Wreck Island is a remote coral cay in the Capricornia Cays National Park, part of the southern Great Barrier Reef's Capricorn and Bunker Group. Named after Matthew Flinders' shipwreck, this tiny shingle cay sits on a 3.5 km x 1.5 km platform reef, surrounded by pristine coral gardens teeming with marine life. The shallow reef flats offer excellent snorkelling conditions with good visibility, while the island itself is a protected seabird nesting site. Its isolation means uncrowded waters and a true wilderness experience.
Wreck Island
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Showing last known conditions
Wave Height 0.3 mSwell Period 7.2 sWind Speed 9.3 knPrecipitation 1.7 mmTidal Phase slack
Last evaluated
The spot
Community-maintained
Community contribution: submitted by Daniel
Know before you go
Logged by the community, confirmed by mods
Moderate risk: Tidal currents across reef flat
Strong tidal currents can flow across the reef platform, especially during spring tides, making it challenging for weaker swimmers.
Moderate risk: Remote location
The island is remote, 93 km offshore, with no medical facilities or ranger stations on-site. Emergency response is extremely delayed.
Low risk: Sharp coral and beachrock
Sharp coral heads and rocky beachrock formations along the southern beach can cause cuts and abrasions.
Low risk: Marine stingers
Marine stingers including box jellyfish and Irukandji are present in these waters during the warmer months.
Wildlife Guide
No wildlife notes for this spot yet.
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Getting in
Boat
Entry
Located 93 km north-east of Gladstone, Queensland. Access is by private boat or arranged charter from Gladstone, 1770, or Bundaberg. Part of Capricornia Cays National Park.
Parking & facilities
No parking available on the island. Park at the boat ramp in Gladstone, 1770, or Bundaberg before departing by vessel.
toilets
No entry fee, but a Queensland Parks camping permit is required for overnight stays. Commercial tour operators charge their own rates.
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About this data
- Conditions last evaluated
- Spot data last updated
- Data sources
- Open-Meteo (marine & weather conditions), tide predictions via UTide, community contributors (descriptions, hazards, marine life).
- License
- Spot content licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. How's the Spot is open source.
Weather & swell ┬╖ Open-Meteo marine & weather APIs Tides ┬╖ UTide harmonic analysis Sea & safety ┬╖ community reports