Peel Island
Table of Contents
Peel Island is a small island national park in Moreton Bay only 5km off Cleveland (as the crow flies). The island is about 11km from Raby Bay Boat Ramp to the main beach of Peel Island, and in good weather you can do Ramp-to-Beach in 15 minutes. Peel Island’s proximity to the coast, well protected bay, amenities, and picturesque sights make it an ideal trip from half-day to a full weekend with family, friends, or by yourself! This island paradise is accessible only via boat/watercraft and can be quite busy on public holidays or those perfect-weather weekends, but you can often find yourself alone on the beach with nothing but sand!
Extending from the south-western side to the southern side of the island is Horseshoe Bay. Horseshoe Bay gets its stunning turquoise colours and unique patterns from the shallow waters and seagrass that extend 200-250m out from the beach. On the south-eastern side is Platypus Bay, home to the 1884 self-contained bucket dredge shipwreck, ‘Platypus’ [1]. She was purposely sunk on 21st October 1926 ending 40 years of service in Queensland. The headland dividing Horseshoe Bay and Platypus Bay is known as The Bluff.
Watch our video on it here:
Getting there #
One of the closest, well-maintained and popular boat ramps is Raby Bay Boat Ramp. Once you leave the boat ramp, head north and leave the waters of Raby Bay. Head directly east – Peel Island is immediately visible when you pass Cleveland Point. Begin making your way to the southern side of the island, ensuring you keep a sharp eye out for other boats and marine life. Turtles, dugong, dolphins, sharks – and even whales in the right seasons – can be spotted in the channel between the mainland and Peel Island.
As you come around to the southern end of the island, keep a bit of wide berth to avoid the South West Rocks (as known on most maps). You will notice a green channel marker; keep to the right of these as you are heading from the mainland to the island. You should pass two lateral beacons (green bouy markers) and a cardinal beacon (black and yellow hazard marker) – you can then begin to make a direct path to any point on the beach. The eastern side of Horseshoe Bay has the island’s only amenities. Take some time to review the pictures below to understand the hazards, but always remember to take proper marine charts with you. The below chart is set to a draft of 1m and the screenshot was taken from Navionics Chart Viewer.
| Turn | Coordinates |
|---|---|
| A | -27.504325, 153.288331 |
| B | -27.520353, 153.343206 |
| C | -27.514688, 153.365409 |
| D | -27.501252, 153.361830 |
The best time to visit the island is on a rising tide. There is a sand shelf extending 200-250m off the main beach where the water totally recedes at each low tide. For those unfamiliar with Peel Island, this is worthwhile repeating: for 200-250m off the beach the waters will totally recede. Not planning the trip with the tides can trap unsuspecting captains. For peace of mind I assume the draft of my 5.35m half-cabin is ~1m, and aim to arrive and leave the island no lower than this. You can get unlucky, and you may find you will need to give Peel Island a miss if the tides do not line up to your planned schedules. The below screenshot is taken from Willyweather – Peel Island Tide Times.
If you do manage to get stuck, all that can be done is to wait for the turn of the tide. This shouldn’t be much more than 4-5 hours for most boats to dislodge from the sand and get back out to deeper waters. New boat owners would be recommended to visit the island on a rising tide in the morning if possible – this will ensure that if any dramas do arise and the tide recedes with you still on the island there is ample daylight to return to the mainland when the tide comes back in. It’s a common sight to see many small boats along the beach on an early Sunday morning (like below!).
Safety first #
Thankfully Peel Island is right near the mainland, with plenty of boaty-traffic nearby to lend a hand if in need. Keep in mind though, this should be your Plan C. In general, you always need to check your safety gear before you go out, remember to keep an eye on other boats in the area, check your comms, monitor the weather, the sea state, the tides, and the current. Maritime Safety Queensland have great resources for keeping you and your family safe on the water.
In Queensland there are three classifications of water: Smooth waters, Partially smooth waters, and Beyond partially smooth waters. The below map shows Peel Island being in Smooth waters (last checked 13-Sept-2022). Smooth waters and Partially smooth waters have different mandatory requirements for safety equipment for your boat. Always keep up to date with these requirements here:
The number one safety consideration for Peel Island, in my books, is the tides. If you are unsuspecting of a change in tide you may find yourself stuck without proper provisions. I highly recommend you to familiarise yourself with VMR Raby Bay.
Things to do #
Relax #
There’s no better spot in the Bay to lay down on the sand and enjoy the sunshine than the beach of Peel Island! Peel has some basic amenities (well, only a drop toilet) on the eastern side of the island, but other than that it’s back-to-nature. The channel directly to the south of Peel Island is the main thoroughfare for boats (private boats, sail boats, commercial boats, ferries) departing Cleveland headed for Dunwich, North Stradbroke Island – so there is plenty to watch! We take a small BBQ with us and a few burgers on the beach is a great way to spend the day! Open fires and generators are banned on Peel, so bring a gas or liquid fuel stove for cooking.
Fishing #
Peel Island is incredibly popular for fishing – so much so it’s challenging just to find space for your boat. The waters around Peel are home to bream, flathead, whiting, cod, trevally, squid, tuskfish, spangled emperor, coral trout, nannygai, parrotfish and even juvenile red emperor, and sweetlip. For more info on fishing at Peel Island I am going to direct you to someone far more knowledgable.
Snorkelling and swimming #
Horseshoe Bay is well protected and a popular anchorage for travelling boaties. This means you will typically find calm waters and great swimming conditions! Always be mindful you are sharing the water with other boats and you will come off second-best with a prop! If you’re up for an adventure – head over to Platypus Bay and explore the wreck of the Platypus [1].
Beach stroll and photography #
It is worthwhile noting that the majority of Teerk Roo Ra National Park is a conservation area and is restricted access to the public. The north-western part of the island contains Australia’s only example of an intact, isolated, multi-cultural lazaret. However, you will be hard pressed to be bored walking down the beach with a camera in hand! There at 74 identified species of birds on Peel for you to point a camera at! Peel is a truly stunning spot! If you do plan to go for a stroll… make sure you cover yourself with Aerogard first!
Can I bring my dog? #
Everything you read online will state you cannot have dogs in national parks in Queensland: Peel Island is a national park. You also cannot have domestic animals in the marine environment adjacent to a national park. However, there is a sign on Peel Island (at approximately -27.504, 153.355) that states that “Domestic animals are not permitted in the park above the high tide mark. Dogs are permitted in the marine park below the high water mark“. As long as you’re being a responsible dog owner, cleaning up after them, and not letting them venture above the high tide mark of the beach then dogs are fine to bring with you to Peel Island. You will usually find dogs on the beach any time you visit Peel! Just bear in mind you are sharing the beach with other people and other dogs. As is the case with most of Queensland, you cannot legally have your dog off-leash in public (unless in designated off-leash areas).
Gallery #
