How To Spend 3 Days In Rainbow Beach
Our little travelling family of five has been on the road full time for 18 months now…..life is grand and we are sincerely grateful for everyday. We have spent the last three months exploring Far North Queensland and are now making our way down the coast. We have landed ourselves in this little hideaway town Called Rainbow Beach.
We had heard plenty of great reviews about Rainbow Beach from other travellers that we had met on the road so we came here to see for ourselves. Rainbow Beach is located roughly 240 kilometres north of Brisbane which is about a three hour drive, so not far at all. It is a little coastal town with a small population of just over 1200 people. But in the busy seasons this is a bustling little getaway place and caters for all types of travellers which makes for a popular town.
1/ Hit Up The Famous Rainbow Beach
Rainbow Beach is the perfect way to spend a relaxing day. It is walking distance from the road or you can take the four wheel drive like we did and drive on the beach. We found the perfect spot to seclude ourselves from everyone else. If you do choose to drive onto the beach then you can only drive about 400 metres to the right. If you want to drive further you will need a permit. Also keep in mind that tide rises and falls fast so driver be weary.
2/ Carlo Sandunes
Carlo Sandblow is a popular place for many travellers for very different reasons. We went there with boogie boards and a rainbow donut pool toy so we could slide down the famous sand dunes. Was it a hit??? Well no! I am not sure what happened but we didn’t slide very fast and we got stuck on some of the steepest sand dunes I have ever seen. But it was a fun walk and great views of the ocean.
***TIP- You can hire a sand board from Epic Ocean on Rainbow Beach Drive.
Carlo Sandunes are also very well known for the sunrises, you have a perfect view of the ocean. This is also a popular spot for para-gliders to take off and land.
Inskip Point
Inskip Point has countless camping options for everyone, we chose to stay at the Rainbow Beach Holiday Park, we were parked facing the beach which made it very easy for the kids to cross the road and go to the playground or go for a swim.
Inskip is also well known for the Fraser Island Barge that leaves from Inskip point. To get onto the barge you must be ready and set up for soft sand and beach driving. To get onto the barge you need to drive through soft sand, so letting your tyres down is essential.
Camping Spots In Inskip
- Pelican Bay
- – 4 wheel drive only
- – Generators allowed
- – Pets allowed
- Bookings required
SS Dorrigo 4WD
- 4 wheel drive only
- – Generators allowed
- – Pets allowed
- – Toilets onsite
- Bookings required
MV Sarawak
- – 4 wheel drive only
- – Generators allowed
- – Pets allowed
- – Toilets onsite
- Bookings required
The above campsites say four wheel drive because the campsites are on black sand and gravel. Some sites are ok, but some have soft sand. The road into all these campsites are bitumen and are easily accessible with a caravan or car. If you are unsure and don’t want to risk getting stuck or bogged then I recommend going to MV Sarawak West Campgrounds which is the last campground in Inskip Point.
All campgrounds are walking distance to the beach. Many campers take tables and chairs to the beach and spend the day like they are camping there. It is a very relaxing spot to spend a few days or weeks.
Rainbow Beach Surf Life Saving Club
As you may or may not know, we love a good pub lunch. Every week we go out for lunch or dinner at a restaurant, RSL or SLSC. Bonus points if the venue has a great view or a kids playground. The Rainbow Beach SLSC has great views and if you book in advance you can get a table overlooking the water. The table we chose below was not one with the best views but we still enjoyed chilling out and you still have partial ocean views. The food is great and the staff are friendly.
There are many places to see in and around Rainbow Beach. Tin Can Bay is another great place to see for a day trip.
Just like all our other blog posts, if you have any points of interest that you can add to this blog post please post below in the comments box. This helps everyone with more options and real reviews from other fellow travellers.
From Dan and Kylie