Australia's best lifestyle – Lamb Island, Moreton Bay, Queensland – island waterfront home for private sale, seachange living just an hour from Brisbane or the Gold Coast

Lamb Island is 40 kilometres from Brisbane CBD as the crow flies – just over an hour's travelling time. Three of the Bay Islands, although with much of Macleay Island out of frame at left. Arguably the last unspoilt coastal residential environment in South-East Queensland. Lamb Island's 'main drag' – and by the look of things, in the middle of the peak hour rush. Waterbuses run half-hourly during peak times, and more-or-less hourly otherwise. Vehicular barges service the islands every couple of hours. The trip takes 45 minutes. The end of yet another perfect day on Lamb Island. But there'll be another one tomorrow.

Lamb Island: A uniquely special place to live... Lamb Island is one of the Southern Moreton Bay Islands – a group of four islands (Russell, Macleay, Lamb and Karragarra) basking in the lee of North Stradbroke Island just over an hour's all-up travelling time from Brisbane CBD. And yes, just in case it needs to be said, the islands have mains power, land-line phone (including broadband) and town water connected, plus a weekly council garbage collection. Surrounded by the tranquil waters of Moreton Bay, these islands are arguably the last unspoilt coastal residential environment in South-East Queensland, and still something of a secret even to Brisbane people. And although the word is now starting to get out, so far this lack of awareness has kept island property prices relatively low. Lamb Island, at just two kilometres long by up to one kilometre wide, and with a population of only 350 or so residents, a small general store (trading seven days a week) and a licenced club, is generally regarded as the most lifestyle-friendly island of the four. On Lamb Island, you'll find a welcoming easy-going community, where people accept each other for what they are rather than what they're expected to pretend to be. Instead of 'mine-is-bigger-than-yours' McMansions jam-packed against each other and surrounded by high walls, you'll enjoy low-key architecture set in leafy surroundings, with fresh air, open vistas, and a balmy climate that's usually a couple of degrees cooler than Brisbane in Summer, and as warm again in Winter. All four islands are serviced by fast modern catamaran-style 'waterbuses' which run more-or-less half-hourly during the day and hourly at night to and from Redland Bay from 4.45am till 10pm (11pm on Thursday, and midnight on Friday and Saturday nights). The trip between Lamb Island and Redland Bay takes just 20 minutes. Mainland bus services run in conjunction with the waterbus timetables. Vehicular barges also service the islands from Redland Bay every two hours or so. (The islands are also serviced by locally based paramedics, with an ambulance on each island, and a special ambulance boat for transfers to the mainland. Urgent cases are transported by helicopter which makes the trip to hospital faster than from most suburbs.) The Redland City Council maintains a general parking area as well as a secure card-entry parking compound adjacent to the mainland jetty, and many islanders leave 'mainland cars' there and utilise cheaper cars for getting around on their islands – although Lamb Island is small enough for many residents to choose to just walk, cycle, or in some cases use golf carts. Macleay Island offers supermarket shopping, a butcher, pharmacy, medical services, restaurants, hotel, golf course, bowls club, a thriving arts and crafts centre, and more – just a three minute waterbus ride away. There’s also a primary school on Macleay Island, with a supervised bus to transport the Lamb Island kids to and from the Macleay jetty. (High school students go to the mainland, where special buses meet them.) Russell Island, just five minutes in the other direction, has a huge new IGA supermarket, butcher, bottleshop, etc, all within a hundred-or-so metres of the jetty – or a $15 return barge trip if you want to take your car over. Redland Bay offers comprehensive shopping facilities a few hundred metres from the mainland jetty. Victoria Point (just a three minute drive further or via regular bus services) is a booming regional shopping centre with everything one could need including cinemas, restaurants, and a council library. From Redland Bay, Brisbane CBD is within a 45 minute drive outside peak hour (but closer to an hour during peak times), while the Gold Coast is about 45 minutes via easy access to the Pacific Motorway.