Whale watching on the gold coast the saying that the best things are sometimes right under your nose is so true when it comes to whale watching. Top 20 gold coast experiences destination gold coast blog. Spirit of gold coast whale watching cruises depart from mariners cove. Prairie creek redwoods state park gold bluffs beach, 707 4657347. A humpback whale passing fishermen on snapper rocks beneath point danger large image. From june to november, the gold coast boasts the longest whale watching season on the east coast of australia to the point where the waters along the gold coast are commonly referred to as the humpback highway. The whales pass close to the island, so it is usually possible to see them without the aid of binoculars. The fantastic vantage points are within easy walking distance from the township of point lookout, north stradbroke island. Whale watching australia 2017 sydney, gold coast, hervey. You can try many of the points like point danger lookout. This lengthy whale watching season means you have up to 25,000 viewing opportunities from the gold coast. Theres a lookout on the edge of the point thats a great vantage point for spotting a passing migrating humpack. But gold coast tourism spokesman ben pole said the gold coast had some of the most accessible whale watching in the country, both from land and sea. Five toptier whale watching locations on the sunshine coast.
While whales can often be spotted from beaches along the coast, the notorious gold coast high rises actually provide the perfect manmade viewing points during whale season. New south whales reveals worldbest vantage points for whale spotting and whale dreaming as whale watching season kicks off from may to november the waters along the nsw coastline will become a living, moving spectacle as thousands of humpback, southern right, fin and other whale species make their way north. Free whale watching along the east coast of australia getaway sailing on the gold coast exclusive private gold coast whale watching and gold coast sailing yatch charter. Both locals and internationals are very excited to participate in watching the beauty and magic of the whales. One of the best land based spots to watch the majestic humpback whales on their way north to breed and give birth is at point lookout. The whale watching season in queensland runs from midjune to october. As the migration moves north, the capital of queensland, brisbane, gets in on the humpback action. Relax on one of the patrolled beaches, go four wheel driving, explore some of the best dive sites or surf some of the best breaks in the world.
Point danger on the border between queensland and nsw is a popular spot to view passing whales, but there are other viewpoints for watching whales along the coasts of australia. Its easy to spend a whole day here and not get bored what a coincidence that its also one of the best whale watching vantage points on the coast. The best vantage points around nerang include any of the headlands around the gold coast, including. From may to november we are blessed to have thousands of humpback whales passing through our. The high cliff faces provide fantastic vantage points for land based viewing with two designated platforms to the east and west of the main path, both with wheel chair access. A great place to spot whales from the comfort of your holiday accommodation or a top floor restaurant or bar. There are some great lookouts where you can see them from the shore, or jump on board a vessel and travel 10 minutes out to sea to see them up close in their. You may even spot a mother and calf on their way back. Heres our guide to some of the best spots for whale watching on the gold coast hike to the hilltops. The best spots to whale watch on the central coast. Immerse yourself in nature, with a range of landbased and waterbased. Travel along the coolum boardwalk up to the tippy top, its about 10 minutes along.
If youre looking to whale watch from shore, there are many locations along the west coast. Land based vantage points include whale watch lookout point near the historic lighthouse at cabrillo national monument, the towering bluffs at torrey pines state reserve, and the back patio at birch aquarium at scripps institution of oceanography. Humpback whales megaptera novaeangliae environment. Trained volunteers click here to see video help you hone in on the giants, and answer questions like, whats spy hopping. Top 14 whalewatching spots in australia holidays with kids. North stradbroke island straddie is arguably the best landbased whale. Top 8 whale watching spots in nsw australian geographic. If tours arent really your thing, point lookout presents arguably the best spot near brisbane for whale watching. The whale trail highlights 50 different vantage points from tweed heads down the nsw coast to help tourists and locals spot the gentle giants. This beautiful headland offers one of the best land based whale watching vantage points on the gold coast, mr miles said. Destinations include sydney, melbourne, brisbane, perth and all major cities across australia.
Byron and tweed wild about whales nsw national parks. Free whale watching along the east coast of australia. One things for sure when it comes to whale watching in nerang from land. As gray whales migrate along the pacific coast, we may have a brief chance to view. Some of the best places to view whales from shore besides point reyes. Also at point lookout is the famous north gorge walk, a beautiful 1. A new 50 stop tweed whale trail will be launched at point danger. Whale watching at point reyes point reyes national seashore.
Gold coast inside stories whale watching season is here. Local whale watching company spirit of the gold coast whale watching experienced a bumper season of whale watching. The best guide to nocost whale spotting with your gold. The whale population on the east coast is now estimated to be increasing by about 10 per cent each year. Burleigh point, burleigh heads burleigh point is paradise, the most peaceful place on earth and the perfect tinderdate location.
The central coast is spoilt for choice when it comes to the best places to view the winter whale migration. If youd rather be in the midst of the action, enjoy a. Best local vantage point is cape sebastian, five miles south of gold beach. While each of these locales offers great vantage points for whale watching from the land, there are currently no dedicated cruise tour operators servicing the great ocean road for whale watching, however, the local government has done its best to put into place several initiatives to make viewing whales from dry land easier. For anyone who has never seen a whale, its a great place to visit now that the humpback whale migration season is. Daytrips and cruising on moreton bay boat gold coast. Best places for whale watching from the gold coast shore. The best land based vantage point is cape byron lighthouse, or you can get up and personal on a kayaking tour with go sea kayaks or a whale watching cruise with tour operators such as whale watching byron bay you might even get lucky and view whales while snorkelling at julian rocks. Best whale watching spots in busselton, margaret river and. Byron bay on the far north coast offers some of the best whale viewing in the country. North stradbroke island point lookout explore brisbane. Point lookout is queenslands most easterly point and its rocky outcrops overlooking the pacific ocean are the perfect spot for land based whale watching from june to november. The best whale watching vantage points on the gold coast revealed.
The gold coast s iconic oceanview walk at burleigh heads has undergone a milliondollar revamp by the palaszczuk government in time for the commonwealth games. New south whales reveals worldbest vantage points for. Here are some of the best whale watching spots around australia. The impressive north gorge walk at point lookout is one of the best land based vantage point in australia to watch dolphins, turtles, manta rays and migrating humpback whales june to november. For anyone who has never seen a whale, its a great place to visit now that the humpback whale migration season is well underway. Offshore lies the gulf of the farallones protected by the greater. The following are all free, and whale sightings are common. The annual whale migration up the pacific coast has begun. Queenslands gold coast is central to the migratory route for whales, so it is. Whale watching from land if youre looking to whale watch from shore, there are many locations along the west coast from california to washington. For later reference, download the complete top 20 gold coast experiences pdf guide.
The best vantage points for whale watching on the gold coast include. There are a multitude of landbased whale watching points on the gold coast. See whales as they migrate along the queensland coast for less with the latest whale watching gold coast deals, and get tips for the best views. Its queenslands most easterly point for landbased whale observation. Below are just a few locations youll likely be able to see whales during migration without getting seasick. The 9km coastal walk from town beach to lighthouse beach hugs the coastline and offers stunning vantage points and a number of seats at different headlands along the way for whale. Skypoint observation deck is australias only beachside observation deck and boasts the highest enclosed vantage point of the gold coast where you can sit back, relax and enjoy the unsurpassed 360 degree views that extend from the surf to the hinterland and beyond. The whale season around brisbane generally runs from midjune to october. Whale spotting is much easier from land when the whales swim south on their return trip, as the animals seem to move further. The rocky outcrops at point lookout are ideal vantage points for land based whale watching. Just an hour south of brisbane, we have the best vantage point to spot thousands of humpback whales as they migrate north to mate and give birth in warmer waters, following a. In terms of vantage and accessibility spots, things dont get much more whalefriendly than the countrys easternmost point.
Whale watching sunshine coast our favourite spots and. The marine giants come close to north stradbroke island, making land based whale watching from the lookouts possible a pair of binoculars is all youll need for a closer look for a better view, join yalingbila tours, which depart from brisbane cbd, cleveland or dunwich. Whale watching is the practice of observing whales and dolphins cetaceans in their natural. In 1955 the first waterbased whale watching commenced in the same area, charging. Iconic oceanview walk reopens at burleigh heads after. Where to go whale watching in queensland, australia. For anyone who has never seen a whale, its a great place to. Popular whale watching destinations include areas of sydney in new south wales and the gold coast in queensland. The impressive north gorge walk at point lookout is one of the best landbased vantage point in australia to watch dolphins, turtles, manta rays and migrating humpback whales june to november. Our whalewatching season begins in late may and runs through until november. Find a clifftop spot with an unobstructed view of the ocean. Grab brunch togo and visit one of the many seaside vantage points to catch a glimpse of the beautiful morning sunrise. While there are many companies offering whale watching tours, there are just as many vantage points along the coast where you can witness the whales. Another great vantage point is iluka bluff lookout near evans head, also a.
One things for sure when it comes to spotting whales from land. You can dine at one of the local restaurants or cafes, or. There are plenty of opportunities to spot the whales frolicking from land based vantage points, including cape byron lighthouse. We have the options to take the cruise fr tangalooma, surfers paradise or tweeds head but are not sure which is better, in terms of sighting rate, proximity to the whales, overall. But gold coast tourism spokesman ben pole said the gold coast had some of the most accessible whale watching in the country, both from land.
The whale watching peak period is between june and november. Whale season starts with incredible sighting at surfers paradise. Well, you can plan when best to go whale watching based on the following. Nsw police find no evidence angus taylors office downloaded. This beautiful headland offers one of the best land based whale watching vantage points on the gold coast, mr miles. The best time to see whales in queensland brisbane kids. Whale watching sunshine coast our favourite spots and providers. The best land based whale watching near brisbane sunset safaris.
Head of bight is one of the most popular whale watching destinations in the state with southern right whales calling his place home for five whole months. The central coast boasts several fantastic headlands and vantage points to view this spectacular annual whale display. On the gold coast, places such as point danger and burleigh heads provide great vantage points to watch for whales. The sheer size of the whales means that from the beaches and shoreline of the gold coast, there are many vantage points for whale sightings. The raised vantage point allows visitors to take in the panoramic views of the ocean, ensuring whale watching is easy and relaxed. For landbased sightings,during whale watching week look for vantage points all along the oregon coast with big whale watching spoken here signs. Cape byron on the northern nsw coast is an excellent whale watching destination on both land and water, with its headland not only a signature walking track accented by its famed lighthouse and mustvisit regional highlight but a great line of sigh for whale spotting, too. The elevated natural headlands along the northern nsw and gold coast provide excellent land based vantage points where you and the kids can watch their spectacular displays of breaching, tale fluking and fin slapping.
A magnificent location with exceptional views, makes point perry one of the premier whale watching spots on the sunshine coast. Some of the best land based vantage points can be found along the southern section of the bibbulmun track between walpole and albany. Milliondollar views for revamped burleigh walking track. Best whale watching spots in busselton, margaret river and albany.
The best spots for whale watching in and around brisbane. South africas whale watching was initially shorebased. Sunset sailing cruise, whale watching gold coast tours proposal cruise, gold coast whale watch, gold coast whale watching, humpback, land based, migration, visit gold coast, whale gold coast, whale in paradise, whale. The south west of western australia has the longest whale watching season in australia, starting in augusta in june. These arent the only good spots for shore based whale watching. The best whale watching vantage points on the gold coast. This beautiful headland offers one of the best landbased, whalewatching vantage points on the gold coast, said national parks minister steven miles of the 1. We are planning to join a whale watching cruise in early june.