Double Island Point & Rainbow Beach – Visitor’s Guide

Double Island Point (or DI as the locals like to call it) and Rainbow Beach are two of the most iconic places to visit on the east coast of Australia!

Most famous for its pristine turquoise waters, endless stretches of white sugary sands, wildlife in abundance, multicolored sand dunes, world-class surf breaks, and mesmerizing views of the ocean… what more could you ask for!

Located just north of Noosa Heads in Great Sandy National Park, visitors with a four-wheel-drive vehicle can discover the scenic headland of DI and the iconic Rainbow Beach coloured sands. 

Both of these locations can be visited as a single-day trip from Noosa, DIY with your own 4-wheel-drive, or with a tour from the main town at Rainbow Beach.

Alternatively, and something that I highly recommend, is camping at Teewah Beach for a few days in the Cooloola Recreation Area and experiencing all that Great Sandy National Park has to offer!

In this guide, I have included everything you need to know about planning a trip to this must-visit destination on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland.

OVERVIEW – DOUBLE ISLAND POINT

See below for some key points that I have included in this guide:

• How to get to Double Island Point & Rainbow Beach
• Obtaining a permit
• Where to rent a 4×4 vehicle 
• DI tours
• Teewah Beach camping & permits
• Best time to visit
• Things to do at Double Island Point
• Image gallery

BEST TIME TO VISIT DOUBLE ISLAND POINT

The Sunshine Coast is one of many places on the east coast of Australia that sees glorious sunshine almost all year round.

If you want the best of the best conditions weatherwise, I recommend visiting between May and October (Autumn, Winter, and Spring) which is ideal for beach bumming, surfing, nature walks, and water sports.

Summer on the Sunshine Coast is between December and February which sees hot temperatures, rainfall, and thunderstorms.

HOW TO GET TO DOUBLE ISLAND POINT

If it’s your first time visiting Double Island Point and Rainbow Beach, there are a few options for reaching this incredible paradise which I have gone into more detail about below.

DI is best reached two to three hours on either side of low tide from Rainbow Beach or from Noosa along the Great Beach Drive.

The two main access points are;

• Vehicle ferry from Tewantin to Noosa North Shore
• Beach access from Rainbow Beach town

Note: the only way to reach Double Island Point is with a four-wheel-drive vehicle and you will also need a vehicle access permit (VAP) to drive on the beach to get there.

Alternatively, you can visit on foot via the access point at Rainbow Beach town, though it’s a very long walk that takes hours in the blistering sun.

FERRY FROM TEWANTIN TO NOOSA NORTH SHORE

The ferry from Tewantin (Noosa) to Noosa North Shore operates 7 days a week from 5:30 am to 10:20 pm.

There is no need to book in advance, just rock up and wait in line to make the water crossing on the small barge.

The cost is $8 per vehicle one way and must be paid in cash to the operator once you are loaded onto the ferry.

BEACH ACCESS FROM RAINBOW BEACH TOWN

If you plan on heading to DI from Rainbow Beach town, you can simply drive down to the beach from here and cruise along the shoreline passing by the iconic colored sand dunes at Rainbow Beach until you reach DI Point.

DIY

If you have your own 4-wheel drive, great!

You can obtain your Double Island permit online before you go. Head to parks.des.qld.gov.au to get your permit.

Vehicle access permit fees:

• 1 day – $13.40 (online price) or $20.25 (offline price)
• 1 week or less – $34.10
• 1 month or less – $53.65
• More than 1 month (up to 1 year) – $270.00

RENT A 4-WHEEL-DRIVE

For those of you who don’t have your own 4-wheel drive, you can rent a 4×4 vehicle and drive onto the beach yourself.

When renting a 4-wheel-drive vehicle, be sure to double-check with the rental company whether or not the vehicle permit is included with the vehicle rental price.

If it’s not included, it’s mandatory to purchase a vehicle permit online or get one at the Visitor Permits office which is located on your way into Rainbow Beach town.

I personally rented a Toyota Hilux 4-wheel-drive from Adventure 4×4 Hire and I can highly recommend renting one of their vehicles.

With short-term and long-term rentals available, the vehicles are fully equipped for camping and going off-road including a roof-top tent, 60L fridge/freezer, gas cooker, utensils, storage draws, camping chairs, shade awning, and more!

Click Here to check availability and rates.

DOUBLE ISLAND POINT WITH A TOUR

Visiting with a tour is another great way to experience this stunning location.

There is one awesome day tour to Double Island Point and Rainbow Beach that I can recommend which is the Great Beach Drive 4WD Tour – Private Charter from Noosa to Rainbow Beach!

TEEWAH BEACH CAMPING

Teewah Beach is the most popular place to camp which is located in the Cooloola Recreation Area, Great Sandy National Park.

Camping permits are required before visiting and it’s best to book online well in advance to secure a spot.

Visit parks.des.qld.gov.au to check availability and camping rates.

Teewah Beach’s camping area stretches along Teewah Beach for 15 kilometers and you can pick any spot along the sand dunes to set up camp.

There are signposts allocating the start and finish points of the Teewah Beach camping areas. If you are found camping outside of the allocated areas, you can be fined by the park rangers.

If you’re coming from Noosa North Shore, it’s approximately a 30 – 45 minute drive from the ferry and along the shoreline to reach the DI camping area at Teewah Beach.

From Rainbow Beach, it’s around the same journey time to reach the Teewah Beach camping area.

Be sure to come prepared with lots of drinking water, food, cooking equipment, a camping fridge, firewood, and all the camping gear you think you might need for a few days camping under the stars.

Toilet and shower amenities can be found at the Freshwater Camping Area just north of Teewah Beach.

If you need to restock food, alcohol, fuel, and other necessities, Rainbow Beach town has everything you need.

THINGS TO DO AT DOUBLE ISLAND POINT

Now that I have given you all the logistics of getting to Double Island and Rainbow Beach, let’s get to the fun stuff!

See below for a list of the 10 best things to do during your visit.

1. Visit the Lighthouse
2. Go 4×4’ing along the beach
3. Spot whales, dolphins & turtles from the headland
4. Go Fishing at Teewah Beach
5. Surf Australia’s longest wave at DI Point
6. Swim in the blue lagoon
7. Watch the sunset over Rainbow Beach
8. Drive the Freshwater track
9. Walk across the sandbar
10. Check out the Rainbow Beach colored sands

IMAGE GALLERY

I have visited Double Island and Rainbow Beach on a few occasions and I want to share some of my favourite images with you here.

I hope these shots inspire you to explore this incredible destination for yourselves – enjoy!

MAP OF DOUBLE ISLAND POINT

WHAT TO PACK FOR DOUBLE ISLAND POINT

When visiting DI, here is a list of items I highly recommend bringing with you:

FINAL THOUGHTS

I hope you enjoyed reading this article and if you have any questions about Double Island Point and Rainbow Beach, please leave a comment below and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

For a quicker response, be sure to join Jonny Melon’s Travel Tribe on Facebook and post your questions or recommendations to our awesome community.

TRAVEL RESOURCES FOR YOUR NEXT TRIP

Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or it’s your first trip overseas, here are some useful travel resources to help you kick-start your next adventure!

THANKS FOR READING

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