Dreamy Noosa Beaches To Visit Any Time Of Year

Think Noosa beaches end with what’s in front of Hastings Street? You’re in for a surprise.

Found within a UNESCO Biosphere, with Noosa National Park abutting the sea, and waves that warrant the place being recognised as a World Surfing Reserve, Noosa beaches are the stuff of legend.

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With golden sands, warm water and friendly dolphins who often pop by to say hello, the string of beaches from Double Island Point down to Peregian is a dream in summer but even better in winter when the crowds thin and the wind blows mostly offshore. Consider this your insider guide to the best Noosa beaches to lay your towel on, paddle out, or let your pup run free – it’s truly one of the best things to do in Noosa.

Noosa Main Beach

Starting with the headliner, you haven’t really been to Noosa unless you’ve rubbed shoulders with fellow CoolCabana owners on a packed summer’s day. With its beachfront promenade and cafes, a surf club offering the best vantage point for a post-swim beer, and gentle waves peeling into Laguna Bay that call to longboarders from around the world, Noosa Main Beach ticks all the boxes for a great day on the sand.

Take a surf lesson, bob between the flags, or just soak up the scene from your beach chair. With 50 metres of Mobi-Mat running from the boardwalk to the sea, and a beach wheelchair available for hire from the Noosa Heads Surf Life Saving Club, it’s also one of the region’s most accessible beaches.

Little Cove

Just a short walk from Noosa Main Beach, Little Cove is like its petite, more secluded cousin and families love it. The 100-metre-long, north-west-facing swathe of sand provides the perfect natural playground for littlies and beginner surfers will find calm conditions here too.

With accommodation tucked up along the border of the national park here, if you’re staying in Little Cove, you can leave the car keys in your bag and enjoy walking to the beach, bar and everything in between.

Tea Tree Bay

If you ask a surfer their favourite Noosa beaches, chances are Tea Tree will top the list. Famed for its point break and crystal-clear water, the north-facing beach also provides a welcome respite from the southerlies that can whip up during summer. To get there, hike in from the Noosa National Park day-use area (about 20 mins).

Alexandria Bay

While it was a ‘clothing optional’ beach back in the day, A Bay, as locals call it, is now just all about a stripped-back nature experience. The east-facing beach is also where surfers head when the waves are too low at Noosa Main Beach. Tucked between Hells Gates and Devils Kitchen in Noosa National Park, the best way to reach it is to park at McAnally Drive, Sunshine Beach and hike in from there (about 20 mins).

Sunshine Beach

On the southern side of Noosa National Park, Sunshine Beach flies a little under the radar when it comes to Noosa beaches. As well as being patrolled and having an off-leash area for dog owners, this beach is a magnet for experienced surfers. Expect to see whales cruising past on their annual migration between July and October, too.

You can walk into Noosa National Park from here and parking is a lot less of a headache than at the main day-use area. No trip to the beach at Sunshine would be complete without a parmy or some spiced snapper tacos at the Sunshine Beach Surf Club – undoubtedly one of the best on the Sunshine Coast.

Sunrise Beach

Tucked between Marcus and Sunshine Beach (even though there are no natural border makers on this long stretch of sand), Sunrise is a favourite of dog owners and surfers. The beach attracts larger swell than further down the coast, and when the wind picks up, it’s a favourite of kite surfers.

You can park at Castaways Beach and hike north to here (about 40 mins each way), with a track running parallel to sand, and there are seasonal patrols on weekends (Oct-April) and during school holidays. Pooch in tow? Dogs can run free off leash from beach access 38 to 47 Tristania Drive, Marcus Beach.

Peregian Beach

Locals love Peregian Beach for its patrolled section (rips are ever-present along this long stretch of coast between Coolum and Sunshine Beach) and lack of crowds, but the village that abuts it seals the deal when it comes to deciding on the best Noosa beaches. The lawn in front of the Peregian Beach Surf Life Saving Club comes alive with market stalls on the first and third Sunday of the month, while great coffee, restaurants, ice cream and shopping can all be found in the village square.

Noosa Spit

Known to locals as Doggy Beach, the Spit is fresh from a sand replenishment project and provides a cracking spot to chill on the beach and dip into the Noosa River. Dogs can swim and play off leash all year round, but even if you’re not a dog lover this is a great alternative to Main Beach as there is plenty of room to find your own patch. It’s also one of the best spots to watch the sunset. To find it, head past Noosa Woods on Claude Batten Drive (starts at the northern end of Hastings Street) and hang a left into the parking area.

Teewah Beach

If you’ve got access to a 4WD and the conditions line up during your stay in Noosa, cross the river on the car ferry at Tewantin – it only takes five minutes – and drive up Teewah Beach. There’s the renowned surf break and lighthouse at Double Island Point, but this 40-kilometre stretch of beach is also the gateway to the Cooloola Great Walk, Rainbow Beach and K’gari. If you’re keen to stay on and explore, there’s camping behind the dunes for self-sufficient folks (book permits well in advance). Guided 4WD day tours are available through Great Beach Drive 4WD Tours or Epic Ocean Adventures and you can also go horse riding along the beach at Noosa North Shore with Equathon .

Discover the best things to do in Noosa.

Under wide-open outback skies, discover a fossicking gem that’s managed to slip under the radar.

While the name Clermont may feel new to even the most intrepid traveller, its gilded history stretches back centuries. You’ll find it just off the highway, humming quietly under the hazy veil of Queensland’s outback sun. It’s here, hemmed in by mountains and perched atop soil heavy with the earth’s treasures, that one of Australia’s most accessible outback adventures awaits.

Thanks to deposits of gold, copper and gemstones – souvenirs left by exploding supernovas and the heave of tectonic plates – Clermont became a centre point of Queensland’s Gold Rush. And now? Australia’s fossicking capital is yours to discover.

Getting there

car driving along Capricorn Way in queensland — Take a drive through Queensland’s Mackay Isaac region. (Image: Sean Scott/ TEQ)

You’ll find Clermont in Queensland’s Mackay Isaac region. To get here, it’s an easy three-hour drive over sealed roads from Mackay. Or, if you’re heading from the Sapphire Fields of Emerald, the drive will carve out just over an hour from your day.

Whether you’re road-tripping through outback Queensland or just tracing your way through all that Australia has to offer, Clermont is remote but easily accessible.

Best accommodation in Clermont

Theresa CreekDam in clermont — Camp by Theresa Creek Dam. (Image: Riptide Creative/ TEQ)

All accommodation comes with a generous helping of country hospitality here. The choice is yours between modern hotels, parking up the camper or pitching a tent.

Theresa Creek Dam lies just outside town. Begin each day with crisp country air and bright outback sunrises. Spend the night under the sparkling country stars and your days out on the dam fishing or kayaking. Even if you aren’t camping, be sure to save space in your itinerary for an afternoon on the red dirt shore.

To stay closer to town, opt for a central hotel to base yourself between exploring and fossicking, like Smart Stayzzz Inn and Clermont Country Motor Inn .

Things to do in Clermont

three people on a tour with Golden Prospecting — Join a tour with Golden Prospecting.

One does not visit Clermont without trying their hand at fossicking. There are strict rules when it comes to fossicking, so stick to areas dedicated for general permission and make sure you obtain your license beforehand. Try your luck at McMasters , Four Mile , Town Desert, McDonald Flat and Flat Diggings . To increase your odds, sign on for a tour with the expert team at Golden Prospecting . They’ll give you access to exclusive plots and expert advice along the way.

Once you’ve tried your luck on the gold fields, head to the Clermont Township and Historical Museum . Each exhibit works like an archaeologist’s brush to dust away the layers of Clermont’s history. Like the steam engine that painstakingly relocated the entire town inch by inch to higher ground after it was decimated by flooding in 1916. See the tools that helped build the Blair Athol mine, historic fire engines, shearing sheds and all sorts of relics that make up Clermont’s story.

The historic Copperfield Chimney offers a change of pace. Legend has it that fossickers found a solid wall of copper here, over three metres high, kick-starting Queensland’s first-ever copper mine.

Bush Heli Services flying over clermont queensland — See Clermont from above with Bush Heli Services. (Image: Riptide Creative/ TEQ)

For hiking, nearby Dysart is the best place to access Peak Range National Park. Here, mountainous horizons stretch across the outback as if plucked from another world. Set off for a scenic drive along the Peak Downs Highway for access to countless geological wonders. Like the slanting rockface of Wolfang Peak. Summit it, and you’ll find yourself looking out across a scene surely conjured up by Banjo Paterson. Dry scrub dancing in the warm breeze, grazing cattle, eucalypts and the gentle creak of windmills. Don’t miss visiting Gemini Peaks, either, for one of the park’s best vistas, and a blanket of wild flowers after rain.

Then, take to the skies with a scenic helicopter tour with Bush Heli-Services . Shift your perspective and cruise above all the sights from your trip. Spots like Lords Table Mountain and Campbell’s Peak are best viewed from the skies.

Before you head home, be sure to explore the neighbouring townships. Spend a lazy afternoon in the shade of Nebo Hotel’s wrap-around verandahs . The hotel’s 1900s dance hall has since been replaced with one of the area’s biggest rodeo arenas, so consider timing your trip to line up with a boot scootin’ rodeo. Or, stop by a ghost town. Mount Britton was once a thriving town during the 1880s Gold Rush. It’s been totally abandoned and now lies untouched, a perfect relic of the Gold Rush.

Best restaurants and cafes in Clermont

meal at Commercial Hotel — Stop into the Commercial Hotel Clermont.

Days spent fossicking, bushwalking and cramming on history call for excellent coffee and hearty country meals. Luckily, Clermont delivers in spades.

Lotta Lattes Cafe is beloved by locals for a reason. Start your days here for the best caffeine fix in town and an impeccable brunch menu.

For a real country meal, an icy cold beer and that famed country hospitality, head straight to the town’s iconic hotel: the Commercial Hotel (known endearingly to locals as ‘The Commie’). It’s been a staple in Clermont since 1877. The hotel even survived the flood of 1916 when it was sawn in two and moved to higher ground.

Naturally, time spent in the outback must include calling into the local bakery. For delicious pies and a tantalising array of sweet treats, make Bluemac Bakehouse your go-to while in town.

Discover more of The Mackay Isaac region, and start planning your trip at mackayisaac.com.

9 Noosa beaches worth visiting any time of year