Rainbow Beach, Queensland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rainbow BeachQueensland |
|||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A view of Rainbow Beach, Queensland, in 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 | |||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | Gympie Region | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Gympie | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Wide Bay | ||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
Rainbow Beach is a beautiful town on the coast of Queensland, Australia. It is part of the Gympie Region. The town is famous for its amazing colored sand cliffs and is a popular spot for tourists. Many people visit on their way to the famous K'gari (Fraser Island). In 2021, about 1,220 people called Rainbow Beach home.
Contents
The Story of the Rainbow Sands
The town gets its name from the incredible sand dunes that have many different colors, like a rainbow. It sits next to the Coral Sea. The Cooloola Section of the Great Sandy National Park is right next to the town. You can find many walking tracks that start near the town and lead into the beautiful park.
An Ancient Legend
The local Kabi Kabi people, who are the traditional owners of the land, have a special story about how the sands got their color. The legend says that a spirit named Yiningie, who looked like a rainbow, fought an evil man on the cliffs. When the battle was over, Yiningie crashed into the cliffs, leaving his beautiful colors in the sand forever.
What Makes the Sand Colorful?
The amazing colors in the sand come from different minerals. These minerals, like rutile, ilmenite, and zircon, have been in the sand for a very long time. They give it shades of red, orange, yellow, and even black. North of the town, there is a large black sand dune rich in a mineral called ilmenite.
History of the Town
Rainbow Beach officially became a town in 1969. Over the years, it grew as more people discovered its beauty. A school, the Rainbow Beach State School, opened for local children in 1986. The town also has a library, which opened in 2012.
In a park in the town, there is a war memorial. It was updated in 1993 and is a special place to remember the people from the area who served in World War I and other wars.
An interesting piece of history is the Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd. The whole building was moved from a suburb in Brisbane called Yeronga. It took 15 hours to bring it to Rainbow Beach, where it was put back together in 1993.
A Gateway to Adventure
Today, Rainbow Beach is all about tourism. It's a perfect place for a quiet holiday, fishing, or just relaxing by the sea. The town has hotels and caravan parks for visitors.
It's known as the "Gateway to Fraser Island" because you can catch a ferry from nearby Inskip Point to get to K'gari (Fraser Island). Many people also bring their 4WD vehicles to explore places like Double Island Point.
Even though only about 1,220 people live in Rainbow Beach, it welcomes around 70,000 visitors every year! One of the biggest events is the Rainbow Beach Family Fishing Classic, which has been a popular competition for nearly 40 years.
Life in Rainbow Beach
For the people who live here, Rainbow Beach has a friendly community. The Gympie Regional Council runs the local library at the Community Hall. There are also several churches for residents.
Schooling in Rainbow Beach
Rainbow Beach State School is the primary school for kids from Prep to Year 6. In 2017, it had about 93 students.
For high school, students usually go to Tin Can Bay State School for years 7 to 10. To finish Years 11 and 12, students travel to Gympie State High School or use distance education.
