This Trinty Beach Ultimate Getaway Guide gives you the latest information about the best places to go and things to do in Trinity.
We first visited a few years ago after a friend swam across from Bribie Island, through the boat channel, and into the mangroves located at the end of Trinity Inlet.
The lure of this area was too much to ignore, so since then, we have been doing our best to discover the magic that is Trinity Beach.
We camped there for four days over Easter and can safely say it truly is one of the most beautiful places in Queensland, if not Australia.
The water is crystal clear blue, the sand white and delicate with never-ending views out across Moreton Bay towards North Stradbroke Island. If you are new to Bayside Ultimate, this would be a great place to start checking out what Ultimate Frisbee is all about!
Our guide has everything you need from where to stay, what you need to know about food, how to get around on public transport, options for activities during your visit, and how to get there. We have received great feedback from creating this guide and hope you enjoy it. And please pass it along so others can find the information you found helpful.
The Best Month To Visit:
December/January – These months are shoulder season. The weather is excellent, not too hot, and lots of activity happening, such as live music at the Caravan Park’s bar on Friday nights. The only downside we found was that there were many families with young kids staying, but that didn’t bother us because we love kids!
The Worst Month To Visit: June/July/August – This is peak season, and if you want to stay here, you’ll need to book well in advance as it will be completely packed. You can’t make dinner bookings either, so you’ll have to take your chances by walking over to the caravan park about half an hour before dinner (5 pm) and hoping for the best.
What to Do in Trinity Beach:
If you are coming from Brisbane, the travel time is about 1 hour 40 minutes. The best route to take us through Redcliffe and up along the Eastern side of Moreton Island towards Scarborough.
On the way, you can stop at one of many lookouts for a breath-taking view back across to the mainland, and these include Kippa-Ring, Clontarf Beach Lookout, or Rothwell lookout.
There are several activities that we highly recommend adventuring out on during your time in Trinity Beach:
Swimming with Dolphins
Dolphin Wild is located just before you get to the hinterland area of Scarborough (on the right). It offers full-day tours for $145, including morning tea and lunch. Their watercraft is semi-submersible, which means you get to enjoy the dolphins from above or below the waterline.
For example, when in shallow waters, you can see them diving and playing around the boat, whereas in deeper waters, they drive straight through pods of whales!
The Whale Watching Tour
Scarborough SEAWAYS offers this tour. This tour takes guests out to Moreton Bay in their purpose-built vessel for up to 3 hours, searching for whales migrating north in April/May and south in July/August.
The cost is $109 for adults and $59 for children (4-15), including morning tea or lunch, depending on the time of year you visit.
There are BBQ facilities that allow riders to bring their food if preferred. Alternatively, Scarborough Seaways also sell a variety of hot and cold food.
Dingos –
These amazing creatures can be seen on one of the three tours offered by Swim With The Dolphins. We highly recommend the Sunset Tour for $119 adults. If you have kids, try out the Family Fun tour for $89, including wildlife interaction, dingoes, marine life, and many more activities!
They do say, “Swim with dolphins… but beware, they will steal your heart!” so be prepared to fall in love with these beautiful creatures!
In-line Skating – Located next door to Dolphin Wild is In-Line Mania, where you can hire skates and helmets. Do a few laps around Trinity Beach while enjoying the stunning views across Moreton Bay, or head off on a more extended adventure around Point Lookout to Jumpinpin Bar and back through Scarborough.
Snorkeling
This is done from one of the local beaches after arranging with a local guide to take you out snorkeling. Many guides will take you out at Scarborough, Clontarf, or Point Lookout.
You can also check out ‘Long Reef’ located in North Stradbroke Island, renowned for its diverse marine life, including sharks! If you do not have your snorkel equipment, hire or bring an adequate amount as rentals are limited in the area.
Fishing Tours – If your passion lies in fishing, you might add it to your list of activities. Most of the tours take you out to ‘Jumpinpin,’ a narrow strip of water between Straddie and Moreton Island that fishers know as one of the best fishing spots in Australia.
Scarborough Fishing Charters
This company offers half-day, full-day, and overnight charters with no license required for up to 4 people on their Mermaid boat.
They specialize in shark fishing and reef and bay fishing, so there’s something for everyone! The cost is $650 per half-day charter, $900 for a full-day charter, or $700 per night for an overnight trip, including bait and tackle and all necessary licenses. The journey can be tailored to meet your needs on request. Photo credit: Scarborough Fishing Charters
Sunset Cruises
Take a trip out on the water for a relaxing sunset cruise, or if you’re lucky, see one of the pods of whales that swim by on their migration! The price is $30 for adults and $20 children; call ahead to book as this tour fills up quickly.
Wine Tasting
After all your adventuring, check out some wine tasting at Seaview Wines if you feel a little hungry. This family-run business has been producing wines since 1993 from organically grown grapes in South East Queensland. They offer free tours and tastings every Saturday from 12-4 pm, with light snacks available for purchase. Make sure not to miss out on this one!
Game Fishing
Experience the thrill of chasing a trophy fish for a once-in-a-lifetime battle out on Moreton Bay. The best time to do it is from May to October, but you can go all year round with certain companies depending on what species you prefer to catch.
To book, head down to the Scarborough Boat Harbour, where most of these tours leave, and ask around or check out their website for a complete list of providers.
The Best Places to Stay (and where NOT to stay!)
We like to camp when we visit Trinity Beach, but if camping is not your thing, there are plenty of other options available for varying budgets.
Please note that all prices quoted below were correct at writing (June 2013) for mid-week June/July/August (peak season), earlier and later in the year, and on weekends everything discounts by about 20%.
Trinity Beach Front Caravan Park:
This is our home away from home – Located right on the beachfront, you can’t go past it. It has a great friendly atmosphere and is well maintained.
The rooms are basic but clean and good value for money, they have a small pool, restaurant on-site and there’s always lots going on so you’ll never be short of things to do. This is the only place in Trinity Beach where you can buy alcohol (to consume within your room), so if you plan to drink, bring your ID with you as they will ask for it at the reception!
Hope Inlet Holiday Park:
This is another excellent option for the 5-minute drive from the beach. It has basic cabins with kitchenettes, free wifi, pool, and spa onsite, all at a reasonable price. The staff is accommodating, and most speak excellent English.
The Best Month To Visit: December/January – These months are shoulder season. The weather is excellent, not too hot, and lots of activity, such as live music at the restaurant on Friday nights. By visiting during this time, you can avoid the big crowds but still have plenty to do if you wish!
The Worst Month To Visit: June/July/August – This is peak season-high summer, so again, you’ll need to book well in advance for this one as it will be complete, and you’ll pay a premium price for staying here.
Southern Lifestyle Holiday Resort:
This is the newest holiday resort in Trinity Beach and by far the most impressive. It sits on a beautiful stretch of beachfront overlooking Moreton Island, has a great restaurant with amazing views, pool, and spa onsite.
The rooms are modern and very well appointed, although slightly smaller than other resorts nearby. They also have leisure activities such as tennis courts which you can book individually or within a group through reception. This resort has the WOW factor!
The Best Month To Visit: March/April – These months are still shoulder season, so you can take advantage of cheap rates while avoiding peak-season crowds at this gorgeous resort!
The Worst Month To Visit: December/January – This is peak season-high summer, so you’ll need to book well in advance for this one as it will be complete, and you’ll pay a premium price for staying here.
Whitsunday Holiday Park:
This is the only caravan park located on Whitsunday Island (the first island just off Trinity Beach). It has camping sites or powered / unpowered cabin/caravan sites onsite with spas available at an extra cost for hire. The best thing about staying here, of course, is waking up to views like this…
The Best Month To Visit: January/February – This is shoulder season, so rates are cheaper than high-season, but the weather isn’t too hot yet.
The Worst Month To Visit: June/July/August – This is peak season, so prices are high, and you’ll need to book well in advance as it will be packed during this time.
Airlie Beach & Shute Harbour Holiday Parks:
If you’re planning on base-camping Airlie Beach, there are two parks just 10 minutes away from the main strip that offers powered or unpowered sites right on Brammo Bay beach (one of Airlie’s best).
Both parks have a pool, spa for hire, restaurant, and bar onsite. The first one is Airlie Beach Waterfront Caravan Park which has very basic cabins with kitchenettes at a reasonable price, although they don’t look like much from the outside.
The Best Month To Visit:
December/January – These months are shoulder season, so rates are cheaper than high-season, but you won’t get too hot yet! This is also peak season for whales, apparently, so if you want to see some, be sure to book early!
The Worst Month To Visit:
June/July/August – This is peak season, so that prices will be higher, and you’ll need to book well in advance as it will be packed during this time.
