Once on the island, you only need a 2WD car to access the three main townships – Dunwich, Amity, and Point Lookout – which are connected by sealed roads.
Driving from the Gold Coast - travel north along the Pacific Highway and take the Cleveland Exit No. Situated just offshore of Sanctuary Cove, getting to South Stradbroke Island isn’t quite as straight forward as many other parts of the Gold Coast, however the little bit of extra effort is totally worth it for the spectacular natural reserve and relaxed way of life. You can drive, hire a car, or catch a taxi from Brisbane to Toondah Harbour, Cleveland, where ferries depart to Stradbroke Island.
The Gold Coast Airport is also just a 40 minute drive south of the Sanctuary Cove Marina along the Pacific Motorway and Gold Coast Highway. You can plan your whole journey using Translink here. You can take your vehicle on the ferry or leave it on the mainland.
If you drive, you can leave your car at the harbour and take a passenger ferry, or take your car with you on the car ferry. All water taxis & ferries to the Island leave from Cleveland.You have several options to get to Stradbroke Island from Brisbane. The roads have narrow or no shoulder in parts and are frequented by large trucks in business hours, please take care.Vehicle Access Permits are required for driving in designated beach and bush areas on the Island. Driving is not permitted on our beaches 1 hour 15 minutes either side of high tide time. For travel to North Stradbroke Island Stradbroke Ferries departs from Toondah Harbour, 3 Emmett Drive, Cleveland. Or you can hire a rental car or perhaps pedal power is your passion? What Special Offers Are On? Check out train pricing here. These permits are available from Driving on the beach is limited to 4WD vehicles and is only allowed on Flinders Beach and Main Beach at designated access points. There is no direct connection from Brisbane to North Stradbroke Island. Once you arrive at the Cleveland Train station, a bus can take you from here to the ferry terminal, which is about 5 minutes away. Just one hour from Brisbane International Airport and Brisbane City, and one and a half hours from the Gold Coast, North Stradbroke Island is easily accessible by fast water taxi from Cleveland or vehicular ferry from Cleveland. Alternatively, you can take a vehicle from Coolangatta to North Stradbroke Island via Robina Town Centre, Robina station, stop C, Robina station, platform 2, Park Road station, platform 1, Cleveland station, platform 2, Cleveland station, Emmett Drive at Toondah Harbour Ferry, Cleveland, and Dunwich in around 5h 56m. You have several options to get to Stradbroke Island from Brisbane. From Brisbane, it’s just under an hour’s drive south along the Pacific Motorway. Drive: Toondah Harbour is 30km or a 40 minute drive from the CBD. While you can’t drive to Stradbroke Island, you can access the island by car via a vehicle taxi. See The cab service is available to transport passengers around the Island, contact directly to book: It is approximately 22km to cycle from where to boat lands in Dunwich, to Amity Point, Point Lookout or to the Causeway Access to Main Beach. A 4WD is only required for travelling over the beaches. If you want an easy and private route to the island, the Water taxi is the way to go. You can drive, hire a car, or catch a taxi from Brisbane to Toondah Harbour, Cleveland, where ferries depart to Stradbroke Island. There are two companies that operate to and from the island, usually both with the same prices. Just take care as the roads have narrow or no shoulder in parts and are sometimes frequented by large trucks in business hours. The distance between Dunwich (where the water taxis and car ferries arrive) and Point Lookout is approximately 22km so if you do cycle, you can travel and enjoy both the beauty and the adventure of Straddie at the pace you choose.