Point Lookout, North Stradbroke Island: Gorge Walk, Whales and Beaches

Point Lookout is the headland village at the north-eastern tip of North Stradbroke Island, and the place most visitors come for. It has the Gorge Walk, some of the best land-based whale watching on the east coast, three beaches and a small village of cafes.

The Quandamooka name for the area is Mulumba. You reach it by ferry from Cleveland and then a drive or bus from Dunwich, so most people make it a full day. The island itself is covered in our North Stradbroke Island guide.

The North Gorge Walk

The Gorge Walk, also called the North Gorge Walk, is a 1.2 km self-guided walk along the rocky headlands of Point Lookout. It is the walk most people come for.

The gorge is a narrow channel where the ocean surges between cliffs, and the water below is clear enough to spot marine life. Sea turtles, giant manta rays and dolphins are seen from the lookouts, and kangaroos and wallabies graze nearby. Manta rays are most often reported from November to February.

The Gorge Walk connects with the Minjerribah Panorama Coastal Walk, which has picnic areas, several viewing points and the revamped Frenchmans Stairs.

Whale watching at Point Lookout

Humpback whales pass Redlands Coast from June to November each year, and Point Lookout is one of the best land-based places on the east coast to see them. Viewing from shore is free.

The best spots are the Gorge Walk, the whale-watching platforms overlooking Frenchmans Beach and the viewing points on the Panorama Coastal Walk. Bring binoculars if you have them, and look for spouts and tail slaps out to sea.

Beaches at Point Lookout

Point Lookout has three main beaches, each facing a different way. Pick the beach for the day, not the other way round.

Main Beach

Main Beach is a long surf beach that runs south from the headland. Point Lookout Surf Life Saving Club patrols it, and the island’s tourism site advises checking patrol times and the flagged area with the club before you go. It is known for steady swell and left-hand point breaks, so it suits surfers. Dogs are allowed on a leash, except on the stretch beside the surf club.

Four-wheel drives can reach the beach along George Nothling Drive with a vehicle access permit, covered in the island guide.

Cylinder Beach

Cylinder Beach is the family beach, with a car park, public toilets and a campground facing the sand. It is patrolled by the same surf club. Dogs are not allowed. See the full Cylinder Beach guide.

Frenchmans Beach

Frenchmans Beach is a good place to look at and a poor one to swim. It is not one of the patrolled beaches, it has a permanent rip against Dune Rocks, and the island’s tourism site calls it rip-dominated and hazardous. Point Lookout’s lifesavers have advised against swimming there. You get to it by a signed walking track and the Frenchmans Stairs from the main road. Dogs are allowed on a leash.

The village

The village sits on Mooloomba Road. There are several cafes and restaurants serving island menus and homemade gelati, which makes it easy to turn the Gorge Walk into a lunch.

Point Lookout Hotel faces Home Beach, the off-leash dog beach.

Is Point Lookout dog friendly?

Partly. Dogs must be on a leash at Main Beach, except on the stretch beside the surf club, and at Frenchmans Beach. Home Beach, in front of Point Lookout Hotel, is an off-leash area with no drinking water, shelter or seating. Dogs are banned at Cylinder Beach and in front of any swimming enclosure.

Dogs are also banned from Naree Budjong Djara National Park and Brown Lake, which are inland. The Gorge Walk does not appear on the council’s list of places prohibited to dogs, but no source says dogs are allowed there, so keep yours at home or check with the visitor centre.

Planning your visit

• How long: a day trip covers the Gorge Walk, a swim and lunch in the village. Stay overnight to see Main Beach at sunrise.
• Best time: June to November for whales, November to February for manta rays, summer for swimming.
• Cost: whale watching from shore is free, and no fee is listed for the Gorge Walk. The ferry, camping and 4WD permits are paid.
• Accessibility: council describes the Panorama Coastal Walk as an accessible and safe walkway with viewing platforms. The Gorge Walk is a coastal headland track, so check conditions with the visitor centre if you use a wheelchair or pram.
• What to bring: a hat, sunscreen, water, binoculars and sturdy shoes.
• Information: the Redlands Coast Visitor Information Centre is at 50 Middle Street, Cleveland, on 1300 667 386.

Getting there and parking

Drive to Toondah Harbour in Cleveland, about 40 minutes from the Brisbane CBD. Take the vehicle ferry to Dunwich, which takes 45 to 50 minutes, then drive about 25 minutes across the island to Point Lookout. Ferry details and Toondah Harbour parking are in the island guide, and timetables are on the island’s tourism site.

Without a car, take a train or bus to Cleveland, a water taxi to Dunwich and Transit Systems route 880 to Point Lookout. It runs between Dunwich and Point Lookout village, so check the stops and timetable on the Translink timetable before you go.

There is ample parking at Cylinder Beach and no fee is listed. Frenchmans Beach has informal roadside parking for about six cars, so it fills quickly on a good weekend. Redland City Council has also planned extra car spaces on the southern side of Mooloomba Road as part of the Panorama Coastal Walk.

Nearby

• Cylinder Beach – the patrolled family beach with the car park and campground.
• North Stradbroke Island – ferries, camping and 4WD permits.
• Coochiemudlo Island – a smaller bay island with a short ferry from Victoria Point.
• Moreton Island – another sand island in Moreton Bay.
• Beaches and more places on North Stradbroke Island.

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