Sandy Point & Corio Bay
A popular day trip either by dirt road through the back of the old Mercure Resort (now closed), or by 4WD up the beach, Sandy Point forms a small promontory on the southern edge of Corio Bay.
Sandy Point is an area at the northernmost end of Farnborough Beach, famous for its tall white dunes and pristine sand. The beach itself stretches about twenty kilometres north of Yeppoon on the Capricorn Coast. The area is part of the local government council area, Livingstone Shire.
Fishing Creek flows around the point and is a popular spot for crabbing. Note that Fishing Creek is a renowned habitat for saltwater crocodiles, as they come here for fresh drinking water which flows down from Waterpark Creek.
Sandy Point and surrounds are part of Darumbal traditional lands. You might also like to read the article, Early Settlement of the Capricorn Coast.
Amenities
There are no facilities, shops, or drinking water at Corio Bay, so you will need to take all supplies with you. Don’t forget sandfly spray if you’re allergic to the little buggers, as they are prevalent at dawn and dusk.
Access to Sandy Point
2WD: In dry weather, Sandy Point is accessible by gravel road through the back of Mercure Resort.
4WD: Sandy Point is accessible via the beach access at Bangalee.
Access to Farnborough Beach is via the Bangalee ramp. Speed and clearance are your friends when using this ramp.
A lot of inexperienced once-a-year adventurers get bogged in the very loose sand at the bottom of the ramp, especially when there are holes from previous bogged vehicles.
Also be aware of the tides so you can plan your trip without any problems. Traffic can be quite crowded especially during school holidays and weekends. Other things to look out for are kids running around, dogs, the occasional kangaroo or emu, surfers, fishing rods on the sand etc. For these reasons, speed limits apply on the beach and police definitely do regular patrols.
Note that you cannot cross lower Waterpark Creek to reach Five Rocks or Nine Mile Beach (the northern side of Corio Bay) from Sandy Point. Access is only via the top of Waterpark Creek near Byfield.
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.
2 responses to “Sandy Point | CQ Towns & Places”
My Grandfather Ted Harmsworth had the only fishing hut on Sandy Point for many decades. He started taking fishing parties up Farnborough beach to the point from the early 1930s onwards. There used to be another older hut on the western side of Ricketts Creek that was built by sailors of a ship that was beached on Farnborough beach during a cyclone in the 1800s.
Wow. I love hearing these little pieces of local history. Thanks Alexander!