Coochiemudlo Island
$A ten-minute ferry to an island you can walk right around before lunch
Catch the F50 ferry from Victoria Point Jetty and spend the day on an island you can walk right around in under two hours. Coochiemudlo sits ten minutes off the Redlands coast, with boats roughly every half hour from early morning until late at night and a 50c fare each way. The Emerald Fringe track loops the shoreline for about 5km, taking in Main Beach by the jetty, Norfolk and Morwong beaches on the far side, and a boardwalk through the Melaleuca Wetland Reserve. Curlew Cafe doubles as the island's general store.
Step by step
From start to finish, what to expect.
Leave the car at Victoria Point Jetty and tap on for the 10-minute crossing
Swim at Main Beach, straight ahead of the ferry terminal
Walk the Emerald Fringe loop, about 5km of paved path, dirt and sand
Cut back through the Melaleuca Wetland Reserve boardwalk
Lunch at Curlew Cafe on Victoria Parade South, or an early dinner at Red Rock Cafe
Cost breakdown
Estimated per person, in AUD.
How you get there
Your options for the trip.
Public transport
Drive yourself
Local tips
Stuff your mates would tell you.
Tap on and off with a bank card or go card, because the ferry no longer takes cash or eftpos
Carry water and snacks for the loop walk, since every shop and cafe sits within a block of the jetty
Red Rock Cafe is the only sit-down dinner and only runs Friday to Sunday nights, so check before booking a late ferry home
Bringing the dog means a muzzle and lead or a carrier, or the crew will turn you away at the gangway
Anything bigger than a 65cm square trolley has to travel on the vehicle barge instead of with you
Book a bike, kayak or tinny from Coochie Boat Hire before you sail, because the hours move around with the season
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