Ritamada
Ritamada is one of those lovely places you won’t find in the tourist brochures. It is beautiful, peaceful, and private, with some of the best views on the Capricorn Coast, but it is difficult to find and difficult to get to.
For that reason, not surprisingly, Ritamada is a popular, if illegal, haunt for nudists. This practice has probably slowed down in the 2020s with the massive influx of new residents in the greater Emu Park area.
Fishing off the beach can be good at times, as the channel runs around the headland from Tanby Point, before continuing on to Kinka Creek and Causeway Lake. Bream and whiting are the common local catches from the beach.
There are no facilities or fresh water at Ritamada, so take everything you need.
Ritamada falls under the LGA jurisdiction of Livingstone Shire Council.
Access
Ritamada is a promontory with rocky cliffs that overshadow several sandy coves and beaches. Ritamada Road is gravel. It turns off the Scenic Highway just north of Emu Park. There are gated private properties at the end of the road which dominate much of the peninsula, however sand tracks head off on the left just before the gates.
These sand tracks lead you directly onto Ritamada Beach. The sand is loose and you will definitely need 4WD. Do not attempt the track in a conventional vehicle.
Note late 2022: Apparently the beaches at Ritamada are about to be fenced off by council to stop vehicle access (understandably). Check with LSC current vehicle access requirements.
After heavy rain or king tides, some of the tracks become boggy swamp so be ultra careful.
Many of the photos below are of the section of Ritamada nearest Kinka Creek. This lovely secluded beach can only be accessed by foot or by kayak. I would not recommend attempting to land there in a motor boat as there are many rocks that go out a long way which will likely wreck a propeller.
I paddled there from Mulambin Beach, staying within a few hundred metres of Kinka Beach all the way. The trip is 14 kms return. You could also launch at Kinka Creek if you just want a short paddle.
All the above info is provided as a guide. Things change from time to time and it’s always best to get current local knowledge.
Photo Gallery
If you enjoy this type of article, you can find more on the Central Queensland Places page. Feel free to leave any related comments at the end of this page.
Andrew loves history. And geography. And coding. And dogs. That’s pretty much it. And cycling. OK, now that’s pretty much it. Oops, forgot the grandkids. They’re pretty cool too.