Wonga Beach, Queensland

Location

Wonga Beach is a small rural residential area, north of Cairns in Queensland Australia. Its coordinates are set at approximately 16^o 21' S, 145^o 24.75' E.

Services

Wonga Beach has a small number of services spread throughout the area. These services include:

1. Caltex Service Station which provides automotive fuels and a minimart with hot chicken and chips, ATM, coffee machine and slushy machine. The site was previously run as a British Petroleum site but was converted to Caltex in mid 2007. on the land nearby there are picnic tables, a post box, telephone booth and a display of model cassowaries.

2. Wonga Beach State School and Preschool. This school is one of the very few schools in the Douglas Shire (soon to be part of the Cairns Shire Due to controversial Amalgamations) and has been operating since 1999 when it was officially opened to the students. The previous school was based at Rocky point, about 4 kilometres south and the old school buildings are being sold off to locals as housing, one of which has been relocated to Wonga Beach. The school is known as a sunsmart school enforcing strict rules on UV protection and is also part of the reef protection schools. The school has a large area of swampland which they have made a school project to maintain it, and they are in the process of growing an eco-maze for future generations.

3. Redbacks Resort. This resort has such features as a pub area, nightclub, restaurant, pool, playground, accommodation suites, coin laundry, video hire, mini-mart and bottle shop. 'The Pub' as it is known to locals is mainly set up as a tourist destination though has several features for the locals. The features of the resort most used by locals are the Pub area, video hire, bottle shop and restaurant, whereas most of the remaining services are used mainly by tourists. The resort has been the cause of much outrage by local residents at times when the restaurant area is closed to the public, most likely due to a large tourist event such as weddings, or parties. Redbacks Resort also has its own Baramundi Farm.

4. Bus services for school students. These buses are run twice daily from New Wonga to Old Wonga then on to Mossman and Back for Highschool and a few primary school students. These buses are not available to the public.