Blogger: Lauren Lucy Crowley
It’s always a good idea to try out a new activity… and so in typical OnTheQT style, I was more than happy to try out sand boarding when the opportunity arose whilst staying at Rainbow Beach, QLD, Australia!
The hostel we were staying at (Dingos) offered free sunset treks up to Carlo sandblow in Cooloola National Park, a beautiful of stretch of sand with steep hills to sandboard down! Only delighted to go exploring with some locals, we signed up right away! Although a bit of a trek (approx. 35 mins) from our hostel, it was well worth the effort of getting there!
The sand blow is most certainly a well kept secret, and a true hidden gem! It actually got its name, Carlo Sand Blow from Captain Cook, after one his crew named Carlo! The unique sand mass covers over 15 hectares and overlooks the stunning coloured sands on Rainbow Beach beneath! Its so wide, it almost feels as though you’re on a desert! There is a spectacular 360 degree view – to the East you can see the ocean and spot whales migrating between August and October, to the To the south east is Double Island Point and the cliffs of coloured sand. Fraser Island and Inskip Point are to the North, while Tine Can Bay and the Great Sandy Straits lie to the West. With the right winds and weather conditions, you can also see multiple hand gliders taking off and returning to the sand blow! A truly stunning place to watch the sunset!
But… we didn’t just admire our beautiful surroundings! We hiked to the top of the mounds around us, from where we could barely see the ground – lay on our sandboards (head in front) and slid down the hills at an incredible speed! It was a rather bumpy ride (which lifted me into the air at times) , there were multiple screams, and of course sand blowing in every direction… but it was truly exhilarating! We went again and again until we were worn out – then we lay down to watch the gorgeous sunset!
Next time you’re in Rainbow beach, be sure make the time to take a trip to this wonderfully unique hideaway! x
1 Comment
hi there,
would like to know if you brought your own sand board there, thanks a lot.