Pumicestone Passage: Paddling, Fishing and Foreshore Spots

Pumicestone Passage is a 35 kilometre channel of shallow water that separates Bribie Island from the mainland. It runs from the tip of Bribie Island near Caloundra down to Deception Bay, and it is a good place to paddle, fish, swim or just look at the water from a foreshore park.

There is no single entrance and no one car park. The Passage is reached from parks and beaches on both sides, so most visits start at one of those spots.

Paddling on Pumicestone Passage

The Passage is a regional aquatic playground, and paddle boarding and kayaking are two of the main ways to enjoy it. People also explore it by catamaran and jet ski. It is narrow and shallow, so check the tide before you set off.

If you do not have your own gear, Visit Sunshine Coast lists Golden Beach Hire, Bills Boat and Bike Hire, Caloundra Jet Ski, Ocean Adventure and Experientia Sunshine Coast as local hire and tour operators. Check each operator for what they offer, what it costs and whether you need to book ahead.

Cruising Pumicestone Passage

If you would rather be taken out, Ferryman Cruises leaves from Pacific Harbour Marina at 41 Harbour Promenade, Banksia Beach. Its 2-hour Captain’s Lunch Cruise sails up the Passage to Little Goat Island, and the operator also lists morning tea and sunset cruises. Fares are listed from about $35 a person, and you book on the Ferryman Cruises website.

Dolphins, dugongs, sea turtles and sea birds are all on the operator’s list of what you might see, but only “if we are lucky”, so sightings are never guaranteed. Departure times are not published on the listing, so check with the operator.

Fishing on Pumicestone Passage

People fish the Passage for tailor, bream, jewfish and prawns. It is also a declared fish habitat area, so check the current Queensland fishing rules before you wet a line.

On the Caloundra side, Golden Beach is a four-kilometre stretch of sheltered Passage foreshore with picnic parks and boat ramps, facing Bribie Island.

Wildlife in the Passage

Dolphins live here, and dugong and turtles are seasonal sightings. The Passage is a significant feeding ground for green and loggerhead turtles and a foraging and breeding ground for dugong.

The shallows also draw birds: 24 species of migratory shorebirds and 11 species of shorebirds are counted here. Sightings are never guaranteed, so treat any dolphin or dugong as a bonus.

Foreshore spots on both sides

You can see and reach the Passage from a string of parks. These are the ones with their own Explore SEQ guides:

• Bongaree, on the Bribie Island side, has a jetty, a beachfront park with a playground, a free museum and Sunday markets.
• Sandstone Point is the mainland end of the Bribie Island bridge, with foreshore parks and Passage views.
• Golden Beach, at Caloundra, has picnic parks, boat ramps and a dog park.
• Bribie Island itself has the patrolled surf beach at Woorim on the ocean side, a short drive from the Passage side.

A protected waterway

The Passage is part of the Ramsar-listed Moreton Bay Marine Park and is a high-value waterway under state legislation. It is recognised as one of the most important bird and marine habitats on the East Coast of Australia, so the shallows matter as much as the open water.

City of Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast Council and more than 30 groups are working on a catchment action plan with 32 projects, aimed at water quality and wildlife habitat. Read more on the City of Moreton Bay Pumicestone Passage page and the Visit Sunshine Coast listing.

Planning your visit

• How long: a short stop at a foreshore park takes an hour or so; a paddle or fishing trip is a half day or more.
• Cost: looking at the water from a public foreshore is free; hire, tours and boat ramps vary by operator.
• What to bring: sun protection, water, and a tide table if you are paddling or walking the flats.

Getting there

For the Bribie Island side, Bribie Island is about 75 minutes by car from the Brisbane CBD over the Bribie Island bridge. Parking and facilities are different at every spot along the Passage, so see the guide for the place you are heading to.

Nearby

• Bribie Island Butterfly House – a wet-weather or wildlife stop on the island.
• Red Beach, Bribie Island – a quiet beach with a dog on-leash section.
• Browse more Bribie Island places and paddling spots.

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• Maroochy River (Sunshine Coast)
• Carbrook (Logan)
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