Rainbow Beach, Queensland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rainbow Beach Queensland
Rainbow Beach, Queensland, 2013
Rainbow Beach Location in Queensland
Population	1,220 (2021 census)
• Density	85.3/km2 (221/sq mi)
Established	1969
Postcode(s)	4581
Elevation	14 m (46 ft)
Area	14.3 km2 (5.5 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	72.7 km (45 mi) NE of Gympie 241 km (150 mi) N of Brisbane
LGA(s)	Gympie Region
State electorate(s)	Gympie
Federal Division(s)	Wide Bay
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall 25.4 °C 78 °F 16.6 °C 62 °F 1,218.2 mm 48 in
Localities around Rainbow Beach: Inskip Inskip Coral Sea Cooloola Rainbow Beach Coral Sea Cooloola Cooloola Cooloola

Rainbow Beach is a small town located right on the coast in the Gympie Region of Queensland, Australia. In 2021, about 1,220 people lived there.

It's a very popular spot for tourists. Many people visit Rainbow Beach itself, or use it as a starting point to get to Fraser Island. A special vehicle ferry often takes cars and people to the southern part of Fraser Island from here.

Discovering Rainbow Beach's Geography

Rainbow Beach is on the eastern side, next to Wide Bay in the Coral Sea.

The town gets its name from the amazing rainbow-coloured sand dunes nearby. An old legend from the Kabi people says that the dunes got their colours when a spirit named Yiningie, who looked like a rainbow, crashed into the cliffs after fighting a bad tribesman. The different colours in the sand come from special minerals like rutile, ilmenite, and zircon. There's even a black sand dune made of ilmenite north-west of the town.

The Cooloola part of the Great Sandy National Park is just south of Rainbow Beach. You can find many walking trails that start from the edge of town and go through this national park. One of these is the northern end of the Cooloola Great Walk, a very long hiking path.

By road, Rainbow Beach is about 75 kilometres (47 miles) from Gympie, which is on the Bruce Highway. It's also about 239 kilometres (149 miles) north of Brisbane, the capital city of Queensland.

A Look at Rainbow Beach's History

This propeller is from the Cherry Venture ship, which was wrecked. It's now on display in Rainbow Beach.

This war memorial in Rainbow Beach remembers those who died in wars since World War I.

Rainbow Beach has a war memorial in Laurie Hanson Park. It was updated in 1993 and honours soldiers who died in World War I and other wars.

Rainbow Beach State School, a local primary school, first opened its doors on 28 January 1986.

The Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd opened on 15 September 1993. This church building was actually moved all the way from Yeronga in Brisbane! It was a 15-hour journey to bring it to Rainbow Beach. The church had been in Yeronga from 1958 to 1992.

The Rainbow Beach Library, a place for reading and learning, opened in 2012.

Who Lives in Rainbow Beach?

The number of people living in Rainbow Beach has changed a bit over the years.

• In 2011, about 1,103 people lived here.
• By 2016, the population grew to 1,249 people.
• In the most recent count in 2021, there were 1,220 people living in Rainbow Beach.

Rainbow Beach's Economy and Tourism

Today, the main way Rainbow Beach makes money is through tourism. People come here for peaceful holidays, fishing trips, and to enjoy their retirement. The town has many places to stay, like hotels, motels, and caravan parks, all ready for beach-loving visitors.

Rainbow Beach is known as the "Gateway to Fraser Island." This is because special ferries that carry vehicles to Fraser Island leave from Inskip Point, which is just north of town. Another popular spot for people with 4WD vehicles is Double Island Point, located east of Rainbow Beach. The town is also promoted as a great place for eco-tourism, which means enjoying nature responsibly.

Even though only about 1,000 people live here permanently, around 70,000 visitors come to Rainbow Beach each year!

To attract visitors during quieter times of the year, the Rainbow Beach Family Fishing Classic & Expo was created. This fishing event has been popular for almost 40 years.

Community Places in Rainbow Beach

The Gympie Regional Council runs the Rainbow Beach Library. You can find it at the Rainbow Beach Community Hall, located at 32 Rainbow Beach Road.

The Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd is at 17-19 Carlo Street.

St Peter the Fisherman Catholic Church is located at the south-east end of Manooka Drive.

Education in Rainbow Beach

Rainbow Beach State School is a government primary school for students from Prep to Year 6. Both boys and girls attend this school, which is on Warooga Road. In 2017, the school had 93 students and 8 teachers.