Coochiemudlo Island
VISIT
REDLANDS COAST, MORETON BAY
Protect what you love. Wildlife, Wetlands, Mangroves and the Bay
Around the streets, keep an eye out for the curious moves of bush-stone curlews that appear in plain daylight on Coochie’s streets. Chatty rainbow lorikeets and cheeky kookaburras make regular appearances, and with a bit of patience you might come across rarer birds like the pheasant coucal or the golden-blue sacred kingfisher.
Have your camera ready !
Have your camera ready because you might see sea eagles or Brahminy kites hunting right at Main Beach, or dolphins breaching in the shallows with their young.
Out on a boat, keep a look out for turtles and watch out for dugongs grazing on the seagrass beds. At only 35 kilometers from Brisbane CBD there is now other place in the world where both of these animals can be observed so close to a major city.
Dugong in the bay - Photo Gary Sheehy
bird watching and photo safari
If you get a great wildlife, land or seascape photo on Coochie -
Send it to us on Facebook or tag us @visitCoochiemudlo on Instagram.
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Unlike the nearby Southern Moreton Bay Islands (SMBI), the entire foreshore of Coochiemudlo Island is public land reserved for recreation and conservation, there are no private waterfront properties and no construction. This is why the island looks a bit uninhabited when seen from the mainland.
WILDLIFE AND CONSERVATION
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Surrounded by smooth waters with natural reefs, a shoreline of beaches and mangroves, and many hectares of bushland and protected wetlands in the interior, Coochiemudlo Island's flora and fauna is an incredibly diverse microcosm of the Redlands and Moreton Bay.
This 'Emerald Fringe’ of land gives great access for residents and visitors to walk around the island - but be aware the western mangrove path is only accessible during low tide!
Wonderful wetlands
Coochie's Melaleuca Wetlands are situated at the island's northeast.
As part of the Moreton Bay wetlands, protected under the international Ramsar Convention, they serve as a resting place for migratory shore birds. These swampy, densely-grown wetlands are home to a great diversity of birds year around. Dedicated groups and individuals on the island are participating in the conservation process through weeding, cleanup and educational work.
Respect and Protect
magical mangroves
As an essential habitat in the breeding cycle of many marine species, mangroves are often described as a 'nursery' for fish, prawns and crabs, and they do play a big role in the biodiversity of the bay. They also decrease erosion.
Visitors are advised to avoid walking out on the mud – it's easy to get stuck or injured on the sharp rocks underneath.
Visitors are welcome to explore and enjoy the various natural sights and wildlife encounters Coochiemudlo has to offer.
Please respect all signage and follow existing footpaths wherever you wander. Take your litter with you or find the nearest bin, because every day in a sensitive environment like Coochie should be treated like Clean up Australia Day.
All streets on Coochie are speed-limited to 40 km/h which makes it a safe environment for children and the elderly but also for the curlews, ducks and plovers that visitors are likely to encounter. Please tread and drive carefully, especially during nesting season.