Macleay Island: Ferry, Pat’s Park and Heritage Trail

Macleay Island is a Moreton Bay island about 6.5 km long, reached by a short ferry ride from Redland Bay Marina. It is one of the Southern Moreton Bay Islands, and a day here is about a swim at Pat’s Park, a walk past the island’s heritage sites and the boat trip itself.

Tiny Perulpa Island is joined to it by a causeway, and the main island is about 4 km across at its widest point. Before you go, read the ferry and parking sections below, because the timetable decides how long your day is.

Getting to Macleay Island by ferry

Passenger ferries run from Redland Bay Marina at Weinam Creek to the Macleay Island ferry terminal on the Translink Southern Moreton Bay Island timetable. A trip from Redland Bay takes about 18 to 20 minutes. Trips run in two directions, “towards Karragarra then islands” and “towards Russell then islands”, and the same boats serve the other bay islands, so pick a trip that lists Macleay Island.

Council’s Weinam Creek page also lists a barge terminal, and SeaLink publishes vehicle barge details on its Bay Islands visitor information page. The passenger timetable changes by day, so look up the last trip back before you commit to an afternoon on the island.

Swimming at Pat’s Park

Redland City Council lists a swimming enclosure at Pat’s Park on Beelong Street, which is the island’s swimming spot. Council describes its enclosures as enclosed areas of bay water for safer swimming, recreation and play. Council publishes no hours or tide notes for it, so read the signs and check conditions on the day.

Pat’s Park is also stop 8 on the heritage trail, so it fits neatly between two walks.

The Macleay Island heritage trail

Council’s heritage trail lists 11 historic places: Ron Field Marine Facility, Progress Hall, Campbell’s saltworks, the Arboretum, Perrebinpa Point, Tim Shea’s waterhole, Thompson’s Point, Pat’s Park, Cow Bay, Lovell’s house, and Corroboree Place and Lions Park. The council page gives names only and links no trail map, so use a map app to find each stop.

Campbell’s saltworks ruins

The best known stop is the industrial ruins at the south end of the island, on Cliff Terrace near the foreshore. They are on the Queensland Heritage Register and include a stone fire-box with a Cornish boiler inside, retaining walls, a flue and a timber slipway that shows at low tide. They date from a sugar mill built in 1869, possibly alongside a salt works, on land the Campbell family took up as a leasehold in 1865.

Where the island’s name comes from

The island was once called Tim Shea’s Island after a convict who lived there, and was later named after Alexander Macleay, the New South Wales Colonial Secretary from 1825 to 1837. Tim Shea’s waterhole is stop 6 on the heritage trail.

Boating, fishing and the water

Council lists two public boat ramps: Dalpura Street Boat Ramp, and Macleay Island Boat Ramp at Brighton Road Harbour. There are two jetties on the council list, at Ron Field and at Brighton Road Harbour, which also has a pontoon. A local visitor guide says the Tingira Boat Club welcomes anglers, sailors and boating enthusiasts whether or not they own a boat.

Shops and services

A local visitor guide lists the Spar supermarket on Southsea Terrace and the Five Star supermarket on High Central Road, plus a chemist, doctors, a dentist and pathology. Opening hours change, so check before you rely on a shop for lunch. The island has no public bus service, so plan on walking, cycling or an island taxi.

Planning your visit

• How long: set by the ferry timetable. Work out the first trip over and the last trip back, then fit a swim and part of the heritage trail between them.
• Cost: a ferry fare, and unpaid parking at Redland Bay.
• What to bring: water, a hat, sunscreen, a map app that works offline and a way to pay by card.
• Getting around: the island is long, so the heritage stops are a walk or ride apart.
• Questions: the Redlands Coast Visitor Information Centre at 50 Middle Street, Cleveland, is on 1300 667 386.

Getting to Redland Bay and parking

By car, Redland Bay Marina is about 40 km from the Brisbane CBD, about 45 minutes without traffic. Public parking at the ferry terminal, Moores Road car park and barge terminal is unpaid, with signed limits from a few hours up to seven days. The seven-day free area next to the terminal closed from 28 October, and the Moores Road car park has 7-day, 3-day and 1-day spaces. A sign marked “12P” means up to 12 hours, so read the signs to avoid a fine. The area is a works site and parking keeps changing, so check the council’s parking at Weinam Creek page for the current layout. Disabled parking is north of the terminal during construction.

Buses continue to reach the ferry terminal. Plan the connection with the Translink Journey Planner or the Southern Moreton Bay Island ferry timetable. Details can change, so check before you go.

Nearby

• Russell Island – a neighbouring Southern Moreton Bay island on the same ferry route.
• Coochiemudlo Island – another bay island day out, reached from Victoria Point.
• Redland Bay – where the ferry leaves from, with the foreshore and markets.
• Victoria Point – foreshore, jetty and the ferry to Coochiemudlo.

Browse more islands, Redlands days out and boat cruises and ferries.

Events in the area

• Santa Pop-ups (islands) – see the post for the next dates.

You might also like

• Peel Island (Teerk Roo Ra) – a Moreton Bay island you reach by boat.
• St Helena Island (Moreton Bay)
• South Stradbroke Island (Gold Coast)

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