South Stradbroke Island

South Stradbroke Island is an Australian island in the state of Queensland, south of Brisbane and forms the northern end of Gold Coast. The 22 km by 2.5 km sized island is the smaller one of the two Stradbroke Islands and lies very close to the mainland.

History

In the north the island is separated by the Jumpinpin Channel from the larger North Stradbroke Island. Before 1896 the island was part of the Stradbroke Island. In that year the island was separated by a storm from North Stradbroke Island. An earlier storm caused a passing vessel carrying rum to run ashore. The locals from Southport trudged across the sand dunes to collect the rum from the shipwreck. They used plows to lower the height of the dunes to near sea level so that collecting the rum was easier. The next storm caused the island to split into two. The new tidal channel caused large changes to the channels and islands within southern Moreton Bay. Coastal managers are concerned that eventually one day Jumpinpin may repair itself which may cause problems for tidal waterway management including fish stocks, dugong habitat, erosion and flooding.

The southern end fronts the Broadwater, and the tip marks the Gold Coast Seaway, only a matter of metres from the mainland at Southport Spit. In the northeast you'll find the Tipplers Passage that separates the island from many small islands near the mainland. The eastcoast borders the Coral Sea.

South Stradbroke Island consists mainly of sand, sand dunes and subtropical forest. The island also has a specific flora and fauna. The Golden Wallaby for example only lives on this island.

Resorts

The island lives on tourism, but nothing compared to Australia's largest tourist resort, the nearby Gold Coast. The island has some quiet campsites. The western beaches are known as quiet and lagoon-like and the eastern beaches are known as a surfer paradise.

Couran Cove Resort and South Stradbroke Island Resort, or Tipplers Resort are located on the island, as are numerous campsites such as an anchorage for the Southport Yacht Club and Dux Campsite, owned by The Southport School.

Recreation

One of the much loved and fiercely challenged sporting battles on the island is the annual Currigee Cup which has been running since 1965. The origin of the race was supposed to be a bet amongst two local residents - Messers Beckman and Knowlman who decided to take their on-shore differences to sea and create what is now, one of the most unknown, yet most tightly challenged nautical battles in south east queensland.

The course weaves its way through the washpool of new years day ebullience that is Mortain bay and ultimately find its solace in felowship, lunch and wine.

Some winners over the years have been announced, the writer has had that particular honour some years previous. The committee changes from year to year, but the spirit of the event can not.