Moreton Bay

I've been very fortunate to enjoy Moreton Bay both as a kiter and a cruising sailor. The photo at left is taken looking south through Day's Gutter at the southern end of Moreton Island. Magic kiting, clean water, beautiful sand bars, rays all over the place, whiting scattering when landing jumps....but mighty cold toes after this sunrise session in a cold westerly in July!

There are many mainland sites in Moreton Bay that provide for excellent kiting.

a) Brighton (19th Ave)/Sandgate are excellent for unsupported beginners (but not at high tide...the rock wall is just too close) in any breeze with an easterly component;

b) Wellington Point can be fantastic in most wind directions other than due south - but choose the tide carefully and wear booties.  Not ideal for beginners.

c) Redcliffe Peninsula has many good sites.

d) Thorneside is good at high tide if the breeze has a northerly component.  At low tide you can be in serious mud - don't even think about it if you're a noob.  

e) Thompson's Beach, Victoria Point is the best option in a southerly - but there is not much room for launching at high tide.  Similarly, if you're not competent, you may not be able to hold yourself out from the beach against the breeze at high tide.  It also suffers, as does much of the southern part of the bay, from having soft mud at low tide.

f) Manly (search Davenport Drive) is used by a small number of kiters and is rather closer to the city than some other locations.  As with many sites in the southern bay, it is muddy at low tide.  The beach is a bit rocky - and some dog owners are not very careful about their dog's mess!  Works in NE to SE. Booties advised for noobs.  The regulars often tether launch - there is a ring chemset into a rock for high tide launching and some concrete out from the beach a bit for lower tide launching/retrieving.

g) Wynnum is also underutilised.  We plan to teach from the rock groin in suitable conditions this year (SE, lowish tide).  SE is cross shore and NE on shore.  So not good for noobs at high tide in a NE and you'd need to be careful in SE that you had at least some on shore component.  Muddy bottom but not too soft.  Booties advised.  Launching at Pandanus Beach would be possible.

h) Nudgee Beach (Fortitude St) used to be disallowed by the airport - that seems no longer to be an issue.  Firm bottom at all tides (ie no mud at low tide).  Works in anything with a northerly component.  High tide has you up against the wall/mangroves so best avoided then by novices.  Low tide is fine - though quite a walk from the car park to the water.

i) Point Halloran.  Lovely site in a northerly.  The rock wall can be dangerous at high tide and the bottom is muddy at low tide.  May need to launch from the grass then walk down stairs to get to the water - not for anyone without sufficient experience.

We will teach wherever students prefer to learn subject to safety and accessability. There are several schools/teachers in the northern end of the Bay - I do more teaching in the Redlands shire, principally at Wellington Point, Thorneside and Victoria Point.

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