Holiday houses in Rainbow Beach

Named for its beautiful, multicoloured sand dunes, Rainbow Beach straddles a narrow peninsula in Queensland’s Wide Bay-Burnett region. With the sheltered waters of Tin Can Bay on one side, and the vast Coral Sea on the other, Rainbow Beach offers a pretty, low-key town and a varied coastline to explore. The area is also part of the famed Great Beach Drive, which stretches from Noosa’s North Shore up to Fraser Island. You can’t help but stop off and admire this breathtaking stretch of coastline along the route of a quintessential Australian four-wheel-drive road trip. Rainbow Beach’s 23-kilometre shore is bordered by renowned colourful cliffs and a small town that offers plenty of options for dining and shopping. It’s also perfectly situated for exploring nearby parks including Toolara Forest and beaches like Cooloola Beach.

Average temperatures in Rainbow Beach vary little throughout the year. Temperatures are pleasant for most of the year, except for a few weeks in the summer, when it can get especially hot. During summer, Rainbow Beach plays host to music festivals including Country Beach and an art festival called Brushes by the Sea. Autumn is a lovely time to visit as the temperatures are cooler, but the water is still warm. Seasonal events include the Anzac Day Parade in April and the Bay to Bay yacht race in May. The winter months are also an excellent time to visit as temperatures are mild, and humpback whales are migrating along the coast. There’s also Spring Fest and the Tin Can Bay Run in September.

Horseback Riding

After you’ve explored Rainbow Beach on four wheels, you can swap your vehicle for a horse to ride along the beach. Spot crabs, birdlife, birds of prey, and, if you’re really lucky, maybe even a whale from the saddle. All levels of experience can ride, and country and moonlit routes are also available.

Fraser Island

Located just a short ferry trip away, Fraser Island is the world's largest sand island, stretching for 123 kilometres. The island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with 250 kilometres of sandy beaches, coloured sand cliffs, and spectacular dune blowouts. Inland, there’s towering old-growth rainforest, and over 100 freshwater dune lakes. There’s even a shipwreck, the SS Maheno, which was blown ashore by a cyclone in 1935.

Great Sandy National Park

The south end of Rainbow Beach extends into the Cooloola Recreation Area, which lies within Great Sandy National Park. Here you can explore walking trails such as the Cooloola Great Walk with its beautiful views of coloured sand reaching toward Double Island Point, the towering Double Island Point Lighthouse, and Inskip Point.