Wild adventure

Get back to nature by feeding the dolphins and dune surfing on Tangalooma

A DETOUR TO TANGALOOMA island, an hour's ferry ride from Brisbane, is worth-while to give children the rare opportunity of interacting with dolphins in the wild.

The Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort offers visitors the chance to encounter dolphins in their natural environment. Visitors can hand-feed a pod of dolphins that have developed a habit of coming near the shore at night. The dolphins are not coerced and yet seem to prefer to feed on dead fish from the hands of visitors. The feeding routine is strict - four lines are formed and the dolphins head for their usual feeding spots.

Staff start the feeding, then visitors in each lane are instructed to enter the water. Feeders then hold a dead fish by the tail and immerse it in the water where it is snatched by a passing dolphin (it's hard for dolphins to stick their head above water to eat). Petting the wild dolphins is strictly forbidden. Most visitors are eager to have the dolphins eat from their hands and are thrilled when they brush past.

Further interaction with wildlife on Tangalooma, which means 'where fish gather', is on offer through Whale Watching Cruises. The trips are available during the whale migrating season between July and October, when humpbacks are often sighted.

Visitors also have the opportunity to feed pelicans, cormorants and kookaburras.

The former whaling station turned resort attracts local and international visitors. Travellers in cars can catch the ferry from the Gold Coast and drive their vehicles off the boat.

Barges deliberately sunk along the coast in the 1960s act as a breakwater to protect the beach from the strong currents. The wrecks have attracted a rich array of sea life and sightseers.

At the heart of Tangalooma island is a desert, with sand rich in minerals. Once mined, the desert is now a national park where nothing, not even a grain of sand, can be taken as souvenirs. 4WD tours of the desert are on offer and drivers will provide basic geology lessons en route.

My seven-year-old loved the bumpy 10-minute drive along the dirt track to the heart of the desert the best.

Other attractions were sliding down a sand hill six-storeys high on a wafer board similar to tobogganing. There is no 'ski-lift' to the top, but the thrilling downhill ride makes the climb well worth it.

Accommodation prices from April to December 2005: A$250 to A$340 ($1,495 to $2,033) a night for double occupancy