Beach number: qld1532
Includes beaches: Noosa Noosa West
State/Region: QLD - Noosa Heads
Beach name: Noosa
General Beach Hazard Rating: 3
Least hazardous: 1-3
Moderately hazardous: 4-6
Highly hazardous: 7-8
Extremely hazardous: 9-10
Hazard rating refers to physical beach and surf conditions ONLY and does not include potentially dangerous marine life.
Beach

Noosa Heads is one of Australia's favourite tourist destinations, with large summer and holiday crowds filling the town and its main beach. The town is located at the mouth of the Noosa River and in lee of 2 km long Noosa Head, with much of the head now forming a national park. Immediately north of the river is the more extensive Cooloola National Park. Today Noosa boasts a thriving tourist industry, with major resorts and a wide range of accommodation and facilities. Noosa has long been a popular summer destination, with a surf lifesaving reel placed on the beach in 1915 and the Noosa Heads Surf Life Saving Club founded in 1927.

The main beach (1532) runs from the base of the heads to the mouth of the river. The river is now trained with an entrance wall that forms the northern end of the 1.2 km long beach. In addition, to combat beach erosion and maintain some of the sand dumped on the beach, a rock groyne has been built across the middle of the beach and a seawall constructed along the southern half of the beach.

The beach faces almost due north, and receives low waves which have to pass around Noosa Heads. They average between 0.5 and 1 m high at the beach, where they usually form a continuous bar that is cut by rips during and following higher waves. Waves are higher and rips more prevalent at, and north of, the groyne.

The safest bathing is in the main patrolled area east of the groyne. However, there is also a lifeguard stationed west of the groyne. Watch out for rip channels and be very careful if swimming near or west of the groyne, as rips are usually present. Also beware of the river mouth, which has shifting shoals and strong tidal currents.

Noosa is a prime surfing spot, with only beach breaks at the beach, but some of Australia's best right hand breaks along the north side of the head.

The groyne and entrance wall are very popular, as well as rip gutters on the beach north of the groyne.

A heavily developed, although still very attractive, location, saved by the national park and many beaches.

Type: Formal parking area
Surface: Sealed
Spaces: 100