Inskip Peninsula
Inskip recreational area can be reached by heading to the township of Rainbow Beach. Their are other access points but as we are travelling with a dog this was the best option for us. The area is a great spot for fishing, 4WD, swimming or kayaking and is very popular all year round. The Fraser Coast and Tin Can Bay region can also be explored from here.
Things We Can Suggest
Rainbow Beach Sand Cliffs are situated under the town of Rainbow beach. We had a magnificent view of these while driving from the coastal side of Inskip recreational area.
Cooloola Coast/ Teewah Beach are beaches situated between Tewantin and Rainbow Beach. It is part of the Great Sandy National Park. The Tewantin ferry is an alternative root here if you are not travelling with a dog. To travel along these beaches you will need a vehicle access permit. You will need to be aware of tides as certain points can only be crossed at low tide, and you don’t want to be added to the wall of shame. We did a day trip from Rainbow beach to Noosa via this route. We left our dog with the camper trailer for the day. You will need cash for the ferry ($7 for car) otherwise as we found out he will hold your phone for ransom.
Carlo Sand Blow can be seen at Rainbow Beach. It’s a short, but steep walk up and has some great views of the beach. I wished I had bought a boogie board for the way down.
Double Island Point Lighthouse is part of the Cooloola National Park. It took us about a hour to complete the trip. I found the best photo opportunities were not at the top though, but just a short walk from the base.
Fishing and crabbing can be done on both sides of the Peninsula. On the inland side there is Flathead, Bream and Whiting. Bring your yabby pump for low tide as there are plenty around. We also discovered worms that were blood-like in colour. After a Google search we found they were probably spoon worms. Would love to know if these can be used for bait?? We also threw in a few crab pots were we caught mud crabs near the mangroves and sand crabs further out. They were all just a bit too small. While cast-netting, and fighting off Pelicans, we gathered a bit of live bait for the next couple of days.
We tried our luck with the live bait on the surf rod on the coastal side. With small kids only one person was able to fish at a time as 4WD traffic continually passes you on the beach. It was an absolutely stunning setting overlooking the colourful sand cliffs of Rainbow beach in the distance.
4WD was the trip highlight and basically why people flock to the area. It was amazing along the coast line. We even got to see whales. Make sure to follow the same rules as you would on the road. Also make sure hub caps are locked in, as I forgot my side which got us bogged and in a lot of trouble with Troy. There is a underbody car wash located in the area for after your beach drive.
Dolphin Feeding is only a short trip away at Tin Can Bay. Make sure you get there early as they are only allowed to feed them a limited amount. It was $5 for viewing and $10 for feeding.
Tours can be organised for many interests. Most of them depart from Rainbow beach, including, kayaking with dolphins, horse riding, 4WD and fishing.
Our Accomodation
We stayed at Inskip Recreational area. There were drop toilets available but you need to have your own shower system. There are a lot of room for set-ups although a bit more limited for big caravans. It can be difficult to get a spot at Inskip in peak seasons and is a case of first in best dressed. Camping permits can be booked online and collected from a few points such as the shell servo, the barge office, and parks and wildlife. If you pay for camping and vehicle permits online you don’t incur an additional booking fee.
Tips
- When leaving the area, Rainbow beach has a water fill-up point which we made sure to top up our drinking water.
- Keep your rubbish up high as there are lots of bush turkeys.
- If you arrive during the week you will more likely be able to find a good spot; weekends can get crazy. We found the inland side more kid friendly as we didn’t have the 4WD traffic and the kids were able to paddle in shallow water.