Sunshine Coast and Noosa Beaches | Coast to Hinterland Tours

Sunshine Coast Beaches

Whether it is time on the sand or time in the water the Sunshine Coast & Noosa is lined with 100kms of wide stretches of clean soft golden sand; second to none, up there with some of the best in the world.

Our beaches are rarely crowded and with over 35 to choose from they offer a choice of surf or calm bays with clear inviting warm water; most are patrolled by surf lifesavers.

There is enough space for everyone to stretch out on the sand, enjoy beach sports, swim, SUP, body surf, or jump on a board and ride some waves back to the shore.

For those keen on surfing or learning to surf, the longest beginner waves in Australia can be found at Double Island Point north of Noosa.

Noosa Main Beach

This vast and gorgeous beach offers calm waters and a relaxing shore to relax for the day. Walk across the sand or take your hand at surfing- this is a great place to begin if you’re new to the sport. The waves are gentle, meaning it’s safe to swim all year long. After a stroll down the shore, why not head to Hastings Street for some shopping and delicious restaurants and bars? It is the perfect spot for a relaxing afternoon or an entire day with friends and family.

Surfing and Surf Lifesaving Clubs

You don’t have to look far to see people who love to surf or eager to learn how to surf, coached by experienced surfers from the many surf schools along our coastal region; water is in our blood.

On Sundays throughout the warmer months (yes we do have seasons, though for visitors it is often hard to distinguish between them) large groups of our children take to the beaches as part of Junior Lifesaver groups (Nippers) hosted by the Surf Lifesaving Clubs; learning lifesaving and surf safety skills.

Their training doesn’t end there, with a high percentage going on to become Surf Lifesavers in later life.Perhaps take a moment if you can, to stop by one of the Surf Clubs and see our children having fun on the beach, in the water and at the same time learning vital lifesaving skills that will be with them for life.

We have some of the best Lifesavers in the country patrolling our beaches.

Parks, Playgrounds and Picnic

It’s not just the surf and the sand, our beaches are also equipped with first-rate recreational facilities that often include beachfront parks, children’s playgrounds, undercover barbecue and picnic areas, toilets and showers and plenty of parking just a few steps from the sand.

Our beaches are set up for you to enjoy the ultimate, hassle-free beach getaway. One of our national pastimes is having a barbecue and this is something that you can experience for yourself; you supply the meat, salads and drinks, and we supply the FREE barbecue to cook on.

Push the button, wait a couple of minutes and start cooking. What could be simpler!

Bask in the Sunshine - Beach Life

Maybe you are looking to immerse yourself a little further in our beach culture?

Perhaps you would like to join in with the many locals that like an early morning coffee and a seat and watch as life goes on around.

Watch people out enjoying the sunshine, walking a path or along the sand, joggers, owners walking their dogs, skate boards and bikes going by; from before the sun rises the activity begins, with the first surfers finding waves and it continues well after dark with skaters refining their skills at the skate parks.

If you are out during the day we encourage you to stay safe on the beaches and in the sun as we regularly have an extreme UV (Ultra Violet) index and it doesn’t take long to burn.

Sunshine Coast Beaches, Coast to Hinterland Tours

Beach Driving

Another one of the ways to enjoy our beaches is beach driving along one of the longest beach drives in the world connecting Noosa to the Gympie region (Rainbow Beach).

With the Pacific Ocean on one side and coastal dunes and Australian bushland on the other, there are few words to adequately describe the thrill of driving along this beach as you pass through two UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, the Noosa Biosphere and the Great Sandy Biosphere.

It is along this drive that you can often see pods of dolphins, turtles, manta rays, sharks, Humpback whales (June – October) a myriad of birdlife, stunning natural scenery that includes Coloured Sands with over 40 different colour shades.

If you are wondering what to do on your next holiday or on this holiday, look no further, our beaches and coastline are nothing short of magic and we truly do enjoy sharing them with you.

Beach Safety

Being at the beach and playing in the waves is an amazing amount of fun and they are the main reason many of us are at the beach in the first place, but they can be one of the shoreline’s biggest hazards.

Spend a few minutes checking out the waves before diving in to see what kinds of waves you’re dealing with on the day, as we don’t want you going home with any injuries. These are the wave types you will encounter on our beaches.

Dumping waves curl over and crash down, often onto a shallow sandbank.
Surging waves, where the wave never really breaks however it can surge a long way up the beach, knocking you off your feet.
Spilling waves are the ideal wave type, it crests on itself and spills down the surface of the wave.

It is a good idea when you are thinking of going into the water to:

Dive into the waves with your arms in front of your head to avoid any injuries.
Always keep young children within arm’s reach.
Don’t turn your back on the sea.
Always swim between the red and yellow flags.

Swimming between the red and yellow flags means you are swimming in the safest area as it is a patrolled section of the beach, and it also means that you will be away from any of the rips that might be along the beach.

Sunshine Coast Beaches, Survive-Rip-Currents-Sunshine-Coast-Beaches - Coast to Hinterland Tours

A rip is a strong, localised, and narrow current of water which moves directly away from the shore, cutting through the lines of breaking waves like a river running out to sea, and is strongest near the surface of the water.

They often appear as dark, relatively calm channels between the white breaking waves. One of the things that make rip currents so deceptive is that they can look like the safest place to swim. But these dark channels actually indicate fast-moving currents moving out to sea.

70% of people who think they can spot a rip, can’t.

They’re dangerous because people can become exhausted trying to swim against the current back to shore, or they can push inexperienced swimmers out into deep waters where they can’t stand up. Here are some tips if you do get caught in a rip.

Stay Calm

your body is naturally buoyant and the current is not going to pull you under

Raise your Arm

Float and raise your arm if you need help

Swim Parallel to the Beach

If you feel confident, swim parallel to the shoreline towards the white water, where it will be shallower and the waves will help you get back to shore