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Mount Wellington from Sandy Bay with people fishing on the beach, Hobart Tasmania.
Along the Australian coast near Brisbane, the Moreton Bay area is known for its clear blue waters, vast sand banks, and diverse wildlife. But eight decades ago, it had a less placid existence as a major coastal defense port during World War II. In the 1940s, Moreton Bay provided a direct Pacific passage for allies and enemies to approach Brisbane. The Queensland government thus strategically placed defense stations around Moreton Bay, and ships could not enter without undergoing an inspection by the Australian navy. Enemies and unidentified vessels were gunned or bombed. The natural-color image above shows the northern entry into Moreton Bay as observed on November 6, 2019, by the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8. The bay spans about 1,500 square kilometers (600 square miles). During WWII, the North West Channel served as a main shipping passageway and was guarded by Fort Bribie and Fort Cowan Cowan. Queensland served as a training and support base for Allied Forces in the Pacific theater of World War II. In fact, Brisbane served for a time as headquarters for American General Douglas MacArthur. The city’s population doubled as thousands of soldiers were stationed there. Today, Brisbane is the capital of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia (more than 2 million residents). The natural coastal features stand in contrast to the city’s urban landscape. The underwater blue and green curves transecting the North West Channel reveal sand banks and part of Moreton Bay’s complex delta system. The sand banks were formed after sea levels rose about 6,500 years ago. About 30 meters (100 feet) deep, the offshore tidal delta is constantly shaped by currents that tend to be stronger in the northern half of the bay. The southern half is sheltered from those South Pacific currents by Moreton Island. Water near the Brisbane metropolitan area is typically muddy with sediments carried out by rivers. The bay sits at the convergence of tropical and temperate climates, and thus is home to a diverse array of animals. It contains one of the highest densities of dugongs, a relative of the manatee, along the Australian coast. Some evidence suggests that dugongs were once located throughout the bay, but their habitat became restricted as shorelines became urbanized. Moreton Bay is also home to the endangered loggerhead turtle and many species of whales. It supports up to 25 percent of Australia’s bird species, depending on the season. Today, the Moreton Bay area is a popular tourist attraction for its history and beauty. Some World War II relics are partially buried on the sand shores. Tourists (particularly newlyweds) visit Honeymoon Bay on Moreton Island to swim in clear waters on isolated beaches. The rocky reefs and deeper channels also provide excellent fishing opportunities for anglers to catch tuna, jewfish, snapper, and sailfish.
Sandy Bay, Tasmania. Photo taken from the MS Oosterdam, which was berthed at Macquarie Wharf Nos. 2 and 3
Photo by Thennicke
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OceaniaAustraliaTasmania

Sandy Bay

Tasmania, Australia · Oceania

About Sandy Bay

Sandy Bay is worth a stop: 54km from Devils Kitchen.

Sandy Bay is in Tasmania, Australia, with about 12,000 people. You drive on the left here.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is there to see near Sandy Bay?

Within an hour or so of Sandy Bay: kunanyi / Mount Wellington (7 km), Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) (10 km), Port Arthur Historic Site (51 km), Tessellated Pavement (51 km).

Where is Sandy Bay?

Sandy Bay is in Tasmania, Australia.

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Quick Information

Population
11,727
Continent
Oceania
Country
Australia
Region
Tasmania
Timezone
Australia/Hobart
Coordinates
-42.8945, 147.3244

Emergency & Services

Essential numbers in Australia

Police
000
Ambulance
000
Fire
000
Non-emergency police
131 444
Driving side
left

112 works from mobiles. Distances between fuel stops in the outback can exceed 200 km: plan ahead. Wildlife is most active at dawn/dusk.

Full driving guide for Australia

Tags

OceaniaAustraliaTasmaniaTown

Worth the detour from Sandy Bay

5 notable places within an hour's drive.

scenic viewpoint

kunanyi / Mount Wellington

1,271 m summit above Hobart reached by a sealed 21 km road to an enclosed observation shelter overlooking the Derwent estuary.

7 km · about 15 min drive

museum

Museum of Old and New Art (MONA)

Australia's most controversial and provocative private museum, built underground in a Tasmanian winery.

10 km · about 20 min drive

museum

Port Arthur Historic Site

Preserved 19th-century convict penal settlement on the Tasman Peninsula, a World Heritage site at the end of the Arthur Highway.

51 km · about 60 min drive

photogenic

Tessellated Pavement

A flat shore platform at Eaglehawk Neck fractured by tectonic stress into an almost perfectly rectangular grid, then eroded into pans and loaves. Best at low tide near sunrise.

51 km · about 60 min drive

natural wonder

Devils Kitchen

A collapsed sea cave near Eaglehawk Neck where the ocean boils 60 metres below in a narrow dolerite chasm, with Tasman Arch a short walk away. Both are metres from the car park.

54 km · about 60 min drive

Driving roads near Sandy Bay

  • Right herekunanyi / Mount Wellington1,271 m summit above Hobart reached by a sealed 21 km road to an enclosed observation shelter overlooking the Derwent estuary.

Nearby Destinations

Other places to explore near Sandy Bay.

Battery Point

🇦🇺 Australia

1 km awayPop. 2,142

Hobart

🇦🇺 Australia

2 km awayPop. 252,639

Mount Nelson

🇦🇺 Australia

3 km awayPop. 2,426

New Town

🇦🇺 Australia

4 km awayPop. 6,004

Howrah

🇦🇺 Australia

7 km awayPop. 8,317

Geilston Bay

🇦🇺 Australia

7 km awayPop. 2,935

Goodwood

🇦🇺 Australia

8 km awayPop. 1,042

Kingston

🇦🇺 Australia

9 km awayPop. 10,154

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Data sources:GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)•Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)•Mapbox•Photography: George Lawrence