If you want to experience true beach camping in picturesque surroundings, then Teewah Beach should definitely be on your list.
Situated in the Cooloola Recreation Area, Great Sandy National Park on the Sunshine Coast, a comfortable two-and-a-half-hour drive from Brisbane, Teewah Beach features beautiful beaches, sand dunes, forests and plenty of coastal wildlife. It is a wonderful place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, and relax and unwind as you enjoy nature.
Teewah Beach Camping Area | Double Island
The camping areas at Teewah Beach have now been divided into seven camping zones. Before arriving, you will need to book a specific zone, and set up camp within this area. There are no designated sites, so you are free to set up anywhere within your booked zone.
Most of the camping zones are behind the foredunes and close to the beach and are suitable for tents, campervans and camper trailers with a high clearance.
Before You Go
There are several things you should do before arranging a camping trip at Teewah Beach.
Firstly, you need to book your campsite through http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/. Fees do apply, and numbers are limited, so to avoid disappointment, especially during peak periods, book well in advance.
You can also purchase your 4WD vehicle permit at the same time, or alternatively you can purchase one at the ranger’s office before you hop on the ferry. The ranger’s office can also supply maps and information about the area.
Check conditions before you leave, paying particular attention to fire danger, weather warnings, tide times and other emergencies and alerts for the area.
High clearance 4WD are recommended on all beaches and inland tracks at Teewah Beach, as all-wheel drive vehicles may have difficulty in navigating the tracks. Ensure you vehicle is well prepared and capable of driving in such conditions.
Facilities at Teewah Beach Camping Area
- There are no facilities at Teewah Beach camping area, so bring everything (and take everything back with you, including your rubbish)
- Several ice trucks drive along the beach daily selling ice, newspapers, ice creams, drinks, hot pies etc.
- There is NO mobile phone coverage
- There are some facilities available at Freshwater camping area (just north of Teewah Beach camping area) which include a payphone, public toilets, portable toilet waste disposal facility, untreated tap water and cold outdoor showers.
If you do forget anything, there is a shop on Noosa North Shore which is only 10 minutes away at low tide (longer at high tide) or you can always catch the ferry back to Tewantin where this are a wide range of shops.
TOILET FACILITIES
As of 12 October 2021, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) have introduced mandatory portable toilet requirements at Teewah Beach to address human waste being inappropriately disposed in the area’s natural environment. Therefore, all campers staying in all camping zones at Teewah Beach MUST bring and use a portable toilet for the duration of their stay. Portable toilet waste facilities are available at:
- Second cutting – Noosa North Shore
- Freshwater day-use area (beach camper service bay)
- Clarkson Drive – Rainbow Beach
Activities to Enjoy at Teewah Beach Camping Area
- Family fun on the beach including:
- Swimming
- Surfing
- Sand play
- Fishing
- Beach 4WDing
- Watch the sunrise over the ocean
- Wildlife spotting (look for eagles, kangaroos, dolphins and maybe even whales)
- A visit to:
- Double Island Point
- Double Island Point Lighthouse
- Rainbow Beach
- Freshwater Lake
- Red Canyon
- Cherry Venture Memorial
- Fraser Island
- Noosa or Tewantin
Making the Most of Teewah Beach Camping Area
- Watch children carefully at Teewah Beach as it’s a 4WD accessible area and cars tend to go fast.
- Pack the essentials including:
- Drinking water (more than you think you will need)
- A First aid kit and prescription medications
- Toilet paper
- Fuel or gas stove
- Garbage bags to collect your rubbish in
- Insect repellent and sunscreen
- Portable toilet
- Only low decibel generators, up to 2.0Kva, are permitted between 7am and 9pm.
- Bring cash for the ice trucks and ferry
Teewah Beach Camping – Reviewed
We spent three nights at this gorgeous location with another family between the Christmas/New Year period. We spent our days sitting around our campsite enjoying the beautiful view while the children played.
We rarely left our campsite, as we would stock up on ice when the ice vans came along each day. During the day we would set up an umbrella on the beach and play in the sand and ocean. At dusk we would fish in the ocean and an actual fish was caught! The sand dunes also provided fun jumping off them or sliding down on the boogie boards!! Each night after dinner we would light sparklers to entertain the children.
The kids had such a great time and made their own fun in and around the campsite. It is such a beautiful location that we cannot wait to go to Teewah Beach again.
– Thanks to Lisa for this camp site review!
Getting to Teewah Beach Camping Area
To get to Teewah Beach, you need to take the Noosa Car Ferry from Tewantin, where it is a short two-minute cable ride across the Noosa River. Ferry bookings are not required for vehicles under 25 tonne, so all you need to do is arrive, drive on, pay and off you go. The ferry operates from Sunday to Thursday 5:30am to 10:20pm and Friday and Saturday 5:30am to 12:20am, running every ten minutes. It can get very busy in peak holiday periods, so factor this in when visiting. Payment is CASH ONLY (no silver) so bring cash to pay the operator on board.
Once you have left the ferry simply follow the signs to Teewah Beach and drive approximately 20 kilometres north of the 3rd cutting along the sand to the camping section. Driving on the beach is best done within 3 hours either side of low tide.
Teewah Beach Camping Area is located along Teewah Beach in a 15km zone between the Sunshine Coast Regional Council boundary and Little Freshwater Creek; 20km north of 3rd cutting on the Noosa North Shore.
For further information on camping at Teewah Beach visit http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/parks/cooloola/camping.html#teewah_beach_camping_area
For a list of other recommended family camp locations in and around Brisbane check out Best Places to Go Camping With Kids.
Dana Deverson
In September 2015, our family of 5 tried beach camping for the first time at Teewah Beach, the 15km stretch in the Cooloola National Park. We enjoyed our trip, but upon returning, I feel that I just had to mention the state of the camping area. I couldn’t find anywhere else to write it so here goes …
It’s a magical place to camp and have a holiday but the sheer amount of rubbish on the beach was just dreadful. We regularly saw bottles and cans and god knows what else along the beach. Furthermore, the campsites were also messy and the fact that some people don’t use a proper portable toilet is a bit of a worry. I was told in no uncertain terms by the rangers that any run-off from the camping areas should be considered unsanitary. Also we found fish bones everywhere because people are too lazy the clean up after themselves. If you intend on going in school holidays …. I wouldn’t. The traffic on the beach is just ridiculous. I really think that there needs to be stricter controls on numbers and more active inspections of the campsites. Everyone should use a portable toilet, no exceptions. We have camped in other National Parks such as Girraween and everyone is respectful of taking all their rubbish home etc. It;s’ so disappointing that people do not treat such a beautiful area with respect. I hope that more people who find this area disappointing review it and something is done about it before the area is completely ruined.
Richard Cheese
You shouldn’t tell people that they should do things. The chemicals from portable toilets do far more harm than someone backing one out as god intended. It’s up to people to bury their turds.
Fred Stapleton
With the annual fees the national parks could have a full time caretaker ranger with a galvanized mobile toilet . This could be pumped out treated at the closest poo plant. If not ; why not.
Caroline
These camping areas sound a little backward. Noosa Council need to get their butts into gear and provide some services, essentials like toilets should be without question. I travelled the Nullabor a few years back, we pulled off the road into a camping area, no designated sites but there was a coin operated amenities block and it was CLEAN. In the middle of nowhere, with an obvious water shortage, there was this oasis. Queensland’s tourism is destroying the environment, because councils are too lazy to put things like rubbish bins, toilets, showers, basic necessities. Maybe I’ll head back to W.A. for my next holiday!
Todd
I have been going to DI for 45 years and as a tour guide I have seen it at it’s best and worst. Up until the late 90’s early 2000’s campers where great.Looking after the place taking rubbish home,digging deep holes for toilets and helping people out when bogged ,which does still happen a bit and NO generators there is so much 12v stuff no need .With 4wd’s becoming the must have vehicle for the city foke a lot of the people that go there are very uneducated on driving on the beach,camping and the rules . After reading this it just shows how much people don’t know from this story and the replys. The beach is classed as a road and all road rules apply,people give way to cars at all times. Riding boggie boards down sand dunes big no no creates erosion.You are not to drive on any vegetation or for dunes creates erosion. But the big one getting ferry onto the island ? You are crossing the Noosa river there is no island. So people that write storys like this telling people what they can do please get the story right. This is camping at DI no toilets no water you provide for yourself, if you want toilets and taps go somewhere else .
glenn sparkes
You are so right Todd i have been going there since i was 14 iam now 67 the people of today dont care they have no idea what it was like in those days the fishing was great the people were helpfull and looked a