The Great Beach Drive Itinerary | Australian Traveller

Discover a different side to Noosa on board the Great Beach Drive – one of Earth’s longest coastal paths.

The charms of Noosa are no secret, but did you know that just a few minutes north of town lies two UNESCO biospheres and a World Heritage-listed haven? The Great Beach Drive spans 380 kilometres of the most pristine and deserted beaches in Australia. All you’ll need is a 4WD (your own, or a hired variety) to unlock it all…

Great Beach Drive at Noosa — Noosa is the entrypoint of the Great Beach Drive. (Image: Tourism & Events Queensland)

While many visitors to Noosa stick to Hastings Street or the beach, the resort town is built on the edge of a 4000-hectare national park which offers a wonderous escape from civilisation. Twenty minutes north of town, a vehicle ferry from Tewantin takes you into the wilderness, where the bitumen stops and the sand starts.

Queensland’s Great Beach Drive is one of the longest beach drives on Earth. Where it differs from other iconic ocean drives is that this one requires you travel almost entirely on the beach – from Noosa, right along K’gari (formerly Fraser Island), and beyond to Hervey Bay. It takes in two UNESCO biosphere reserves (this is the only place on Earth where two biospheres connect) and the largest sand island in the world.

Reading between the lines, expect to spy extraordinary marine life including sea turtles and whales, unique bird species, ripper surf conditions and natural beauty beyond belief. One thing before you get moving – jump onto the Queensland Government’s Parks and Forests site to secure vehicle and camping permits if you’re winging it away from a guided 4WD tour.

Noosa Epic Ocean Adventures — Explore the sandy wilderness of the Great Beach Drive from Noosa. (Image: Tourism & Events Queensland)

Stop 1: Noosa to Rainbow Beach

Noosa North Shore Car Ferries is located at the river end of Moorindil Street in Tewantin, about a 15-minute drive from Hastings Street, and it transports adventure seekers over to the North Shore where the Great Beach Drive kicks off. Once you’ve hopped off the ferry, say hello to Teewah Beach: the entrance to the UNESCO Great Sandy Biosphere. This natural marvel is home to more than 40 per cent of Australia’s bird species and more marine and fish biodiversity than that of the entire Great Barrier Reef. It’s a lush mass of tropical rainforests, beaches, and marine parks.

Teewah Beach: the entrance to the UNESCO Great Sandy Biosphere — Enter the UNESCO Great Sandy Biosphere at Teewah Beach. (Image: Tourism & Events Queensland/ Ming Nomchong)

Staying behind the wheel, don’t expect tar roads on the Great Beach Drive. We drive through coastal forest until we reach a wide, deserted beach. Welcome to the highway where the speed limit is 80 kilometres per hour. Watch out for fishermen casting fishing lines by the shore’s edge, and campers crossing the sand highway for a dip. You can camp all along these foreshores.

Driving the Great Beach Drive — No bitumen in sight, just a great sandy expanse. (Image: Tourism & Events Queensland)

Pushing on, you’ll reach a rocky headland that Captain Cook named Double Island Point, and this is where you may even find Thor. Locals (and Instagram) reveal Chris Hemsworth holidays here with his family, and the man knows his waves: Double Island Point is one of Australia’s best point surf breaks.

Double Island Point Aerial — Double Island Point is a swirl of creams and blues from above. (Image: Tourism & Events Queensland)

There’s a 150-year-old lighthouse up here and not much else. You can see forever, and come whale season, humpbacks travel just off the cape. There’s a dive site just offshore that’s home to the state’s largest colony of (harmless) grey nurse sharks.

Aerial View of Honeymoon Bay Great Beach Drive — Go for a dip at Honeymoon Bay on the northern side of the tip. (Image: Tourism & Events Queensland)

Drive to the northern side of the point and you’ll find one of the country’s top beaches, Honeymoon Bay. We pass thousands of blue soldier crabs beside a beach lagoon. Two old surfers ride waves that break slowly for hundreds of metres. For those of us who ever fancied a beach to ourselves, we’ve died and gone right to heaven.

Rainbow Beach Great Beach Drive — The world-renowned coloured sand dunes of Rainbow Beach are a sight to behold. (Image: Tourism & Events Queensland)

The coloured sand dunes that continue north from here are world-famous. There are 72 visible colours in these enormous dunes that reside in Rainbow Beach, a sleepy coastal hamlet cut off from Queensland’s main highway. It’s a great hideaway for a Hollywood star because it works – we can’t find him.

Red Canyon Walk Rainbow Beach — Take time to explore the Red Canyon at Rainbow Beach. (Image: Tourism & Events Queensland)

Don’t miss Carlo Sand Blow while you’re here, too. The 15-hectare sand mass is best explored via its 600-metre nature walk, accessible at Cooloola Drive, which culminates in epic views across Cooloola Cove and the blue beyond.

Carlos Sand Blow Cooloola Cove — The walk is rewarded with pic views across Cooloola Cove. (Image: Tourism & Events Queensland)

Stop 2: K’gari (Fraser Island)

Just north of Rainbow Beach, you’ll travel along the Great Beach Drive onto a sandy headland where a barge awaits. This is Inskip Point, the southern gateway to K’gari (Fraser Island), where its original inhabitants, the Butchulla community, gave it its name because K’gari means ‘paradise’. That it certainly is.

Inskip Point Queensland — A barge at Inskip Point will deliver you and your car to K’gari to continue the drive.

Once you’re off the barge, you’ll find a 4WD enthusiast’s fantasy. There are 123 kilometres of coastline to drive along, though you’re never on it long – there are too many things to look out for once you detour off the drive and into sand tracks through coastal forest.

Couple swimming at Lake McKenzie K'gari — The pristine waters of Lake McKenzie call for a swim. (Image: Tourism & Events Queensland)

Everyone knows Lake McKenzie. It’s the electric blue of a Bora Bora lagoon, minus the over-water bungalows. There’s also the nearby Wabby Creek, offering unrivalled solitude and 70-metre-high sand dunes. The Wabby Point Champagne Pools on Seventy-Five Mile Beach are non-negotiable. Frothing up bubbles, hence ‘champagne’, and warm water surrounded and protected by rock formations, it exudes total zen.

Lake McKenzie Aerial View — The electric blue of Lake McKenzie is irresistible. (Image: Tourism & Events Queensland)

You needn’t rough it during this stretch of the Great Beach Drive. The four-star Kingfisher Bay Resort on K’gari’s west coast is a popular choice and looks across an inland waterway. Though you could camp instead – Inskip Point offers a sensational beach campsite.

Stop 3: Hervey Bay

Take a car ferry from K’gari across to the chilled-out seaside town of Hervey Bay as your journey along the Great Beach Drive winds down to a close. Hervey Bay is famed for its humpback whale sightings, so investigate your chances once you’re there and don’t forget that whale-watching season runs from July to October.

Whale Cruise Hervey Bay — In search of whales in Hervey Bay. (Image: Tourism & Events Queensland)

You can also drive the empty roads between there and the quirky outpost of Tin Can Bay. It follows the Great Sandy Strait and there are sheltered bays and white sandy beaches all along the way. There are also dolphins and if you’re lucky, you might see a dugong.

Whale in Hervey Bay — Hervey Bay is one of the best places in Australia to spot whales. (Image: Tourism & Events Queensland)

Great Beach Drive 4WD Tours

Not overly thrilled about working with maps, or don’t own a 4WD? Take a backseat, literally, by booking a 4WD tour led by an experienced guide to help you discover even more of the Great Beach Drive.

Driving Great Beach Drive — Join a tour and leave the driving to someone else. (Image: Tourism & Events Queensland)

An action-packed eight-hour tour crammed with highlights is on offer from Great Beach Drive 4WD Tours , which picks guests up from their accommodation in Noosa. There’s also a half-day tour departing Rainbow Beach with Surf & Sand Safaris , while K’gari Fraser Island Adventures offers multi-day 4WD tours with pick-up from both Noosa and Rainbow Beach, and Fraser Experience Tours offers several one-day tours, too.

From the moment you arrive in Moreton Bay, stunning natural vistas, fresh and tasty dining, history and more invite you to stay and play.

Untouched national park, mirror-like lagoons and endless stretches of beaches all make Moreton Bay experiences feel like you’ve stumbled across a secret Queenslanders collectively vowed not to tell. Yet it’s easily accessible. Explore further and discover hinterland farms, ancient rainforest, fresh seafood and more: there’s something on offer for every pace, interest and generation.

Just 20 minutes from Brisbane Airport, it’s hard to believe how underrated this Queensland getaway is. Here’s your ultimate guide to rediscover play with unmissable experiences in Moreton Bay.

1. G’Day Adventure Tours, Bribie Island

G’Day Adventure Tours’ Sea to Table Experience should be your first agenda item in Moreton Bay. Take a 4WD journey through the sandy tracks of Bribie Island’s beaches to the still, glassy waters of the island’s lagoons. Glide over perfect replicas of paperbarks and fluffy blue clouds mirrored in the lagoon waters in your kayak. Listen as native birdsong echoes around you.

Then, it’s on to Fort Bribie. During the Second World War, these concrete bunkers – now slowly being enveloped by the dunes – were the last line of defence for Moreton Bay.

End the day with a sun-dappled beach picnic of locally caught Queensland prawns and famous Moreton Bay bugs. As you head home, watch the dolphins playfully dart in and out of the surf.

2. Morgan’s Seafood at Scarborough

Right on the Scarborough Boat Harbour, you’ll find Morgan’s Seafood . Between the luxury yachts, you’ll also spot trawlers and fishermen delivering their day’s catch right to Morgan’s. The family-owned and operated spot is one of the best places to try the region’s eponymous Moreton Bay bug. Or, sample more of the area’s direct-from-the-boat seafood fresh at their oyster and sushi bar. If you’re lucky, your visit might coincide with a day they’ve caught tuna.

Picture fish caught that day, prepared and then served to you as fresh sashimi as the sun sets over the unique silhouette of the Glasshouse Mountains.

3. Woorim Beach, Bribie Island

On Bribie’s eastern coastline, you’ll find Woorim Beach : aka the closest surf beach to Brisbane. Find a place on the sand by the patrolled area or wander further south to find a quiet spot and while the day away between the shaded dunes, the pages of your book and the peaceful sound of rolling waves.

Ask any local where to grab lunch, and they’ll direct you to Bribie Island Surf Club Bistro . Tuck into a fresh, local seafood platter, just metres from the beach.

4. D’Aguilar National Park

D’Aguilar National Park is a 40,000-hectare slice of greenery that stretches from urban Brisbane right up to Woodford (home of the Woodford Folk Festival). The vast expanse of park is home to ancient rainforests, eucalypt forests and shaded swimming spots hidden within gorges and under waterfalls. The area is significant for the Jinibara and Turrbal people, with ceremonial bora rings and dreaming trails all found within the park.

Carve out some time in your itinerary to explore the park’s many trails. The Maiala day-use area is the perfect starting point for walks for all levels of ability.

5. Arcade Wine Bar

arcade wine bar moreton bay — Sit down to a menu inspired by Italy.

Opposite the Redcliffe Jetty and down a laneway, you’ll find an unassuming wine bar. Venture inside and quickly fall in love with Arcade Wine Bar , one of the region’s most beloved local haunts.

Owners Danilo and Matt have a combined 50 years of sommelier experience, which they have poured into the menu, styling and wine list. More than just a hole-in-the-wall wine bar, Arcade Wine is an enoteca (a wine repository), whose walls are lined with bottles upon bottles of Italian wine varietals from every corner of Italy.

Settle in with a wine and work your way through the menu inspired by Danilo’s native Italy: traditional meatballs, their quick-to-sell-out terrine, or a selection of Italian cheeses, charcuterie and arancini.

6. Wamuran & Loop Rail Trail

Away from the ocean, tucked in the hinterland, is the Wamuran & Loop Rail Trail . Perfect for cyclists or walkers, the trail was built to showcase the history of the Caboolture to Kilcoy rail corridor (last operating in 1964) and makes for the perfect family day out. The trail runs for 10.5km and connects Wamuran and Caboolture via an accessible path.

Pass through former railroad, bridges and shaded bushland as you cut from A to B. Plus, visit in winter for a detour along the way to one of the many pick-your-own strawberry farms.

7. Farm Visits

Beaches, mountains and history make an enticing combination. But Moreton Bay also brings hinterland, family-friendly farms to the table. Trevena Glen is one of the area’s most loved, with bunnies, ponies, sheep, alpacas (and more) available to visit for the kids. For the adults, book a horse-riding session and be treated to a grazing platter as you watch the sun set over the mountains of D’Aguilar National Park.

At White Ridge Farm , find camels, putt-putt, train and tractor rides and all kinds of animals. The entire farm is paved, making it accessible for all.

8. Miss Sprinkles

Miss Sprinkles Gelato moreton bay — Pick your scoop at Miss Sprinkles Gelato.

An ice cream at the beach is one of life’s most perfect pleasures. While in town, stop by Miss Sprinkles for the locals’ pick of homemade gelato on the Scarborough foreshore.

The gelato here is made the authentic Italian way and scooped up just across from the beach. Or, settle in at their kitschy pink wooden tables for traditional gelato in the sunshine. Aside from the homemade gelato, you’ll also find tarts, pies and even doggie gelato.

To start planning your Moreton Bay trip, or for more information, head to visitmoretonbay.com.au.

A guide to the Great Beach Drive – one of Earth’s longest beach drives