Rainbow Beach, Queensland

Infobox Australian Place | type = town
name = Rainbow Beach
state = qld


caption =
lga = Gympie Regional Council
postcode = 4581
est =
pop = 999
pop_footnotes =
elevation= 14
maxtemp = 25.4
mintemp = 16.6
rainfall = 1218.2
stategov =
fedgov = Wide Bay
dist1 = 239
dir1 =
location1= Brisbane
dist2 = 75
dir2 =
location2= Gympie

Rainbow Beach is a coastal town in south-eastern Queensland, Australia, near Gympie. At the 2001 census, Rainbow Beach had a population of 999.Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL348000|name=Rainbow Beach (Urban Centre/Locality)|accessdate=2007-10-25] The town's name derives from the rainbow-coloured sand dunes surrounding the settlement; according to the legends of the Kabi people, the dunes were coloured when Yiningie, a spirit represented by a rainbow, plunged into the cliffs after doing battle with an evil tribesman. [ [http://www.smh.com.au/news/Queensland/Rainbow-Beach/2005/02/17/1108500203680.html Hues of a rainbow] , "Sydney Morning Herald". Retrieved 30-08-2006.] Much of the sand colors stem from the rich content of minerals in the sand, such as rutile, ilmenite, zircon and monazite. A black dune of ilmenite sands, overgrown by dune vegetation can be found north west of the main town and offers a secret place of beauty for the nature enthusiast.

Originally a sand-mining community, gazetted in 1969, the town's economy is now heavily influenced by tourism. Double Island Point, a popular destination amongst 4WD enthusiasts, is located east of town. Vehicular ferries for Fraser Island depart from Inskip Point, north of town.

The Cooloola Section of the Great Sandy National Park borders the town to the south. A number of walking tracks through the national park depart from the southern outskirts of Rainbow Beach. [ [http://www.smh.com.au/news/Queensland/Rainbow-Beach/2005/02/17/1108500203680.html Travel: Rainbow Beach] , "Sydney Morning Herald". Retrieved 30-08-2006.]

By road, Rainbow Beach is located 75 km from the Bruce Highway town of Gympie, and 239 km from the Queensland state capital, Brisbane.

References