Check the swell on the east coast’s most northerly surf beach, explore the waters of the Great Barrier Reef and camp on the foreshore fronting this coastal town.
Agnes Water fronts a broad sweeping beach that it shares with the neighbouring town of Seventeen Seventy, so called to commemorate the first landing place of Captain James Cook. Agnes Water sits in the shade of a forest-fringed foreshore, looking out to the magnificent Coral Sea. Stroll along the golden sands of the beach and watch the surf curling into the coastline or jump aboard a boat headed for the breathtaking reefs that lie just offshore.
Stop by the Agnes Water Visitor Information Centre and find out what you can do during your stay. You’ll find plenty of reasons to spend some time on the town’s 5.5-kilometre (3.4-mile) beach. Book lessons with a local surf school and carve up Queensland’s northernmost surf breaks. Swim in the lifeguard-patrolled waters at the southern end of the beach. Explore the tidal pools amid the rocky headlands that intersect the town’s shoreline or hike around the low dunes that roll out from the foreshore.
Head to the nearby marina in the town of Seventeen Seventy to embark on a cruise trip around the Southern Great Barrier Reef. You can spot dolphins, turtles and manta rays from a glass-bottomed boat or join tropical fish for a swim in the Coral Sea waters. Visit nearby Lady Musgrave Island for sheltered snorkelling amid a coral lagoon. Scuba diving and fishing tours are also available.
The pristine oceanfront landscapes of Deepwater National Park and Eurimbula National Park are perfect for short strolls and longer hikes, as well as camping getaways on the parks’ foreshore reserves. Wander along the Paperbark Forest Walk to experience the region’s fragrant tea-tree woodlands.
Agnes Water is located on Central Queensland’s Capricorn Coast. Bundaberg Airport and Gladstone Airport are both 1.5-hours’ drive away. Box jellyfish can roam Agnes Water’s beaches during the summer months, so check with the locals before swimming. Visit between March and June to experience the region’s breathtaking butterflies or later in winter to avoid the humidity of the wet season.
