Continued: Southern Moreton Bay Tourist Drive – Manly, Lota, Wellington Point

This is One Trip That Wasn’t Going to be Boring

We have certainly kicked off our Road Trip in style with all the fun and action of Wynnum and its magnificent foreshore. With Wynnum now behind us we’ll be continuing our road trip odyssey along the Southern Moreton Bay Tourist Drive.

It’s only a few short kilometers driving, with beautiful George Clayton Park (🍮 a coffee van is often parked here) on one side, Moreton Bay foreshore on the other as we pass along one of the most picturesque esplanades in SE Queensland. Walkers, joggers, cyclists and the occasional fisherman all enjoying a mixture of sea breezes and sensational views most with somewhere to go but nowhere in particular as Manly Harbour Village soon looms on the not too distant horizon.

The close proximity of the William Gunn Jetty to Manly Harbour also gets you up very close to some of the yachts that are moored nearby, this is one amazing spot to grab some pictures of life on the water. I just love exploring these areas that are just a little bit away from the main action with the discovery of a little Café and Wine Bar near the Information Centre with a panorama unlike anything I’ve seen before and the most delicious coffee ☕ and sweet treats.

Welcome to Manly Village by the seaside, just under a five-minute drive from Wynnum and only about thirty minutes from Brisbane’s CBD. Manly is known for its relaxed bayside atmosphere where you will discover quality dining, the many cafés and restaurants with the option of fish and chips from any number of takeaway shops situated right on the esplanade. Eat in or better still take your feast and head to the beautiful parks situated across the road, you just can’t beat those million-dollar views of Moreton Bay out to the islands.

Manly is a charming seaside bayside village and has a different vibe than that of its sister suburb – Wynnum. Craft and produce markets, fashion boutiques, a huge range of café’s, bars and restaurants, quality dining through to bike riding and sailing.

With plenty of car parking available, we’ll stretch our legs while taking a leisurely seafront scenic walk around the centerpiece of Manly- Manly Harbour. With immediate access to Moreton Bay, Manly is a boat lover’s dream. The marina is crowded with magnificent yachts of all shapes and sizes and a top spot to eat fresh local seafood. Fancy something a little different, drop into the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron for a meal with a fantastic view or just sit by the water and watch kayakers as they paddle on by enjoying a glorious Queensland day.

Passing by the Brisbane Coast Guard Operations, a stroll along the seafront promenade packs a lot of variety into its length from a breakwater jutting out far into the pristine waters of Moreton Bay past beautiful parks and playgrounds to then exploring Cambridge Parade, one of the main roads connecting Manly to the Esplanade. With its’s coffee shops, exclusive shopping outlets and then grabbing a coldie and some “pub grub” at the 1955’s built Manly Hotel the choice is endless when it comes to having a bite to eat.  

This is a Drive of many Parks and Playgrounds and Manly does not disappoint.  The kids can go crazy with plenty of open green spaces to run around, go scootering along the foreshore or simply enjoy the play areas. Plenty of undercover seating with access to BBQ’s to cook up a good Aussie sausage sizzle and there is always the option of fish & chips from one of the nearby take away food shops. 👉 Clean toilets are also situated close buy.  

Situated on the foreshore, next to the Manly Marina, Manly Pool is like an oasis in the desert. A very welcoming sight for somewhere to cool down on a balmy Queensland day. The 25 metre pool with toddler pool, slides and a kiosk will keep the family entertained for hours.

Time your visit and you’ll be able to enjoy the twice-monthly Jan Powers Farmers Markets, held on the first and third Saturday of each month within the parklands of Little Bayside Park. Wander at your leisure through this lively communal village of the freshest produce, delicious food and hand-crafted goodies and of course the “coffee” all set against the beautiful backdrop of Manly Harbour.

Manly, and its piece de resistance Manly Harbour is perfectly positioned to spend countless hours investigating. With the marina frontage overlooking a great number of boats and yachts complimenting a huge line-up of eateries, retail outlets, parks and picnic spots plus the added excitement of a week-end markets, Manly is a day trip destination that will tick all the boxes.

Have you got some energy left in the tank, then we’ll continue a short distance past Manly to Lota. With a sleepy village charm, Lota is an excellent place to head to from the hustle and bustle of Manly which can get remarkably busy, especially on Weekends.

Lota’s grassy seafront reserve is the home to a few open green spaces and glorious parklands filled with BBQ’s, picnic spots and children’s playgrounds and those views, “WOW”.

Lota Takeaway, overlooking the park, is the only fish and chip shop / takeaway in close proximity, so grab your seafood feast and some cool beverages, set up your picnic spot under a cool shady tree, that’s all you need to enjoy your picnic in the park.

I’m sure that you’ll agree that Southern Moreton Bay Tourist Bay Drive has so far unearthed some amazing locations and as we have discovered all this excitement is only a short drive from the Brisbane CBD.

With the Dugong signposts ahead marking our way, we’ll depart from this seaside paradise winding our way through the Bay suburbs where our next destination Wellington Point lies in wait.

You know you’re on the right track when you pass through the Wellington Point Shopping Village. This is a first-rate spot to stop if you need to get hold of an ice-crème, coffee or any other picnic goodies before heading to Wellington Point.

Wellington Point is a top location to spend some time with family and friends. Here, you can cast a line and go fishing from the long jetty, climb huge Fig Trees or just grab a treat from the Café while watching the world go by as you sit by the waters of Moreton Bay.

There are also several other activities to keep the whole family entertained, besides the safe swimming beach and kids playground thousands of visitors are drawn to the area with the allure of discovering their own deserted island with an expedition to King Island. ❗❗❗❗Warning: Don’t drag your feet or you might get stranded ❗❗❗❗   

Intrigued to what this is all about, then read on. I have previously posted on my Blog Site, ROAD TRIP’N, all the information you will need to have an exceptionally good day at Wellington Point. If you are looking at exploring King Island, your visit really is Tide Dependent. In my Blog; How To Explore Wellington Point – The Ultimate Guide, there is a link to WillyWeather, a site where you can get all the tide information you need so you can ensure that there is no disappointment when you drop in to see what this place is all about.👉 King Island is best accessed at LOW tide.👈

ROAD TRIP’N:  How To Explore Wellington Point – The Ultimate Guide (click here and you’ll be able to visit my site for all your information)

This has been just the start of our Southern Moreton Bay Tourist Drive and there is plenty more that we are going to see and chat about. Next Blog I’ll be posting about the final leg of our Road Trip, you won’t believe what we did next.

To Be Continued‼‼‼