Plantation Resort, Rainbow Beach

I am rather partial to a resort pool, even where the beach is a stone's throw away. I spent most of Australia Day 2011 lolling around here, hearing music from the pub next door.

Driving and picnicking on the beach

On the Fraser Coast in Queensland (and other places), driving a 4WD along parts of the beach is part of the lifestyle. Nevertheless, beach driving is controversial. I must admit it bemuses me somewhat - how you can imagine diesel fumes add to beauty, and why you would want to spend a picnic in the shadow of your car. It is also a bit disconcerting as a beach walker to have to watch out for traffic!

I am interested to hear what others have to say.

Above: evidence that you are never really alone on the beach, and could get mown down at any time! I went for a walk along Rainbow Beach just after 7am, and had to watch out for vehicles. Mind you, one driver regretted his decision - the rescue would have proved very costly!

Below: King of all he surveys

Below: Peak hour

Below: Where there is driving, there are road signs. This makes a particularly unattractive backdrop to the beach!

Below: Mind you, you had better heed the signs, cos the local coppers patrol the beach. They also set up breath-testing, probably to nab drunken picnickers on their way home from a day down the beach.

Below: Heavy traffic!

Pictures below: Australia Day, Rainbow Beach. Not, in my view, a particularly inviting way to have  a picnic: turn a beach into a car park. Others no doubt disagree.

Rainbow Beach walk

Probably misplaced on a "Swimming" Blog - but occasionally swimming is replaced by walking. Join me on a morning walk along Rainbow Beach. It's 26 January, Australia Day, 2011. The next post will show what the beach was like later in the day. For the moment, it is relatively peaceful...

Below: Early morning cars setting up at Mudlo Rocks for the circus the beach will become later

Below: Some people even brought their own furniture....

Below: Oops! Now that's a bummer of a start to the day! The Rainbow Beach website has a tally of the vehicles which have come to grief here. The Rainbow Beach website shows a tally of the vehicles which have come to grief here:

The notorious Mudlo Rocks have claimed many an over enthusiastic 4WD adventurer over the years. This is captured and monitored below in the official Rock Toll as a warning to those who dare try to conquer the ever-changing rock formation situated directly in front of the Rainbow Beach Township.

To check conditions make sure to check our beach report HERE and our live Rock Cam HERE before venturing out.

Year    Toyota     Nissan      Landrover      Mitsubishi       Holden      Misc        Total
2000       23          12              7                    14                  8             11            75
2001      14             9            10                      6                  3             14            56
2002        3             0              2                      3                  2               4            14
2003       13            1              5                      3                  1               2            25
2004       14            6              1                      5                  2               5            33
2005         9            5              1                      0                  0               7            22
2006       10            9              2                      8                  4               4            37
2007         8            2              4                      6                  8               4            32
2008         8            7              7                      2                  5             10            39
2009         9            3              5                      2                  1               8            28
2010       12            8              3                      6                  0               9            38

Below: Coffee rock - it's not really rock, but compacted and cemented sand and humus - a sort of prehistoric mud.

Below: The lookout at the end of Phil Rogers Park, next to the Carlo sandblow. It was named by Captain Cook after one of his crew members.

Below: Carlo Sandblow from the beach.

Below: Carlo Sandblow from the top, looking towards Double Island Point

Below: Part of the coloured sand cliffs which give Rainbow Beach (formerly called 'Back Beach') its name.  Rainbow Beach started as a town servicing the sand mining industry. The sand cliffs get more spectacular than this, but I didn't keep walking.

Below: Watch out you don't get run over!

Below: Water runs out from Carlo Sandblow

Below: Looking over the beach from the lookout a Phil Rogers Park

Below: After the walk, a contemplation of Rainbow beach with one of the best smoothies I have ever had.

Rainbow Beach 26 Jan 2011 (Australia Day)

Rainbow Beach is the jumping-off point for Fraser Island. It started in 1969 as a service centre for the sand mining industry. Prior to then there was no road to Rainbow Beach, the only access being by boat from Tin Can Bay.

The Rainbow Beach website says:

"Sandmining ceased in 1976 and it has since become a rather quiet and idyllic holiday, fishing and retirement getaway which promotes itself not only as the 'Gateway to Fraser Island', but as an 'eco-tourism' destination. This is not the place to be if you are after cosmopolitan-style pleasures but it does cater well to beach-orientated holiday-makers with hotels, motels, caravan parks. Although it has a permanent population of only around 900, about 70,000 visitors blow through town each year.

Over the next couple of days come for a walk along the beach, and discuss the merits of vehicles on the beach. 

Below: Looking towards Fraser Island and the non-vehicle, swimming beach. The surf life saver patrolled beach is also netted against sharks. Nice place to swim, if you can get over the vehicles on the beach!

Below: Late afternoon view from the Surf Club