among the activities not permitted during pregnancy.5
Will my teenager get an adult bike?
Not under 18.
Riders under 18 get a bike matched to the maker's age specifications, which may be smaller or less powerful.8
Do I have to sign a waiver?
Can I carry a passenger on a normal quad?
Can staff stop me from riding?
Is a helmet compulsory on roads in Queensland?
Yes, for quad bikes.
Quad bike riders and passengers on roads must wear an approved motorcycle helmet.34
Sources
- 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) · 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 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) · ATV Quad Bike Day Cruise ↩
- ACCC Product Safety Australia (productsafety.gov.au) · Quad bike safety campaign ↩
- 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) · ATV Quad Bike Day Cruise ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · ATV Quad Bike Tours at Tangalooma & Moreton Island ↩
- ACCC Product Safety Australia (productsafety.gov.au) · Quad bike and side-by-side vehicle guide ↩
- ACCC Product Safety Australia (productsafety.gov.au) · Quad bike and side-by-side vehicle guide ↩
- ACCC Product Safety Australia (productsafety.gov.au) · Quad bike and side-by-side vehicle guide ↩
- ACCC Product Safety Australia (productsafety.gov.au) · Quad bike and side-by-side vehicle guide ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · ATV Quad Bike Tours at Tangalooma & Moreton Island ↩
- ACCC Product Safety Australia (productsafety.gov.au) · Quad bike and side-by-side vehicle guide ↩
- ACCC Product Safety Australia (productsafety.gov.au) · Quad bike and side-by-side vehicle guide ↩
- Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation (mulgumpincamping.net.au) · Staying safe on Mulgumpin (Moreton Island) ↩
- Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation (mulgumpincamping.net.au) · Staying safe on Mulgumpin (Moreton Island) ↩
- Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation (mulgumpincamping.net.au) · Staying safe on Mulgumpin (Moreton Island) ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · ATV Quad Bike Tours at Tangalooma & Moreton Island ↩
- ACCC Product Safety Australia (productsafety.gov.au) · Quad bike and side-by-side vehicle guide ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · ATV Quad Bike Tours at Tangalooma & Moreton Island ↩
- Queensland Government (qld.gov.au) · Conditional registration explained ↩
- Queensland Government (qld.gov.au) · Conditional registration explained ↩
- Queensland Government (qld.gov.au) · Conditional registration explained ↩
- Queensland Government (qld.gov.au) · Conditional registration explained ↩
- Queensland Government (qld.gov.au) · Conditional registration explained ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · ATV Quad Bike Day Cruise ↩
- ACCC Product Safety Australia (productsafety.gov.au) · Quad bike and side-by-side vehicle guide ↩
- ACCC Product Safety Australia (productsafety.gov.au) · Quad bike and side-by-side vehicle guide ↩
- ACCC Product Safety Australia (productsafety.gov.au) · Quad bike and side-by-side vehicle guide ↩
- ACCC Product Safety Australia (productsafety.gov.au) · Quad bike safety campaign ↩
- ACCC Product Safety Australia (productsafety.gov.au) · Quad bike safety campaign ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · ATV Quad Bike Tours at Tangalooma & Moreton Island ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · ATV Quad Bike Tour Contract to Participate (PDF) ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · ATV Quad Bike Tour Contract to Participate (PDF) ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · ATV Quad Bike Tour Contract to Participate (PDF) ↩
- ACCC Product Safety Australia (productsafety.gov.au) · Quad bike and side-by-side vehicle guide ↩
- ACCC Product Safety Australia (productsafety.gov.au) · Quad bike and side-by-side vehicle guide ↩
- Tangalooma Island Resort (operator official site) · ATV Quad Bike Tours at Tangalooma & Moreton Island ↩