Bribie Island, Queensland

Bribie Island

Native name: Boorabee
A NASA Landsat image of Bribie Island
Bribie Island Location of Bribie Island
Geography
Location	Coral Sea
Area	148 km2 (57 sq mi)
Length	34 km (21.1 mi)
Width	8 km (5 mi)
Administration
Australia
State	Queensland
Local Government Area	Moreton Bay Region
Demographics
Population	16,209 (2006)

Bribie Island is the smallest and most northerly of three major sand islands forming the coastline sheltering the northern part of Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia. The others are Moreton Island and North Stradbroke Island. Bribie Island is 34 kilometres (21 miles) long, and 8 kilometres (5.0 miles) at its widest.

Bribie Island hugs the coastline and tapers to a long spit at its most northern point near Caloundra, and is separated from the mainland by Pumicestone Passage. The ocean side of the island is somewhat sheltered from prevailing winds by Moreton Island and associated sand banks and has only a small surf break. The lee side is calm, with white sandy beaches in the south.

Most of the island is uninhabited national park (55.8 square kilometres or 21.5 square miles) and forestry plantations. The southern end of the island has been intensively urbanised as part of the Moreton Bay Region, the main suburbs being Bongaree, Woorim, Bellara and Banksia Beach. A bridge from Sandstone Point on the mainland was completed in 1963.

Buckley's Hole, at the southern tip of the island, is an important bird habitat and refuge.

Crossing to southern part of the island from the mainland via the bridge, the first suburb to be encountered is Bellara. The other four suburbs in the southern half of the island are Woorim (about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) away on the island's 'surf side'), Bongaree at the southern end of the island, on the 'calm side' or 'passage side' and Banksia Beach and White Patch at the northern end of the populated area, also on the 'passage side'. Two other localities, Welsby and Bribie Island North, make up the undeveloped northern part of the island.