Beachfront on South Molle Island
Queensland’s beaches rank right up the top with the best
beaches in the world, with visitors flocking from every
direction to enjoy the long white coastal stretches and
shimmering waters. From Coolangatta through to Daintree in
the far north, you are guaranteed a taste of paradise. The
ideal choice of travel is by rental car, as you have the
freedom and flexibility to stop as long as the waves are
rolling and the sky is blue. There are plenty of caravan
parks dotted up and down the Queensland coast, ideal to be
used as a base to swim and explore.
Growing up in Queensland, I spent most of my holidays on the
Gold Coast, and today’s favourite tourist beaches were my
playground. Coolangatta, located about half an hour from
Surfers Paradise, has an esplanade perfect for small
children to paddle, and is also a popular meeting place for
surfers. Further up is beautiful Burleigh beach, known for
its pine trees lining the sand. Although a lot more
populated than all those years ago, this is still one of the
premier beach locations on the coast.
Nobbys and Main beaches are long and inviting. There is
plenty of space for families, surfers and sunbathers.
Sunrise is one of the favourite times to enjoy the salt air
and meet the early morning walkers, populating the shoreline
up and down the coastline. Surfers Paradise is the most
famous and known as the tourist strip for obvious reasons.
The beaches are fantastic and excellent for surfing, but I
would stick to the local beaches just to get some towel
space.
The Sunshine Coast beaches have a more relaxed pace,
Maroochydore being my favourite. With excellent surfing
beaches, ideal caravan parks (Cotton Tree is one of the
best) and large shopping centres you could spend weeks here
and always have something to do. Alexandra Headland is one
of the most popular locations for surfers, with breaks to be
found along most of the coastline.
Noosa Heads is one of the most well known destinations on
the north coast, with an abundance of holiday choices.
There are four beaches, the most popular at Hastings Point
for swimming and surfing. Tea Tree and Granite Bay are more
suitable for experienced surfers. From Hastings there are
some easy beach walks taking you around the headland to a
lovely beach alcove. The beach is the heart of Noosa and
every walk seems to wind back to its sandy stretches.
Once you start the trek up to Cairns and beyond, you need to
plan your itinerary and then take the plunge as there are a
lot of miles in between. However, the rewards are
priceless, with exquisite pure white beaches waiting for
you. Close to three hours from Brisbane, Fraser Island is
the world’s largest sand island, with the equally beautiful
Rainbow Beach a complete destination in itself. The
advantage is that crowds are smaller and the beaches are
endless, the perfect place to escape.
Halfway between Cairns and Townsville is an undiscovered
paradise, Mission Beach. There are not many places where
the sun shines every day of the year (well almost) and the
rainforest meets the sand and coconut palms. Combined with
the pristine, flat beach and rippling waves you have the
ideal tropical holiday.
The beaches just north from Cairns are unique and
unparalleled. The most famous is Palm Cove, offering
something for every type of beach holiday maker. There is a
long jetty for fishermen, plenty of water sports, tall palm
trees lining the entire stretch of beach and a number of
restaurants and shops when you need a break from the sun.
Surfers may have to venture elsewhere, such as Yorkey’s Knob
where half metre waves are delivered which still a bonus for
this region.
Trinity Beach is another favourite with locals and tourists
and easily accessible from Cairns via the Captain Cook
highway. The Cairns esplanade now features a large lagoon
ideal for families, and a great retreat for those who would
prefer to base themselves close to the city.
Heading further north to Port Douglas, Four Mile Beach is
one of the last of Queensland’s jewels. This is remote and
beautiful, with the palms common to this area combine to
create the perfect holiday destination. Although this area
is common to stingers there are nets in place so you can
still enjoy a swim.
Whichever location you choose, you will have to keep coming
back to make the most of the sun, surf and sand in
Queensland greatest treasures, its beaches.
Jenny Brewer
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More Information
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The Queensland coast is yours to explore in a Rental Car from Discovery.
There is plenty to do and see all across Queensland.
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