ABORIGINAL legend has it that in the Dreamtime, the spirit of the gods, Yiningie, washed into towering sand cliffs and coloured them forever.
See the inspiration for the Dreamtime tale when you visit Rainbow Beach, just two-and-a-half hours from Brisbane by car. To view the spectacular landmark from the base of the cliffs, take the 2km beach walk from the town. This beautifully clean beach was the winner of the current National Beach Spirit Award.
Just 20 minutes away is World Heritage listed Fraser Island, which is not only the world’s largest sand island but also a place of incredible beauty, with towering sand dunes, glorious rainforests and crystal clear lakes. Permits to visit Fraser Island are available from the Queensland Parks and Wildlife office at Rainbow Beach.
People can drive along the beaches in this region (don’t forget to let your tyres down and obey the maximum speed limit of 80km/hr) and take their 4WDs on the vehicular barge, which goes from Inskip Point to Fraser Island. For a Fraser Island tour, choose a one, two or three-day trip. Fishing enthusiasts may want to reserve a seat on one of the overnight fishing trips on a charter boat, or if they have their own boats, they will find boat ramps at Bullock Point and Carlo Point. They can also fish from the beach and may reel in whiting, bream, flathead, taylor and dart.
Lots of people like to have comfortable accommodation while they explore the beauties of the area. But how many people can boast they’ve stayed at the villas from the Sydney 2000 Olympic Village? Well, you can if you book in to the Olympic villas at the Rainbow Beach Holiday Park on Rainbow Beach Road.
What a buzz. And you don’t even need to be superfit to do it, like the swimming and fencing team members who were the first guests! The villas have reverse cycle air conditioning, spas, two bedrooms, fully equipped kitchen and bathroom facilities. You have a choice of six overlooking the swimming pool or six overlooking the beach, with views up to Fraser Island and down to Inskip Point. Whoever thought of that deserves a medal!
The park offers accommodation in one-bedroom villas and chalets as well – and of course if you’re towing your own home you can get some superb van sites just 100m from the beach.
And once you’re there, you hardly need to use the car at all. Everything’s in walking distance. The park is right across the road from the butcher, baker and chemist. The pub’s next door and the club’s on the other side – so going out to dinner is never a problem. And you can go surfing or bushwalking at a moment’s notice! The park also has a service station outlet with fuel, groceries, souvenirs, sarongs and snorkelling gear.
For nature lovers, the Cooloola National Park is always calling. It encompasses a beach, rainforest, a lovely lake and walking tracks leading through open heathland, lush forests and mangroves. See Carlo Sandblow, coloured sand cliffs, Seary’s Creek, Poona Lake and the Telegraph Track.
