Favourite treats - where to eat in Rainbow Beach

One of the delights of a beach holiday are the special treats after a busy day in the surf and sun.  Creme de la Creme gelateria at the new Plantation Hotel is a popular bribe to entice the children off the beach.

Our visit to Rainbow Beach is not complete without an apple turnover from the bakery in the main street.  Often used as a bribe for help in the garden.

Fire on Fraser Island

As dusk fell today, the glow magically appeared from this fire that has been burning on Fraser Island for a couple of days.    The air has been heavy with the smoke all day, but it was not until evening that we could actually see the fire.  The tiny light across on the right of the fire is car headlights way up along the coast of Fraser Island.

Aborigines used fire to manage vegetation on Fraser Island for thousands of years.  According to the Fraser Island Defenders Organisation (FIDO): "We know that Fraser Island Aborigines used fire by the comments of Captain Cook, who passed along the main beach in the hours of darkness on 18 May 1770. He said, "Our course at night was guided by the great number of fires on the shore". Thus Fraser Island would have had relatively frequent, low intensity burns which would have resulted in a landscape with "a park like appearance". That is the description most early explorers gave to describe the lack of a dense understorey in the Australian bush."

Paraglide at Rainbow Beach

 

The thermals must be good at the moment, because we had a parade of paragliders passing the house.  One photo shows someone just taking off from Carlo Sand Blow with Double Island Point in the background.  From the sand blow they drift up and down, riding the thermals back along to Rainbow Beach.   We are all convinced that we would like to try paragliding because they look so relaxed, literally just having a little sit down in their floating seats.

On the sand dunes today there were three paragliders doing circuits over the beach - one you can see above was "sand surfing", being dragged along the dunes by the sail.   The haze in the sky is from the fire on Fraser Island.

Footprints on Carlo Sand Blow

 

Not ant trails, but the footprints of people busy investigating the sand blow cliffs. 

Discovering a camp fire

On a morning walk below the Coloured Sands of Rainbow Beach (Queensland), we found the remnants of a camp fire - perhaps someone had been cooking the fish they just caught.  We gathered dry kindling and then with lots of blowing we managed to reignite the flame.   Of course, before we left, we completely extinguished it!



If you're in to Pinterest, check out this page with hiking and camping ideas.  Find camping supplies 

Coloured Sands conglomerate

The most recognised images of the Coloured Sands of Rainbow Beach show bands of red and orange colours along the steep sand dune cliffs.   The coloured sands formed as a result of water moving through the sand mass, depositing iron-oxide minerals and organic matter in coloured bands.  Here is a conglomerate of coloured sand "pebbles" on a large boulder that must have fallen onto the beach.  We're not sure how these different coloured pebbles grouped and reformed into a conglomerate like this.  Double-click on the photo to see it up close.

Inskip Peninsula development controversy

View to Inskip Peninsula and Fraser Island from Scribbly Gums beach house.

Even paradise has its troubles. There is a long running fight over development on Inskip Peninsula where Rainbow Shores is proposing a stage 2 development of some 6000 people (Rainbow Beach has a permanent population of around 1000 people). Because of environmental sensitivity, it appears that the Queensland Government is working on a deal to swap some Crown land. As reported in The Courier-Mail, several Government Ministers and staffers have been involved with advising with the developers over time.
A community group called Citizens Helping Inskip Peninsula (CHIP) is fighting this development. You can read more at their website about the issues for Rainbow Beach and what is happening.

This is precious land bordering a World Heritage area - it deserves absolute transparency and a decision for the better good of the environment and community.

Spectacular views from Carlo Sand Blow

There is no need to go to Fraser Island to see a spectacular sand blow. The expansive Carlo Sand Blow can be found near Rainbow Beach, three hours drive north of Brisbane.

Covering around 15 hectares, Carlo Sand Blow offers beautiful 360 degree views from Double Island Point around to Tin Can Bay. You can walk down to the steep cliff face of the coloured sands from where the sands are blown up, and you can trek to the back where you see the sand slowly engulfing trees and bush as the blow inches inland.

The National Park walking track to the Carlo Sand Blow, which starts about 300 metres up the road from Scribbly Gums beach house, meanders through woodlands with massive scribbly gums and banksia. We love an early morning walk to watch the sunrise over Double Island Point or to go at sunset and watch the sun go down over the waters of Tin Can Bay inlet.

This view shows Inskip Point and the hills of Fraser Island in the background.  Near the middle of this photo there is a tall pine tree with a wind sock flying from the top that is used by the paragliders.  Scribbly Gums beach house is located just over the road from this tree.

You will often see paragliders taking off from the Sand Blow, joining the sea eagles making the most of the thermals along the cliffs. The sand blow was named by Captain Cook after one of his crew named Carlo.

Natural Beauty of Rainbow Beach

Fresh underground water trickles from coffee rocks below a beautiful Pandanas Palm. This photo is taken on the beach just in front of the Surf Club, an area where children love to play.

Snow on the beach

Walking along the beach to the coloured sands, we came across this amazing sight. Looks like snow on the beach!
Or is it a sand waterfall...