Rainbow Beach | Accommodation, attractions, maps, tours, events, 4WD hire

Rainbow Beach in Queensland Australia offers a wide range of accommodation, dining, activities, attractions and events. Explore amazing natural attractions including the Cooloola Great Walk, the Carlo Sand Blow, Coloured Sands, Double Island Point and Lake Poona.

Rainbow Beach is a the best place to start your tour of Fraser Island, with beach 4WDing and Camping on Inskip Point. Rainbow Beach also offers a wide range of accommodation options from boutique resorts to surfside villas. Enjoy the great dining options from the many Cafes and Restaurants.

Experience timeless relaxation and a casual beachside ambience
The sun, surf and sea breezes compliment the full range of activities available in Rainbow Beach. Swim at the patrolled beach a short walk from shops, accommodation, dining and parks. Enjoy a leisurely round of golf, play lawn bowls or shop at boutique specialty stores. Rainbow Beach has a fantastic array of dining options to suit all tastes, from alfresco cafes and contemporary water front restaurants to modern saloon bars and fine dining. Enjoy superb food, complimented with professional friendly service. Regular live entertainment keeps the town pumping after dark.

Enjoy spectacular 360 degree views from Carlo Sandblow
Take an easy 600 metre nature walk from Cooloola Drive to the unique natural attraction Carlo Sandblow. This growing sand dune, which overlooks stunning coloured sand cliffs, covers over 15 hectares. Enjoy amazing views of the coastline and beach which stretches from Double Island Point to Inskip Point at the southern trip of Fraser Island.
Watch colourful hang gliders and para sails catching the breeze. Locals and visitors flock to the Carlo Sandblow in the afternoon to take in the awesome sight of the sun setting over nearby Tin Can Bay.

Discover Rainbow Beach's legendary Coloured Sands
Four wheel drive or walk along the beach to the awesome Coloured Sands that tower over the beach about two kilometres south of Rainbow Beach Surf Life Saving Club.
Steeped in Aboriginal legend, the sand cliffs which majestically contour the coastline are a unique example of chronosequential dune sequencing. The complex array in tones and hues of the sand formations create a landscape of wonder. This amazing natural attraction is protected as part of the Cooloola section of the Great Sandy National Park.

Fish Rainbow Beach's pristine reefs, beaches and estuaries

Beach fishing is one of the great attractions of Rainbow Beach.
In close proximity to Rainbow Beach are some of the finest Offshore fishing grounds in the World. Deep sea fishing charters depart from Carlo Point.
Fish and crab the estuaries in Tin Can Bay Inlet, through the Inskip Point area and up the Great Sandy Strait from the Carlo Point or Bullock Point boat ramp. Experience eight days of absolute family fishing fun during the
Rainbow Beach Family Fishing Classic in July. The event encompasses off-shore, beach and estuary fishing, with 11 catch and weigh categories.

Rainbow Beach is one of the best places in Australia to skydive
Word has gotten around that Rainbow Beach offers one of the best skydiving experiences in the country. And it’s no wonder. The 25 minute flight to 8000ft takes in unmatched views from Fraser Island over Inskip Point, Tin Can Bay, Rainbow Beach, the Coloured Sands, Carlo Sandblow and Double Island Point and that’s all before you jump.

Skydivers have a 65 second freefall, before the parachute opens and lands on the beach. It’s sensory overload while freefalling at 220km/h. It’s not until the parachute opens that you have a chance to take it all in.

Bush walk through Cooloola's extensive National Parks
Stroll along timber boardwalks to discover lovely fresh water swimming holes at Seary’s Creek Day Rest Area, on Rainbow Beach Road. There are several bush walking tracks throughout the Great Sandy National Park. The telegraph track begins at the end of Double Island Drive and heads towards the Bymien picnic area. From here continue on to the beautiful Lake Poona and Freshwater day use and camping area. The Cooloola Great Walk is suited to the more experienced bush walker. This 102km trail is an easy five day walk with a choice of four campsites.

Lighthouse at Double Island Point, Rainbow Beach

Experience more natural attractions at Double Island Point
From the township of Rainbow Beach travel by 4WD south along the beach to Double Island Point where you can enjoy great surf and stunning views, possibly catching sight of majestic humpback whales between June and October. Get up close and personal with sea turtles, dolphins and dugong, sea kayaking off Double Island Point. Wolf Rock, north of Double Island Point, is a world class reef for a spectacular deep sea diving experience. Wolf Rock is a habitat for a wide variety of marine species.
Camping is popular at Teewah Beach on the other side of the point.

Explore the attractions of Cooloola at your leisure by 4WD
Rainbow Beach is part of the Great Sandy Biosphere in Southeast Queensland, Australia. Discover what's so special about this amazing region for yourself. Four wheel drive through sandy forests to unique freshwater lakes perched in the sand in the Cooloola Section of the Great Sandy National Park.
Beach four wheel drive along the stunning sandy coastline that extends for Noosa Northshore to Double Island Point, across to Rainbow Beach, up to Inskip Point and along the eastern sea side of Fraser Island to Indian Head.

Visit Fraser Island on Rainbow Beach's doorstep
The world's largest sand island is one of the most popular four wheel driving destinations in Australia. Take a ten minute vehicle barge trip to experience the wonder of World Heritage listed Fraser Island. Barges run continuously between Inskip Point and Hook Point on Fraser Island from 6.30am to 5.30pm each day.

4WD hire and tours of Fraser Island are available from Rainbow Beach. On Fraser Island you will discover a range of activities including camping, swimming, canoeing and nature walks, with many photo opportunities.

Camping is a popular holiday option on the Cooloola Coast
Choose from extensive beach camping sites at Inskip Point, Rainbow Beach. Imagine the serenity of waking up to see the sun rising over gently crashing waves with views of Fraser Island to the north.
Inskip Point is a great area for bird watching. The best times are at sunrise and sunset. Rainbow Beach and its environs offer abundant and diverse bird watching opportunities with over 250 species identified.
Camping is also permitted at several sites throughout the Great Sandy National Park.

Capture the beauty of this incredible natural wonderland

The Cooloola Coast is perfect for landscape photographers wanting to photograph dunes and seascapes. This area extensive from Double Island Point, the Coloured Sands and Carlo Sandblow to Rainbow Beach and the Coffee Rocks, Inskip Point and Tin Can Bay. The interaction of the wind with the sand and vegetation has created an incredible wind-sculptured paradise.
The possibilities here are endless from dawn to dusk. Photographers from far and wide visit this region again and again.

Discover more amazing attractions on the Cooloola Coast
Take a scenic ferry ride from Carlo Point, Rainbow Beach to nearby Tin Can Bay to hand feed wild dolphins. Tin Can Bay with world class marina facilities is the gateway to the Great Sandy Strait, the calm protected waterway between the mainland and Fraser Island. House boat or sail through the Great Sandy Strait. The waterway is home to birds, dolphins, dugong and sea turtles. The estuaries that line the Great Sandy Straits are great for fishing and crabbing. Deep sea fishing on the inside of Fraser yields some large reef fish – fishing charter trips are available.

Getting to Rainbow Beach
From Brisbane, travel by car, bus or train to Gympie on the Bruce Highway, about two hours north of Brisbane. From Gympie, travel east at Brisbane Road, to Tin Can Bay Road and follow the signs to Rainbow Beach on the Cooloola Coast. An airport shuttle services both the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane airports. From Maryborough, travel along the Maryborough Tuan Road to Tin Can Bay Road. From Noosa four wheel drive north along the beach highway from Noosa’s North Shore – accessible by barge at Tewantin, to Double Island Point and on to Rainbow Beach.

Explore the surrounding Gympie Cooloola region

From Rainbow Beach drive west for an hour or so to the rolling green hills and lush forests of Mary Valley for a genuine Aussie bush experience. Stop at Gympie along the way and visit the Gold Mining Museum. A self drive tour through Gympie’s scenic northwestern hinterland will lead you to the country towns of Kilkivan and Goomeri, where you can shop for antiques and art, enjoy delicious regional cuisine and sample local wines.
Rainbow Beach photographs courtesy of Vision and Imagination

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Rainbow Beach Commerce and Tourism Association
As the name suggests this incorporated, not-for-profit, organisation is the local business organisation in Rainbow Beach. They meet 6 times per year and work very hard to promote and represent business and tourism in and around Rainbow Beach. This organisation is also the representative body for the website www.rainbow-beach.org

Visit the website to view live web cams and find more information about Rainbow Beach including activities, businesses and services.

FOR MORE INFORMATION FREECALL 1800 444 222