Rainbow Beach Houseboats

Rainbow Beach Houseboats offers a holiday afloat where holiday makers have the opportunity to discover a variety of stunning landscapes within the Great Sandy Strait, the gateway to World Heritage Listed Fraser Island.

No boat license is required to hire any of the vessels from the fleet available aa the owners provide very thorough briefings and training before leaving port. 

This award winning business has exclusive moorings at Teebar Creek, Kauri Creek, Pelican Bay and Bullock Point. The moorings are safe and protected in all kinds of weather and are the only private moorings in the Great Sandy Strait. A combination of freshwater paper-bark wetlands, coastal wallum swamps, tidal sand and mud flats, salt flats, sea grass beds, mangrove forests and salt marshes makes this area between the mainland and Fraser Island a truly diverse environment, waiting to be explored.

Each houseboat has a Pollycraft tender with a 6hp 4 stroke outboard motor, perfect for doing a little exploring and putting in crab pots. Two crab pots are supplied with the tender - just add bait and keep those fingers crossed for a feed of fresh crab.  It's good to know that these 4.1 meter tenders are unsinkable and are, reassuringly, very stable. 

The houseboats can accommodate up to eight people, but 4-6 would be a more comfortable number to have in a party. It's worth remembering that storage space is limited on any boat, so keep luggage to a minimum, especially if travelling with a bigger group on board. A small flat screen TV with DVD player is supplied, along with a selection of board games, DVDs, books and CDs. 240 volt power on board makes charging devices easy and a well equipped kitchen includes an oven, cooktop, fridge, crockery, cutlery, glasses and all the little extras needed to prepare meals. 

On the back deck a Weber BBQ awaits, along with a large food and drinks esky. Here, a fish preparation area is also well located to take care of the day's catch. Fishing enthusiasts should pack their rods as there are fish to be caught!  Bait can be bought from the office and a bait esky is supplied on board. Ice can be pre-ordered or purchased on arrival from Rainbow Beach Houseboats.  Enjoy a meal or a coffee around the outdoor setting on the front deck or head up to the top deck to enjoy a birdseye view, a glorious sunrise or a quiet drink and stunning sunset. 

Make sure to include a camera on the packing list - there's an abundance of natural beauty to capture. Marina life includes turtles, dugongs, hump back whales, dolphins, stingrays - and a great variety of fish (flathead, whiting, spotted cod, Queensland groper, queenfish, mangrove Jack and tuna - just to name a few). Keen bird watchers won’t be disappointed with a vast variety of bird life here: curlews, plovers, pied oystercatchers, great knots, pelicans, whistling kites (their whistle is unmistakable) and white bellied sea eagles are easily sighted. 

Interestingly, white bellied sea eagles are the second largest bird of prey in Australia, with the wedge-tailed eagle being the largest.Look out for these guys as they're pretty quick to hone in on bait. Birdlife International has identified an 806 km2 area as an Important Bird Area, supporting 120,000 non-breeding waders and the coastal wetlands have been deemed to be of International Significance for migratory birds.

Lynne and David have a sound knowledge of this region and are happy to help make this holiday memorable. The waterways here are incredibly picturesque, with a myriad of blues and greens represented.  Snowy white sand bars emerge from the blues and greens and catch the sun in a dazzling display that encapsulates the beauty of the Great Sandy Strait. Add to that towering gums, spreading pandanus palms, a diverse range of vegetation and quiet, private beaches and the scene is set for a perfect holiday - afloat.

In a nutshell - There's something for everyone on a Rainbow Beach Houseboats holiday: fodder for nature lovers, twitchers, shutterbugs, romantics, family, friends, fishing nuts, boaties or just plain escape artists - it's all there waiting to be enjoyed. 

Nice to know - Paddle boards and canoes can be hired from Rainbow Beach Houseboats to add to the fun of a houseboat holiday. Awesome meat supplies/platters from Rainbow Beach Meats and delicious fresh fruit and veg from Rainbow Beach Fruit can be pre-ordered - a great way to reduce shopping and packing. Just in case the fish hooks and crab pots come up empty, seafood and drinks can also be pre-ordered - ask at the time of booking.

Need to know - Guests need to arrive no later than 1.00pm (at the latest).  No movement is allowed on the water after 4pm and settling in, briefing and training all take time.  The earlier these are all covered, the earlier the houseboat experience can begin.

BOOKINGS  & ENQUIRIES HERE

By Sandy Ludinski

Must Do Brisbane.com was a guest of Rainbow Beach Houseboats.

Some details may have changed since our visit.