North Stradbroke Island or, as the locals call it, Straddie or North Straddie, is known for its rich Indigenous culture, its stunning, empty beaches (it’s the world’s second largest sand island) and its abundant wildlife. On the island in Moreton Bay in Queensland, expect to see kangaroos, koalas and wombats on land, and whales, turtles and manta rays off its shores.
While there are several operators offering day tours of Stradbroke Island from Brisbane, if you’re keen to really get a feel for its island, it’s worth joining its roughly 180 people and spending the night. Fortunately, the island has a wide range of accommodations to suit any budget, including holiday homes, apartments and beach resorts.
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Allure Stradbroke Resort
Right across the road from Home Beach and less than a 10-minute stroll from the coastal village of Point Lookout, Allure Stradbroke Resort is a great base for exploring Straddie’s white sand beaches, inland lakes and most popular cafés and restaurants. Choose from a beach shack or villa here, and take advantage of the solar-heated, outdoor pool, gym and Straddie Eats Café.
Stradbroke Island Beach Hotel
Stradbroke Island Beach Hotel is just a two-minute walk from the beach, though you can also enjoy the sand and sea simply viewing it from your room’s balcony. Some apartments even have barbecues on theirs. The hotel also has an outdoor pool and a beer garden serving bistro-style food. It’s a 15-minute drive from Dunwich Jetty, where you can catch a water taxi to Cleveland’s Toondah Harbour.
Anchorage on Straddie
Set in Point Lookout, Anchorage on Straddie comprises a total of 23 apartments, sized studio, one-bed and two-bed. The hotel has an outdoor pool with a barbecue and a gift shop so you can easily grab yourself a memento from your Straddie stay. The hotel can also arrange for you bowling, sandboarding, kayaking or surfing.
The Dunes
The Dunes is a holiday home you can rent from Stradbroke Island Coastal Homes. It sleeps four people, and is located a mere 100m to a patrolled beach. After a day of exploring Straddie or splashing around in the holiday home complex’s shared pool, head to the house to cook up dinner in its full kitchen and tuck into it on the home’s balcony.
Reflections at Point Lookout
Reflections at Point Lookout is a beachfront holiday home, overlooking Deadman’s Beach at Point Lookout. It sleeps up to 12 across four bedrooms – one upstairs and three downstairs. It also features a gourmet kitchen with a two-door fridge, rice cooker, electric oven, and anything else you’d need to cook a meal, as well as a covered deck with a table for six and a large open-plan lounge room.
The Islander Holiday Resort
The Islander Holiday Resort in Point Lookout, across from Home Beach and a five-minute walk to patrolled Cylinder Beach, has everything you’d need from a resort, including a full-size, flood-lit tennis court (the hotel provides racquets and balls), pool and tropical gardens with several varieties of hibiscus. Choose from apartments the size of studio, one-bedder or two-bedder.
Samarinda Jewel by the Sea
Samarinda Jewel by the Sea offers one, two and three-bedroom apartments across its three levels, Garden, Oceania and Surf. All apartments are individually owned so have their own unique furnishings and style. The property is a convenient few-minutes’ walk from Th North Gorge Walk, The Surf Club and Straddie’s Main Beach, which stretches for 32km.
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