Cooloola Coast
Coastal Paradise - Where Pristine Beaches Meet Marine Wildlife
It’s stunningly beautiful here, from the infamous coloured sands at Rainbow Beach through to the charming fishing town of Tin Can Bay, this is our coastal playground and the southern gateway to K’Gari (formerly Fraser Island), the world’s largest sand island.
The Cooloola Coast represents some of Queensland’s most pristine and spectacular coastal scenery, stretching from the coloured sand cliffs of Rainbow Beach to the tranquil waterways of Tin Can Bay.
Nestled in a World Heritage-listed area and surrounded by biospheres, this iconic beach is steeped in ancient creation stories. Just a short drive away, Tin Can Bay offers a relaxed coastal lifestyle, where fresh seafood and abundant wildlife define the experience. Immerse yourself in this unique blend of culture, nature, and coastal charm.
Because the coastline is steeped in nature, this popular region is an important part of Australia’s Nature Coast. With miles of white sandy beaches, unspoiled coastlines and safe waters it’s a magnet for dolphins, whales, dugongs, turtles and all kinds of fish and birdlife.
This stunning coastline offers visitors the perfect combination of adventure and relaxation, with world-class beaches, abundant marine wildlife, and the closest mainland access to the world-heritage listed K’gari (Fraser Island).
Rainbow Beach
A place steeped in Creation Time history. A place that is as beautiful as it is inclusive. A place that is not just a tourist destination, it’s a lifestyle. Rainbow Beach is situated on the Cooloola Coast. Framed by K’gari (formerly Fraser Island) to the north east and Double Island Point to the south the area can trace it’s history back to the ancient creation time stories.
Rainbow Beach takes its name from the spectacular multi-coloured sand cliffs that create a stunning backdrop to the pristine beach. These natural formations, created over thousands of years, display bands of red, yellow, orange, and white sands that are particularly spectacular at sunrise and sunset.
Locals have wanted to keep Rainbow a secret but the reality is, there is too much on offer to keep quiet. There is more than meets the eye when it comes to Rainbow Beach and the magical Cooloola Coast. Come and see for yourself.
Great Beach Driving
Get off the boring bitumen and join us on the Great Beach Drive^. We just call it “the beach” but it’s actually a gazetted beach highway that careers alongside the Pacific Ocean, perfect for clearing the head and head 2km’s south to check out our renowned Coloured Sands with 200ft of colour!
Many wildlife species call this area home with integral breeding zones, amongst the local vegetation and sand dunes which are fragile in nature and responsible beach driving is encouraged. Make your trip an overnight stay and stake a claim on your own piece of beach paradise (it’s okay we’ll share) by getting a camping permit and spend a glorious night camping under the southern stars.
All beach driving, camping permits and travel information can be accessed via Rainbow Beach Visitor Information Centre
^4 wheel drive vehicles only. Permits required and please check tidal information prior to driving.
Life's a Beach
And we have a smorgasbord to choose from! Located just two kilometres south of Rainbow Beach is the Coloured Sands, a complex array of 72 sandy tones, the result of iron oxide and leached vegetable dyes from the last ice age. This living cross section of time towers more than 200 feet into the sky and is best seen at low tide.
Slightly south is Double Island Point aptly named by Captain James Cook in 1770 and located within the Great Sandy Marine Park. Only accessible by 4WD, Double Island Point is a magnet for marine life. It’s the perfect place to totally unwind on an unspoiled beach or, with the longest left hand surf break in Australia, catch some waves with your mates. We do!
To The Moon & Back
And, if you’ve ever wondered what a moon scape looks like, head straight for Carlo Sand Blow. So. What’s a sandblow? – it’s a sea of sand created by thousands of years of wind. This is a photographers dream. Overlooking the coastline from Double Island Point to Inskip Point this is the perfect spot for those spectacular sunset shots or stargazing in the dark night sky.
Whale Watching Paradise
From May to November, Rainbow Beach becomes one of Queensland’s premier whale watching destinations. Humpback whales migrate along the coast in large numbers, often visible from the beach itself. Professional whale watching tours operate from the town, offering close encounters with these magnificent mammals. The annual whale migration sees thousands of whales pass by, with mothers and calves often visible in the sheltered waters.
Coloured Sand Cliffs
The famous coloured cliffs provide spectacular photography opportunities and cultural significance. Aboriginal Dreamtime stories explain the colours’ origins, while geological interpretive signs explain the scientific processes that created these unique formations. The cliffs are best viewed from the beach below or from designated viewing areas above.
Adventure Activities
Rainbow Beach serves as the launching point for numerous adventure activities, like hang-gliding, surfing, beach fishing, hiking the many National Parks in the area. Four-wheel driving on the beach and through Cooloola National Park provides access to pristine wilderness areas while scenic flights provide aerial perspectives of the coast and nearby K’gari.
Tin Can Bay
It’s the safe waters of Tin Can Bay’s sheltered coast that makes this serene little coastal town so unique. Perfect for sailing, kayaking and fishing, it’s one of only two places in Queensland where you can hand feed a dolphin.
As the closest southern gateway to K’gari (formerly Fraser Island), it’s also a firm favourite for the shy dugong (Australian sea cow) and with more than 140 species of birdlife choosing to call this place home, it’s also a great spot for a bit of birding.
Tin Can Bay offers a completely different coastal experience, featuring calm bay waters, excellent fishing, and the famous wild bottlenose dolphin encounters that attract visitors from around the world.
Magic Dolphin Moments
Hands up if you’ve already fed Chompy, Squirt or Patch our Australian Humpback Dolphins? If you haven’t, now’s your chance to get to know this uber-friendly dolphin family who’ve been visiting us in the protected waters of the Great Sandy Strait for years.
Led by Patch, the alpha male, this is one of only two places in Queensland that you can get this close to these cheeky little mammals. And don’t worry, our trained volunteers are on hand to show you just how Patch and his family like to be fed!
A Bit of Birding
Tin Can Bay’s got impressive birding credential. With a foreshore walk that just happens to be in a RAMSAR wetland as well as being surrounded by the Great Sandy Biosphere Reserve, over 140 different bird species have been sighted there so far.
For the serious twitcher, the rare black breasted Button Quail and the Southern Emu Wren are just a couple of the rarer finds here, but other species of birds are being identified here all the time.