Bribie Island, Queensland
The calm waters of Pumicestone Passage separate the quiet coastal suburb of Golden Beach from the narrow strip of land just offshore that is Bribie Island.
The island hugs the coast from the northern end of Brisbane to Caloundra, creating a barrier between the open ocean of Moreton Bay and Pumicestone Passage. The southern part of the island, up to eight kilometres wide, is residential while the northern section ends in a long strip of densely vegetated national park. Until January 2022, the island was 34 kilometres long, with its narrow tip reaching out towards the headland at Bulcock Beach. It used to look like this.
On 2nd January, 2022 a king tide combined with wild waters whipped up by Cyclone Seth caused the ocean to break through the northern part of the island, creating a new island just two kilometres long. At first the breach was only a couple of metres across but constant erosion has widened the gap to around 300 metres.
At low tide, there is enough exposed sand to walk across to Bribie Island. Just make sure you head back before the tide turns. The ocean takes full advantage of its new course, rushing into Pumicestone Passage with a dangerous force never before seen along this part of the waterway.
The Eternal Traveller 
Nobody was injured in the process, Carol? It doesn’t sound a great place to have built upon, but then, we have barrier islands with homes on too.
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There are no homes at the northern end, Jo. The island is only a couple of metres wide where this happened and it’s all national park. If you look on the map, you can see the residential areas right on the southern end where it’s very wide and stable. Where the breach is the currents are very dangerous though and boats are advised not to go anywhere near.
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Oh wow that is quite a difference! I’ve never seen a king tide in real life, only on youtube!
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I haven’t either Lorraine. It must have been quite a sight at the time.
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I wonder what the long-term effects will be at Golden Beach, and if the gap will get wider, or gradually close up again. Interesting times!
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We have friends who live there, right on the water. Their main concern is how the increased movement of the water will affect the seagrass in the passage, which dugongs feed on. I wonder if the change in tidal movements will change the spit up at Bulcock Beach too. Thanks for sharing my post, Rose.
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Your second photo is making me want to go there 🙂
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Eunice, this part of the Sunshine Coast is wonderful. It’s really laid back and relaxed, lots of nice cafes and restaurants and beautiful views.
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Very interesting history and good that it was already a park with no residences.
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Yes, it’s such a narrow strip of land – I think it was bound to happen at some stage.
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Wow I didn’t know that, how sad.
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I guess that’s nature at work. Bribie is a sand island so it’s constantly moving and this part was just too narrow to resist. Our friends who live there think if it had been barricaded when it first happened and was just a metre or so across it may have been stopped. But Seth was pretty powerful.
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It must be quite unsettling for nearby properties. Nature is full of surprises.
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Luckily the residential area of the island is quite a distance from this so they’re not at risk and the island is much wider at the southern end. I think this event was likely for quite a long time and it just took the right combination of weather and tides for it to happen.
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The island will most likely turn into a series of sandbars, it is thought.
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I wouldn’t be surprised if the tip of the island eventually joins the end of the beach at Bulcock Beach.
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That is what the engineers think will happen.
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Hah. A few years ago we bought a flat just opposite the breakthrough but luckily terminated the contract. Not good for the properties that now face erosion.
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The esplanade is quite built up and the properties are well back from the water. It will be interesting to see what happens over the next couple of years. We were surprised at how loud the incoming tide was.
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