★★★★★
Tangalooma Dunes Cabana Club may just be The Scoop’s new favourite spot in Queensland.
As someone who didn’t grow up in Brisbane, I am always open to discovering new and exciting day trips to explore the surrounding regions.
A day trip to Noosa has become a logistical impracticality, with an average one-way commute taking two hours. And given how overrun it’s become, that effort is becoming harder to justify. Similarly, on a bad day, the traffic down to the Gold Coast can take almost as long, especially if you’re bound for Coolangatta.
It was a joy, then, to discover a new option that leads to an island so beautiful, you’ll forget where in the world you actually are. It’s Tangalooma Island Resort on Moreton Island. In particular, their brand-new, beachfront Dunes Cabana Club.
Created in partnership with Carnival Cruise Lines, Tangalooma Dunes Cabana Club is Australia’s first year-round beachfront cabana club, and it’s opening very soon for individual bookings.
It was an unseasonably warm day for the VIP opening, but the 31-degree forecast proved to be the perfect temperature for the island. There wasn’t a blustery ocean breeze all afternoon, and the night was pleasant enough that no warm layer was required. Which was lucky for me, because I forgot to pack one.
Spring may just be the best time to be in this part of the world.
To get to Dunes Cabana Club, it is an easy drive to the car park at Holt Street Wharf in Pinkenba. From there, a fully air-conditioned catamaran takes about 75 minutes to get to the island. To be fair, this still means the journey takes about two hours, but the experience is much more pleasant with the view of the ocean out the window and someone else operating the transport.
Consisting of 20 architecturally designed white cabanas, Dunes Cabana Club overlooks manicured lawns which lead right onto the west-facing Tangalooma Beach.
Each cabana can house up to 8 people, with wrap-around bench seating and a private bar fridge to keep beverages and share platters cool. There are multiple power points for charging electronics, and valuables can be locked away if you want explore the beach.
The entire space is also available for private functions, corporate bookings and special events, with the venue holding up to 160 people. As the festive season fast approaches, I could not think of a better place to host a company Christmas party.
The Dunes Cabana Club is removed enough from the main resort to feel private, but close enough to take advantage of the amenities, including the nearby toilets.
As for the island itself, this is a slice of paradise I never knew existed so close to Brisbane. You really do forget where you are in the world.
The bird life is charming, with curlews scattered across the shoreline, and pelicans sitting atop pylons at the boat terminal with such stillness that I thought they were sculptures.
The pied cormorants are friendly; while waiting for the boat ride home, we had a stray one wander up and check if our phone was edible. And it was a thrill to spot a pair of baby masked lapwing chicks out and about with their parents at golden hour.
About that sunset. The cabana hire package currently spans 9am to 5pm, but it would be a huge mistake to leave the island before the sun goes down.
With a night boat departing at 7pm, there is just enough time to dip your toes in the water, have a drink on the Beach Deck upstairs at The Wheelhouse (our mocktail was aptly titled Day At The Beach), and bask in the afterglow. I have never seen a sky so vividly orange, and I’ve been to Hawaii. Three times.
I am already making plans to get back to the island. Day tripping out of Brisbane just became a lot more enticing.
Tangalooma Dunes Cabana Club is located at Tangalooma Island Resort on Moreton Island. Individual bookings will open mid-to-late Spring 2026. Special event, conferences and product launch bookings are now open.
Sign up for Dunes Cabana Club updates here.
Website: https://www.tangalooma.com/cabanas
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/tangaloomaislandresort/
Photo credits: Reuben Nutt
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