Moving to a Moreton Bay island: how the barge crossing actually works

Redlands Removals · 27 June 2026 · 5 min read

If you have only ever moved house across town, the idea of moving to one of the Moreton Bay islands can sound complicated. It really is not. An island move is a normal removal with one extra leg: the barge crossing. The trick is simply planning that leg properly, and that is the part a local crew earns its keep on.

Here is how it actually works.

The truck crosses with your furniture

The most important thing to know is that the islands off the Redlands are served by vehicle barges, not just foot ferries. That means the loaded removal truck drives straight onto the barge deck, crosses the water, and drives off at the island. Your furniture never has to be unloaded, carried onto a passenger ferry, and reloaded — it stays on the truck the whole way.

That is the difference between a move that takes a day and a move that turns into a saga. The whole job runs as one continuous load.

The three gateways

Which terminal you use depends on the island:

• The four southern islands — Russell, Macleay, Lamb and Karragarra — go from the Weinam Creek terminal at Redland Bay.
• North Stradbroke (Minjerribah) goes from Toondah Harbour at Cleveland, across to Dunwich, and then it is a drive on the island to Dunwich, Amity or Point Lookout.
• Coochiemudlo Island is the short hop — a few minutes on the barge from the Victoria Point ramp.

The one extra leg: the crossing

A mainland move turns on the kerb and the driveway. An island move adds three things we plan that a mainland move doesn’t need:

1. The deck booking. The barge deck is limited, so the crossing is booked ahead. This, not the kerb, is the first thing we lock in.
2. The tide and the timetable. The barge runs to a timetable, and the ramps work with the tide, so we time the load and the drive to make the crossing we booked.
3. The far-end drive. Once the truck rolls off, there is a short island drive to the door, which we build into the day so nothing runs late.

We deliberately do not publish barge times or fares here, because they are set by the operators and they change. When we quote your move we confirm the current run and book the deck for you.

What it costs

Our standard online rates start at $200 an hour for two movers and a truck, with an island move adding the booked barge crossing on top. We quote that honestly once we know the island and how much you are moving — no guesswork, no surprises at the ramp.

The easiest way to see how your move would run is to chart it: pick your island in the Bay Island Move Planner and it lays out the terminal, the crossing and the plan, or just get a quote and tell us where you are headed.

Common questions

Does my furniture have to come off the truck for the ferry?

No. These are vehicle barges, not foot ferries, so the loaded truck drives onto the deck and off at the island. The furniture stays on the truck the whole way.

Which islands can a removal truck reach?

The four southern Moreton Bay islands (Russell, Macleay, Lamb and Karragarra) via the vehicle barge from Weinam Creek at Redland Bay; North Stradbroke via the barge from Toondah Harbour at Cleveland to Dunwich; and Coochiemudlo via the short barge from the Victoria Point ramp.

How far ahead do I need to book?

The vehicle-barge deck is limited and the barge runs to a timetable, so book the crossing ahead. We handle the deck booking and confirm the current timetable with the operator as part of the quote.