Beaches Of Brisbane
It would seem that for the vast majority of Brisbane dwellers and visitors, the term Brisbane beaches is an oxymoron. And you can hardly blame them, what with the fabled Sunshine and Gold Coasts on our doorstep and no sandy white stretches speckled with umbrellas and cavorting bathers to be seen anywhere in the suburbs, riverside or otherwise.
Yet contrary to popular belief, Brisbane has its share of beaches if you know where to look. Not of the fine white sand and blue sparkling water variety to which we are accustomed (Streets Beach excepted), but certainly more inviting than Paris’s ‘Paris Plage’ or much of what passes for a beach in the Riviera or Blackpool.
In the hunt for Brisbane beaches beyond South Bank’s renowned city beach, we’ve uncovered 10, all with a different personality and scene - from white sand to mangrove-fringed and dog friendly – that are easily accessed and worth discovering:
The only patrolled beach that you’ll find in and around Brisbane is on the Redcliffe Peninsula. Sand is reddish gold and gritty and waves are mere ripples so it’s perfect for little ones and only a hop skip and jump from Settlement Cove lagoon, with an adjacent playground and picnic pavilions...more
More of a mud flat posing as a beach but thanks to the beautiful foreshore with its trees, parks and grand sprawling Queenslanders, it warrants a visit for something completely different. At low tide take a novel walk in the ‘quick sand’ and spot armies of scurrying soldier crabs...more
At the foot of picturesque hideaway Colmslie Beach Reserve is this fringe of whitish river sand that feels like the most secret place in Brisbane. Take the stairs down by the retaining wall to reach it and take a remote view of Brisbane that few people see...more
This little riverfront pocket tucked away in the far reaches of Hamilton’s Northshore incorporates a café, history-engraved pavers, sea sculptures, manicured lawn and a splendid little half-moon of white sand...more
Part of the Wynnum Water Park precinct along the Wynnum Esplanade foreshore, man-made Pandanus Beach is a cute little oasis of fine white sand fringed by pandanus trees and with a protected bathing area adjacent to the Wynnum jetty...more
Only a ten minute ferry ride from Victoria Point is Coochie Mudlo, with its bayside castaway style beaches surrounded by glassy blue waters and littered with driftwood and colourful boats. The main beach by the ferry stop is patrolled and has an old world kiosk...more
Another of Redcliffe’s red gritty sand beaches, Scarborough is fronted by a splendid park studded with Norfolk Pines and with climbing trees, and children’s playground. The beach itself is strewn with rocks and OK for a cooling off dip...more
At the foot of the Shorncliffe cliffs and adjacent to its jetty is this secluded yet popular beach which is fringed with grass and an excellent kids playground. It features some state of the art BBQ pavilions and at low tide the relics of an historic sea bath can be spotted...more
The tiny hamlet of Nudgee Beach is ringed by a mangrove-lined silty beach that extends from the well-trodden Nudgee Off-Leash Dog Beach around to the waterfront park of Nudgee Beach Reserve, which has its own ‘beach’, both of which are connected at low tide...more
