“THE OCEAN STIRS THE HEART, INSPIRES THE IMAGINATION AND BRINGS ETERNAL JOY TO THE SOUL.” – ROBERT WYLAND
What is the best beach in Queensland?
Top 12 beaches in Queensland is a subjective statement. From talking with people across Queensland I am acutely aware that everybody has their personal favourite beach. Very few have the same beach. Many of you will say, “Bull Shit – you should see such and such”, I was like you. I even wrote a blog post saying Bowen had the best beaches in Queensland. But I hadn’t been to all the others, so how would I really know. Then it hit me like Ouzo does when you sip it through the Baileys in a “Slippery Nipple” cocktail. I thought “I must go to all the beaches that I can, and then I can say these are the “Top 12 Beaches in Queensland”.
If you have followed my motorcycle adventures you will have seen me ride from Coolangatta on the New South Wales border to Punsand Bay at the Cape York peninsular. I was in search of the best beach on the coast of Queensland. You can start reading about these adventures at the following post: Motorcycle Tour of Outback Queensland – Day One.
What makes a beach the best?
As I rode from beach to beach I started to ask myself, what makes this beach better than the one before? How could I genuinely say “This is it, the best beach in Queensland”? So I set up a criteria against which I would rate each beach as I travelled. If we break down the concept of beach into component parts, a beach must have:
- Sand
- Sea water
- Tides
- Foreshore
A subjective rating scale
Yep that defines pretty much the whole coast line of Australia. So what else makes a beach stand out? How does a beach get into the top 12 category? To answer this perplexing question, I extended the original criteria with the following X factors. Therefore a “Top 12 Beach” must be:
- ascetically pleasing – The beach must have a personality that makes you feel connected. This could be a beach on a quiet cove or tropical surrounding. A beach should take your breath away with its beauty
- accessible to the public – The beach can not be so hard to reach that the average person has no chance of getting to it.
- close to facilities- At least a caravan park within 10 kilometres of the beach and or a shop.
- associated with some sort of activity – There must be activities that make the beach a fun place to be, these might include but are not limited to surfing, kite surfing, sailing, bush walking, diving, fishing and/or swimming.
- unique – Some beaches are held in high regard but really have no uniqueness. For example, Surfers Paradise Beach, is a beautiful beach but hardly unique other than its marketing hype and the snow.sand growers that make it look so pristine each day.
The task was massive, it took two years
As I travelled up the coast from Coolangatta I started to realise the enormity of the task. Some beaches on my list deserved a higher mark, but for some reason didn’t have the “Wow” I was looking for. While some were left off the list, an probably could have made it. But I had to make a decision and the ones that I chose just seemed to fit. At the same time, I was conscious not to judge beaches by their own publicity.
I knew that it was almost impossible to see every single beach. I got an old paper map, circled the beaches marked on the map and headed north. Clearly, I was going to miss a few, but I documented as many as I could. Check out the links to my blog posts, there are soo many great beaches featured in them.
In the end I managed to ride from Coolangatta to Cape York, a distance of over 5000 kilometres of coastline. But by the time I finished my quest I had ridden 20,000 kilometres across Queensland. The task was so big I had to break it down into four stages, two years later I had finally ridden the coast and photographed every beach I could. The results are shown below:
No 12 – Punsand Bay (Cape York)
No 12 on my list of 12 Best Beach in Queensland is right up the top. If you are looking for that picture perfect beach then Punsund Bay at the tip of Cape York is the place to be. The waters are a beautiful azure blue. The climate is tropical and the beer at the Punsand Bay Camping ground is cold. To read more about this beach check out the following link:https://digitalswaggie.com.au/cape-york-adventure-journey-to-the-tip-part-four/
- Aesthetically pleasing – 4 out of 5
- Accessible to the public – 2 out of 5
- Close to facilities – 2 out of 5
- Associated with some activity – 2 out of 5
- Unique – 4 out of 5
Punsand Bay – Total Score 14 /25
No 11 – Currumbin Alley (Gold Coast)
No 11 on my 12 Best Beach in Queensland is a small inlet tucked away on the busy and conjested Gold Coast. Currumbin Alley is the estuary at the end of the Currumbin River. It is the perfect place to learn to surf, stand up paddle board or just spend a day exploring all sorts of water sports including kayaking up the river itself. The variety is one of the reasons it made it on the list when well know beaches in the area didn’t.To read more about this beach check out the following link:https://digitalswaggie.com.au/history-of-the-gold-coast-day-13-best-beaches-tour-continues/
- Aesthetically pleasing – 3 out of 5
- Accessible to the public – 3 out of 5
- Close to facilities – 3 out of 5
- Associated with some activity – 3 out of 5
- Unique – 2 out of 5
Currumbin Alley – Total Score 14 /25
No 10 – 1770 (Central Queensland)
No 10 on my list of the 12 Best Beach in Queensland is the beach at the township of 1770 is famous for being the second place in Australia that the famous Captain James Captain landed in Australia. It is a sub tropical paradise. There are a number of beaches around the region including China Beach and Agnes Waters. To read more about this beach check out the following link:https://digitalswaggie.com.au/captain-james-cooks-only-second-day-in-australia-day-20-of-my-motorcycle-tour-of-queensland/
- Aesthetically pleasing – 4 out of 5
- Accessible to the public – 3 out of 5
- Close to facilities – 3 out of 5
- Associated with some activity – 2 out of 5
- Unique – 3 out of 5
1770 – Total Score 15 /25
No 9 – Etty Bay (Innisfail)
No 9 on my list of top 12 Best Beach in Queensland is a small bay about 20 minutes east of the Far North Queensland town of Innisfail. To get here you have to drive through cane fields. But as you rise into the hills behind the cane fields the rain forest increases and you soon find yourself weaving through jungle forests until you go over the hill, drop down through the jungle and find this sublime and secluded beach paradise before you.To read more about this beach check out the following link:https://digitalswaggie.com.au/motorbike-tour-of-tropical-beaches-in-queensland-part-3-mission-beach-to-ellis-beach
- Aesthetically pleasing – 4 out of 5
- Accessible to the public – 2 out of 5
- Close to facilities – 3 out of 5
- Associated with some activity – 2 out of 5
- Unique – 4 out of 5
Etty Bay – Total Score 15 /25
No 8 – Maroochydore (Cotton Tree Estuary)
No 8 on my top 12 Best Beach in Queensland is in the middle of the Sunshine Coast and right around the corner from Mooloolaba. The Maroochydore River meanders down through the Sunshine Coast Hinterland to the sea, where it joins at a wide estuary known as Cotton Tree. The estuary is surrounded by residential appartments and cafe’s, but some how it still holds its beach feel. I spent a couple of nights at the Maroochydore Caravan park or parking lot, I’m not sure which. The estuary is great for fishing, swimming and kayaking. Just around the point is a great surfing beach.To read more about this beach check out the following link:https://digitalswaggie.com.au/best-beach-project-colundra-to-the-maroochydore-river-day-15-of-my-motorcycle-tour-of-queensland
- Aesthetically pleasing – 4 out of 5
- Accessible to the public – 4 out of 5
- Close to facilities – 3 out of 5
- Associated with some activity – 3 out of 5
- Unique – 2 out of 5
Maroochydore Estuary (Cotton Tree) – Total Score 16 /25
No 7 – Cape Hillsborough
No 7 on my list of 12 Best Beach in Queensland is a tucked away National Park and world famous beach. But if you’re not from China or North Queensland you probably haven’t heard about it. Tucked away in the tropical national park is one of the most spectacular beaches in North Queensland. You may not recognise it but the beach appears on many Queensland tourism brochures with shots of Kangaroos sitting on the beach at sunset. To read more about this beach check out the following link:https://digitalswaggie.com.au/best-beach-project-the-final-journey-proserpine-to-sarina/
- Aesthetically pleasing – 4 out of 5
- Accessible to the public – 4 out of 5
- Close to facilities – 2 out of 5
- Associated with some activity – 3 out of 5
- Unique – 4 out of 5
Cape Hillsborough – Total Score 17 /25
No6 – Dingo Beach (Whitsundays)
No 6 on my top 12 Best Beach in Queensland is a community that could be the famous “Cocomo” from the Tom Cruise movie “Cocktails and Dreams”. It was based on a mythical beach somewhere. But the beach didn’t really exist. If there is a Cocomo then it would be Dingo Beach. This small beach/fishing community is tucked into the Whitsundays and is one of the most guarded treasures there is. To read more about this beach check out the following link:https://digitalswaggie.com.au/best-beach-project-the-final-journey-part-3-the-whitsundays/
- Aesthetically pleasing – 4 out of 5
- Accessible to the public – 4 out of 5
- Close to facilities – 3 out of 5
- Associated with some activity – 3 out of 5
- Unique – 4 out of 5
Dingo Beach – Total Score 18 /25
No 5 – Ellis Beach (Cairns)
No 5 on my list of 12 Best Beach in Queensland is Ellis Beach. Ellis Beach is past the more famous and false Cairns Northern Beaches. If you’re not paying attention as you join the “Great Barrier Reef Way” formerly known as the Captain Cook Highway, you may miss it. The beach are consists of a caravan park, stinger net at the beach and a hotel opposite the beach. I stayed there for one night but I’m keen to go back. To read more about this beach check out the following link:https://digitalswaggie.com.au/motorbike-tour-of-tropical-beaches-in-queensland-part-3-mission-beach-to-ellis-beach/
- Aesthetically pleasing – 5 out of 5
- Accessible to the public – 4 out of 5
- Close to facilities – 3 out of 5
- Associated with some activity – 4 out of 5
- Unique – 4 out of 5
Ellis Beach – Total Score 20 /25
No 4 – Grays Bay (Bowen)
No 4 on my list of the top 12 Best Beach in Queensland is where it all started. In Bowen, North Queensland. This beach appears on many tourism brochures, while not a big beach it’s a horse shoe pattern, with calm crystal clear waters and a coral reef just a stone throw from the sand. It is framed by granite boulders which make a beautiful beach for a laid back life style. To read more about this beach check out the following link:https://digitalswaggie.com.au/best-beach-project-the-final-journey-part-2-just-bowen/
- Aesthetically pleasing – 5 out of 5
- Accessible to the public – 4 out of 5
- Close to facilities – 3 out of 5
- Associated with some activity – 4 out of 5
- Unique – 4 out of 5
Grays Bay – Total Score 20 /25
No 3 – Noosa Beach – (Sunshine Coast)
No 3 in my 12 Best Beach in Queensland series is the Noosa Beach, at the top of the Sunshine Coast. it is a beautify long flat beach with a forested point break that is part of the sub tropical rain forest national park at its southern point. The beach has a wooden walkway that stretches from its southern edge up to the Noosa River at the northern point. It is a beautifully safe beach with lots of activities for the family. To read more about this beach check out the following link:https://digitalswaggie.com.au/noosa-river-harrys-hut-motorcycle-touring-queensland-day-16/
- Aesthetically pleasing – 4 out of 5
- Accessible to the public – 4 out of 5
- Close to facilities – 5 out of 5
- Associated with some activity – 5 out of 5
- Unique – 3 out of 5
Noosa Beach – Total Score 21 /25
No 2 – Bingle Bay (Mission Beach)
No 2 on my top 12 Best Beach in Queensland, is a stunning rain forest beach just north of Mission Beach in Far North Queensland. If there was ever a beach that screamed tropical paradise it would have to be Bingle Bay. The small beach at the northern end of Mission Beach community makes Mission Beach look like a tourist trap, The beach has tropical rain forest literally growing onto the beach. There are fresh water streams flowing onto the beach and into the Great Barrier Reef. To read more about this beach check out the following link:https://digitalswaggie.com.au/motorcycle-touring-tropical-queensland-lucinda-to-mission-beach/
- Aesthetically pleasing – 5 out of 5
- Accessible to the public – 5 out of 5
- Close to facilities – 4 out of 5
- Associated with some activity – 4 out of 5
- Unique – 5 out of 5
Bingle Bay – Total Score 23 /25
No 1 – Murray Bay (Bowen)
This is it, contentious, may be. But I have alway thought this would be within the top five. I resisted assuming where it might sit until after I had finished my quest. I have no doubt this is the best beach in Queensland. That is a hard call, there are soo many great beaches. But Murray Bay has that little something extra. It’s a safe beach to swim at, you can kayak to it easily and the diving and snorkelling is spectacular. Its water is crystal clear most of the time and it screams “Tropical Paradise”. If there was a quintessential beach on a tropical paradise it would have to be Murray Bay in Bowen, North Queensland. To read more about this beach check out the following link:https://digitalswaggie.com.au/best-beach-project-the-final-journey-part-2-just-bowen/
- Aesthetically pleasing – 5 out of 5
- Accessible to the public – 5 out of 5
- Close to facilities – 4 out of 5
- Associated with some activity – 5 out of 5
- Unique – 5 out of 5
Murray Bay – Total Score 24 /25
The end…………
Well do you agree? or not. The interesting thing about exploring all these beaches up the coast of Queensland is how diverse the beaches are. I don’t know of any where else in Australia where there is soo much variety. From the long flat sandy beaches of Gold Coast to the crocodile infested tropical beaches of the Cape. Queensland really is an interesting place to visit.
I hope you have enjoyed the best beaches series, it has taken a lot of time and work to bring this to you. Please leave comments in the section below, and sign up for my NEWS letter. I’ll see you out there, on the road or lazing back on a tropical beach…………..Cheers Digital Swaggie:)
