📍11 Best Things To Do At Rainbow Beach, QLD Without a 4WD. (Attractions & Activities.) (2024.)
WONDERING WHAT THE BEST THINGS TO DO IN RAINBOW BEACH ARE?
Surrounded by Great Sandy National Park on all fronts, Rainbow Beach is a gorgeous seaside destination with an outstanding line-up of unforgettable nature-based experiences for the ultimate outdoor adventure getaway.
From the revered 40m high coloured sands the town is synonymous with, to being on the doorstep of the marine-rich Tin Can Bay and a stone’s throw away from the world’s largest sand island, K’gari (Fraser Island), this gorgeous place has no shortage of excellent opportunities to undertake a wide variety of engaging and unforgettable things to in Rainbow Beach, that makes it my favourite coastal escape, even if you don’t have or hire a 4WD.
👉 My top 3 picks for what to do in Rainbow Beach, Queensland:
- Join a 4WD Adventure Tour past the Coloured Sands to Double Island Point.
- Tandem Parasail From The Carlo Sandblow.
- Snorkel At Seary’s Creek.
Planning Your Trip? Use My Favourite Resources!
Tours/Experiences: I recommend Viator.
Accommodation: I recommend Booking.com.
Renting Vehicles: I recommend RentalCars.com.
Best Things To Do At Rainbow Beach.
Great Sandy National Park – Cooloola Section.
1. Walk The Rainbow.
Coloured Sands.
One of the most spectacular things to see in Great Sandy National Park is the famous coloured sands Rainbow Beach is named after. These incredible, naturally coloured cliffs extend almost the entirety of the 15km to Double Island Point, but you needn’t walk that far to see these epic geographical features.
From the end of Griffin Esplanade, it’s a gentle 1km stroll down the beach before you start seeing the different shades of red, yellow, orange and grey sands colouring the towering wind-carved cliffs.
Make visiting the coloured sands even more special by walking the beach before daybreak and watching the sun illuminate the cliffs as it rises above the horizon.
2. Explore The Headland.
Double Island Point.
Stepping out onto the beachfront outside Rainbow Beach, the sand goes on and on. What’s out there? Well, a lot, but for the most part, the Cooloola Section of the Great Sandy National Park requires a 4WD to explore. But if you don’t have one and don’t want to rent one either, your options to explore it are pretty limited.
However, if you’re still looking for a way to venture further than your feet or a 2WD will allow you, you can take a tour to the end of the foreseeable landscape and explore Double Island Point.
Drive past the seemingly endless coloured sands of Rainbow Beach before exploring the spectacular headland by land, then by water in a kayak, where you may come across dolphins, whales, turtles and manta rays.
3. Walk, Ride or Tandem Paraglide A Barren Landscape.
Carlo Sandblow.
Another fantastic place to see in the Cooloola Section of Great Sandy National Park is the Carlo Sandblow. There are a few ways to go about experiencing this beautiful windswept landmark. Walk it, ride it, or launch from it.
Walking across it takes in three spectacular views. The lookout is a lovely spot to observe the sand blow and Double Island Point in the distance while venturing towards the ocean rewards you with visuals of the breathtaking cliffs of the coloured sands.
On the other side, there are more picturesque views, with Tin Can Bay and the Great Sandy Strait visible in the distance.
For those keener to experience it more thrillingly, take a sandboard and ride the high sides or pack a parachute and tandem parasail off the sand blow to get the most epic visuals of the stunning landscape.
4. Snorkel A Crystalline Creek.
Searys Creek.
Adding to an already-packed list of awesome things to do in Great Sandy National Park is taking a trip to the underworld. The underwater world. (Ha! I’ll let myself out.)
Seary’s Creek is a small, crystalline yellow/red creek just outside Rainbow Beach, and the stunning shallow waterway is the perfect place to go wild swimming in.
But don’t just stop at taking a dip. Bring along some goggles or a snorkel and explore what lies beneath. The close quarters, the fish, the eels, the yabbies, the fallen logs and tree roots make going “full fish” a fun micro-adventure.
Better yet, you needn’t do much work to get the most out of it. Letting the current take you gently down the stream allows you to become fully immersed in the experience, although you will have to walk back to where you started. But it’s very much worth it.
5. Discover A Hidden Lake.
Poona Lake.
While the above are all fantastic natural attractions, they don’t offer much in the way of walking. Taking in a bit more of the forest-y atmosphere, the walk to Poona Lake from the 2WD-accessible Bymien Picnic Area is a lovely one.
At the end of the moderate 4.2km return walk-in, you’ll come across a gorgeous freshwater lake. It’s the perfect way to cool off on a humid day walking the rainforest and there’s a lot less foot traffic than at Searys Creek, allowing you to take in the fresh air and picturesque scenery peacefully.
Great Sandy National Park – Inskip Peninsula.
6. Camp Under The Stars By The Beach.
With so many outdoor experiences, activities and things to do in Rainbow Beach, you can either stay at a nice hotel at the end of the day or continue vibing with nature by staying at one of the many shady campgrounds between the beach and the bay at Inskip Point, between the township and K’gari (Fraser Island).
Something important to note is that all are designated as accessible for 4WDs only, with some requiring high clearance because of the soft sandy surface. However, a couple, such as SV Sarawak West have firmer surfaces closer to the road, which means conventional vehicles can camp there too. There are also limited areas to park along Inskip Avenue so you could also opt to walk a short distance from there to the campground.
After dinner, I highly recommend lying on the beach and watching the stars on a clear night.
7. Get Some Ocean Experience.
Rainbow Beach.
One of the must-do things when you get to town is to head down to the beach and frolic in the ocean. After all, that is the essence of every coastal vacation. There are plenty of places you can do just that, given the sandy shoreline goes uninterrupted for miles from Inskip Point to Double Island Point. That’s a lot of foreshore real estate, so you’re spoilt for choice.
That said, most of the beachfront is unpatrolled. But if looking for a safe oceanside swimming spot where experienced lifeguards are on the look out, you needn’t head further than the strip of beach just in front of the tiny township.
Go for a swim, build a sandcastle, or build up a tan. If you’ve got some skill, pull out the surfboard or skip board and see how well you ride the water. Even if you aren’t that great, give it a go. Everyone’s there for a great time.
8. Dine In A Picturesque Park.
Lawrie Hanson Park & Phil Rogers Park.
Eating out can be expensive. Sure it’s nice to have a delicious sit-down meal you don’t have to create yourself, and there’s no cleaning up afterwards, but the more you chow down on restaurant food, the more your bank account frowns upon you.
Besides, sometimes it’s nice to find a spot for yourself and eat outside. If that’s the vibe you’re going for, a great place to fire up a BBQ or crack open a picnic basket is at Lawrie Hanson Park or Phil Rogers Park.
Both are just outside the Rainbow Beach township and have plenty of shelters to dine at and shady areas if you’d rather sit in the grass. Then, after chowing down on your grub, drop by the scenic lookout, and gaze at the ocean, before carrying on with the rest of your day.
What To Do Near Rainbow Beach, QLD.
9. Tin Can Bay.
On the way to Rainbow Beach is the turn-off for Tin Can Bay. This small town sits at the edge of the Tin Can Inlet, the calm southernmost tip of the Great Sandy Strait, protected from the ocean swells by the Inskip Peninsula and K’gari (Fraser Island).
It’s known for its dolphin population, which you can see coming past the public boat ramp, even though it explicitly says not to, which is up there with the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever come across. Friendly dugongs and turtles are also known to inhabit these parts. However, they are less likely to be seen from there, which makes boating, sailing and kayaking a great way to increase the chances of seeing these majestic marine animals while enjoying the peaceful waters and lovely scenery.
One of my favourite things to randomly do at Tin Can Bay was venturing across to one of the tidal islands and claiming it as my own. There was something hilariously endearing about “owning” a piece of land, no matter how temporary, given the high cost of living and owning a home. I also loved seeing the millions of soldier crabs scurry away as I walked towards them and finding other creatures that the receded waters had exposed, which is an activity young children will especially love.
Best Day Trips From Rainbow Beach.
The great thing about Rainbow Beach is, surrounding it, lie some of Queensland’s biggest and most renowned destinations. From the whale-watching capital of Australia and the world’s largest sand island to a city that was founded on a gold rush and saved the state to the hometown of one of the planet’s most beloved children’s authors, there is no shortage of fantastic day trips opportunities to incorporate into a holiday to this beautiful coastal town.
10. Gympie.
The conventional way to get to Rainbow Beach is through Gympie and it’s a fantastic place to look around en route to the coastal town or on the homebound journey, especially for those looking for a historical experience and who love the romanticism of train journeys of yesteryear. Riding the Mary Valley Rattler is a signature experience that allows travellers to step back in time and relive the bygone days of railway travel, but what makes it a trip down memory lane even more memorable is dressing up for the occasion in fancy attire.
Other things to do in the heritage city include visiting the Gympie Gold Mining and Heritage Museum, which showcases the industry and gold rush that saved the Queensland economy from going belly up, going to the Deep Creek Fossicking Area and searching for the precious metal, having a picnic at the picturesque Alford Park and walking along the banks of the Mary River looking for platypus.
11. Noosa.
My favourite place to visit near Rainbow Beach is Noosa, a gorgeous coastal town synonymous with Australia’s laid-back lifestyle thanks to its relaxed atmosphere and profound natural beauty. Its most distinguishing feature is on its doorstep is that it has the spectacular Noosa National Park on its doorstep, home to some of the Sunshine Coast’s most breathtakingly rugged landscapes, lookouts and beaches, such as Hell’s Gate, the Devil’s Kitchen and Alexandria Beach.
Furthermore, Noosa also lies at the southernmost end of Great Sandy National Park, offering even more incredible nature experiences within this magnificently activity-diverse landscape. One of the best is taking a kayak out onto Lake Cootharaba and perhaps even visiting the wonderfully peaceful and serene Upper Noosa River, one of only two Everglades in the world, for a few hours.
12. Maryborough.
North from Gympie, Maryborough also makes a fantastic day trip from Rainbow Beach. It’s the birthplace of one of the world’s most beloved children’s authors of works such as Mary Poppins, P.L. Travers, who was born in the local bank. It’s since been transformed into a delightful museum, the Story Bank, full of the endearingly whimsical themes she is renowned for that will enchant children and children-at-heart, as even I enjoyed visiting this unique attraction.
I also highly recommend visiting the gorgeous Queens Park, which is a lovely place for a picnic and has views of the Mary River, but mostly for the Gallipoli To Armistice Military Trail, which highlights local war heroes, particularly Duncan Chapman, who was the first Australian man to step foot on Gallipoli.
Out of town, the Wongi State Forest is home to Lenthall Dam, a great place to go boating and kayaking and the Wongi Waterholes, a lovely wild swimming hole.
13. Hervey Bay & K’gari.
Hervey Bay is the whale-watching capital of Australia, so if you’re visiting Rainbow Beach between the migratory months of May and October, the beautiful coastal city is a must-visit to see these majestic creatures up close on a dedicated whale-watching cruise.
It is also the primary gateway to K’gari (Fraser Island), famous for its pristine beaches, lakes and wild dingo population and has many tours departing from here, so you can see the world’s largest sand island without the hassle of hiring a 4WD and organising everything yourself.
Accommodation: Where To Stay In Rainbow Beach.
- Budget: Inskip Peninsula. SV Sarawak West has some areas suitable for conventional vehicles.
- Mid-Range: Big 4 Breeze Holiday Park.
- Luxury: Debbie’s Place.
Conclusion: What To Do At Rainbow Beach, QLD.
From walking alongside the famous coloured sands to sandboarding and parasailing from the Carlo Sandblow, day trips to K’gari (Fraser Island) and Double Island Point, kayaking in the waters of Tin Can Bay and camping under the stars at Inskip Point, there is no shortage of incredible things to do at Rainbow Beach without ever needing to have or hire a 4WD.
