Almost three million tourists in the past 12 months have spent almost $2 billion in Brisbane alone.
In 2014-15, Brisbane attracted 337 conferences with more than 100 delegates each and those delegates spent 562,000 days in Brisbane.
Yet, until Friday, not one tourist could take an organised day trip from Brisbane's CBD across Moreton Bay to North Stradbroke Island with its beaches, whales, koalas and two of the world's most beautiful lakes that includes learning about Queensland's indigenous history from indigenous people.
On Friday that changed.
North Stradbroke Island's traditional owners the Quandamooka people, represented by the Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation, organised a ferry trip to leave South Bank Parklands and take 50 conference delegates from Denmark on an "aboriginal dreaming" tour of North Stradbroke Island.
The Danish delegates had been in Brisbane for the week-long International Water Association congress.
They became willing "guinea pigs" for one of south-east Queensland's biggest economic transitions as Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island) embraces a new wave of tourism before sand mining stops in 2019.
The case for Stradbroke Island tourism change
- Twenty four of Brisbane's conferences – two a month – had more than 1000 delegates.
- There were 337 Brisbane conferences with more than 100 delegates to June 2016
- According to Brisbane Marketing, overseas visitor spending to Brisbane increased by 8.1 per cent, international visitor numbers increased by 9.7 per cent to 1.2 million people, while interstate tourists jumped by 16.7 per cent to 1.56 million people.
- Successive Queensland governments have argued for an economic transition for North Stradbroke Island from sand mining to tourism, eco-tourism, aquaculture and expanded small business.
- The Palaszczuk government committed to a $20 million economic transition strategy over three years.
- Sand mining finishes in 2019.
From Meanjin (Brisbane) to Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island) – what they heard
On Friday 50 Danish delegates left South Bank Parklands at 9am on the Stradbroke Flyer to motor about 90 minutes across Moreton Bay to Dunwich, (or Goompi).
On board they were told: "Balga Quandamooka djagan", or "Welcome to Quandamooka country" by QYAC chief executive Cameron Costello and Quandamooka elder Uncle Bob Anderson.
The Danes learned of the birthplace of Brisbane, the sediment flowing down from the Lockyer Valley into Moreton Bay and the impact of the 2011 and 2013 floods from Healthy Waterways and Catchments scientists Andrew O'Neill and Joel Bolzenius.
Joel Bolzenius told how white men first came into contact with Quandamooka people in 1803 when explorer/navigator Matthew Flinders went ashore at North Stradbroke Island's Cylinder Beach and was entertained by dancers "imitating the kangaroo."
He told the story of stranded timber getter Thomas Pamphlett – after whom the bridge at Chelmer is named – and his two colleagues, Richard Parsons and John Finnegan were fed and looked after by Quandamooka people and other Indigenous groups in 1823 before being found by explorer John Oxley and guiding him to record the Brisbane River.
Then they listened to a spirited Quandamooka history from Josh Wallker, grandson of famous North Stradbroke Island poet Kath Walker.
A very brief Quandamooka dreaming
Josh Walker said his tribal name is "Baumguam" or the bottle-nosed dolphin. It is his family totem.
He is also the Quandamooka "storyteller" and the singer of the island's Yuliburri-ba dance group.
He tells how Quandamooka people in their dreamtime stories see the world as families, headed by the descendents of the kangaroo and the emu; now on our traditional coat of arms.
Under the emu is the carpet snake and its brothers and sisters, the dolphin and the crow.
Under the kangaroo is the brown snake, the whale and the eagle.
"The carpet snake and the dolphin are brothers; while the whale and the dolphin are brothers in law," Josh told the delegates.
"The snake is the oldest totem and the carpet python is the most popular form of the rainbow serpent."
Josh Walker posed these questions from Quandamooka people's dreaming.
Did you know the carpet snake carved out the Kangaroo Point cliffs to widen the Brisbane River and it is a brother or sister to the dolphins of Moreton Bay?
Did you know a now-extinct cod fish, which until the 1930s was once so plentiful it was caught and fed as dog food to Brisbane pets?
In Quandamooka dreaming this cod dug out the 345-kilometre long Brisbane River making it deeper and deeper to let the creatures up the river past the sandbars at the river mouth.
Perhaps 12,000 to 15,000 years ago the dolphin and the whale – traditional brothers-in-law – slowly allowed the waters to fill Moreton Bay after a huge battle between two warring brothers, the carpet snake and the dolphins.
"The old people say the bloodwood trees get their red colouring from the heart of the dolphin, who gave his life to stop the war," Quandamooka storyteller Josh Walker told the 50 stunned but delighted delegates from Denmark last week.
Many saw their first koala walking across a road at Dunwich on Friday and later saw their first humpback whales off Point Lookout.
They had lunch at Brown Lake, where they saw the Yuliburra-ba dancers and went for a quick swim.
What did the Danish delegates think?
The Danes were buzzing like excited schoolkids on an excursion as they sat in a bus back across the island before hopping back on the ferry.
Lars Holmegaard was one of the 50 delegates to the five-day International Water Association congress held in Brisbane last week.
"Out of five, I think the trip was a five," Mr Holmegaard said.
"The aboriginal history, it was fantastic," he said.
"When you are here, you want to do and see something different to what you can see anywhere else.
"And this is a place where you can see the full natural history and be able to see the full history."
Henrik Correll, also from Denmark, said it made a startling change from living in his city hotel room and says the Stradbroke Island indigenous ferry trips could work similar to the booming Airbnb travel accommodation.
"I think it was very interesting. Very good," he said.
"I think people like getting out to stay with the local people to take advantage with cultural opportunities.
"And I think this fits in nicely with all of that."
What is now planned?
The future of Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island) is being planned by a steering committee that includes the Stradbroke Island Chamber of Commerce, QYAC, the Department of State Development and the University of Queensland.
QYAC has represented the Quandamooka people of Moreton Bay since they won Native Title of the area on July 4, 2011.
Cameron Costello, a lawyer, Quandamooka man and arts administrator by trade, has high hopes for Quandamooka people's tourism plans.
Five months ago QYAC spoke with Brisbane's new casino operators, Star Entertainment, and the Howard Smith Wharves developers about the day trip idea.
It is a "back to the future" idea, because from 1885 until 1946 a tourism and supplies boat called The Otter ran from Brisbane's CBD to Amity Point taking supplies and people to the Dunwich Asylum.
"In our community plans we talk about boutique bottled water, where we can link in with Star Entertainment and Howard Smith Wharves and those guys to provide a product and experience – fresh seafood for example - and the flavours of Quandamooka."
Some sacred sites will remain accessible only to elders and initiated indigenous Quandamooka people.
But other sites will be open to eco-tourists, Mr Costello said.
"At the moment what we are doing is cultural heritage surveys and ecological surveys to identify sites," he said.
"And it may be the case – and I have recently been to an ancient campground in the south of the island – and we have spoken about restoring that," he said.
Talks with elders are underway over this issue.
"So there is opportunities for us to look to have guided walks down the island, to camp overnight and walk back up the island the next day," Mr Costello said.
"So, it's a Great Walks type idea."
"And can you imagine going with a traditional owner down the beach to camp where traditional owners have camped for millennia under the stars, eating local seafood?
"It would be pretty amazing."
What does the Queensland Government think of QYAC's plans?
Dr Anthony Lynham is Minister for State Development and had two business observers from his department on Friday's maiden journey from Meanjin (Brisbane) to Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island).
"Projects like the CBD-North Straddie day trip are the kind of projects that government, QYAC and the Chamber of Commerce will look into as part of Straddie's economic transition," Dr Lynham said.
"What we are trying to do is identify and support sustainable businesses that will create long-term jobs."
Kate Jones is Queensland's Tourism Minister.
"As part of our Government's North Stradbroke Island Transition Strategy, we are investing more than $13 million in tourism initiatives on the Island," she said.
"I'm supportive of any innovative tourism product or service that promotes the Island as a tourism destination and highlights the cultural and environmental history of the Island."
The ferry trips have been discussed with Star Entertainment on several occasions.
Some costs for similar trips
- North Stradbroke Island day trip no indigenous history, no indigenous dancers – around $149.
- Alice Springs day trip to Uluru – from $110 to $226
- Fraser Island day trip from Hervey Bay – from $195 to $265.
- Moreton Island day trip – around $149 depending on destinations
- Hobart ferry trip around to the Museum of Old and New Art (25 minutes) - $50 with food and drinks.
