Named for the swirling coloured cliffs that line its shore, Rainbow Beach is an adventure town wedged between Cooloola, the Pacific and K'gari — the southern doorway to the island.
Travel guide · Updated 31 May 2026 · By the Cooee Tours team
Rainbow Beach · Coloured Sands & Carlo Sandblow
Imagery placeholder — add your licensed Rainbow Beach photography.
Rainbow Beach takes its name from the cliffs of coloured sand — ochres, reds and golds streaked through the dunes — that rise behind its long surf beach. It's a small, easygoing town with an outsized backyard: the Cooloola section of Great Sandy National Park on one side, Inskip Peninsula and K'gari on the other.
For travellers, Rainbow Beach is both a destination and a gateway — the launch point for the southern 4WD barge to K'gari and the northern end of the legendary Great Beach Drive down to Noosa.
Don't miss
01
Carlo Sandblow
A vast 'moonscape' of windblown sand reached by a short walk, with 180-degree views over the coast and K'gari.
02
Coloured Sands
Eroded cliffs of naturally tinted sand that you can walk beneath along the beach toward Double Island Point.
03
Double Island Point
A scenic headland with an 1884 lighthouse, a protected bay for kayaking with dolphins, and gentle point surf.
04
Inskip Peninsula
The sandy finger of land where the 4WD barge crosses to the southern tip of K'gari.
What to see
The signature walk is the Carlo Sandblow — about 600 metres each way from the Carlo car park through scribbly gums to a giant sand mass with sweeping views of Rainbow Beach, the Coloured Sands, Double Island Point and K'gari. It's especially good at sunrise and sunset. For a longer route, you can walk in from the town's information centre.
Below town, the Coloured Sands beach walk takes you beneath the cliffs at low tide. Adventurous types come for skydiving over the bay, paragliding off the sandblow, surfing the point at Double Island, and kayaking with dolphins.
Rainbow Beach is the southern access point for K'gari. From Inskip Point, about 15 kilometres north of town, a frequent vehicle barge crosses to Hook Point at the bottom of Seventy-Five Mile Beach in roughly 15 minutes — no booking needed, but it's 4WD only and the soft sand at the point catches a lot of vehicles out.
From Hook Point it's a beach drive north up the island, timed to the tides.
Rainbow Beach is 4WD country. The Great Beach Drive runs south along Teewah Beach all the way to Noosa, and north onto K'gari — one of Australia's great sand-driving routes. You'll need a high-clearance 4WD, lowered tyre pressures, a Vehicle Access Permit and a tide chart.
If you're not set up for sand, the Carlo Sandblow and the town beach are easily reached in a normal car, and guided tours cover the rest.
Beach driving here is tide-dependent, and natural sand movement periodically affects access around Double Island Point and the Inskip barge landing. Always check the current Queensland Parks alerts and tide times before you set out.
Let us handle the logistics
No 4WD, or travelling as a group? Our transfers and charters take the hassle out of getting around.
Airport Transfers
Door-to-door transfers to and from Hervey Bay Airport and beyond — meet-and-greet, fixed prices and a driver waiting when you land.
For the cliffs of naturally coloured sand — streaked with ochre, red, gold and white — that line the shore south of town toward Double Island Point.
Do I need a 4WD at Rainbow Beach?
Not for the town itself or the Carlo Sandblow, which are reachable by car. You do need a 4WD for the beach drives, Teewah, Double Island Point and the barge to K'gari.
How do I get to K'gari from Rainbow Beach?
Drive (4WD) about 15 km north to Inskip Point and take the frequent vehicle barge across to Hook Point on the southern tip of the island.
How far is Rainbow Beach from Noosa?
About 70 km by road, or a memorable beach drive along Teewah and the Great Beach Drive for those with a 4WD and a permit.