Destination guides > Australia > Queensland > Fraser Coast > Rainbow Beach
Rainbow Beach
Rainbow Beach is a tiny town at the foot of the Inskip Peninsula. It can be reached by highway from Gympie, or with 4WD from Noosa through the Great Sandy National Park. Driving along the Forty Mile Beach from Noosa requires some skill and careful attention to tides and weather conditions. This route gives you the best view of the sands and the wrecked Cherry Venture. The propeller from this vessel is placed on the headland at the edge of town.
There is some good surf here and it is one of the last places you can surf before the start of the Great Barrier Reef. Paragliding is also popular and is a great way to view the colours along the cliffs. Wolf Rock is known in diving circles to be one of Queensland’s great dive sites.
The town gets its name from the vivid rainbow coloured sand cliffs at the edge of the town. It is closer to Fraser Island than Hervey Bay, its big sister to the north, and it is also cheaper and more laid-back. There is not much of anything to do here besides take trips to Fraser Island, but the town is steadily gaining in popularity due to that. There are some shops along the main street where you can gather cheap groceries and supplies for camping.
Practical information
Queensland Parks & Wildlife Service
This small information centre has information about Fraser Island and also sells permits for the island.
Rainbow Beach Road, Rainbow Beach.
Tel (07) 5486 3160
Open 7am-4pm daily
Shell Tourist Centre
Rainbow Beach Road, Rainbow Beach
Tel (07) 5486 8888
Website www.rainbowbeach.info
Coming & going
Greyhound (tel 1300 473 946) and Premier Motor Service stop on Spectrum Street in Rainbow Beach.
Hostel accommodation
Dingo’s Backpacker Adventure Resort
20 Spectrum Street, Rainbow Beach
Tel (07) 5486 8222
Frasers on Rainbow Beach
18 Spectrum Street, Rainbow Beach
Tel (07) 5486 4581
Pippie’s
22 Spectrum Street, Rainbow Beach
Tel (07) 5486 8503 or 1800 425 356
