Buddina Beach: Dogs, Parks, Parking and the Surf Club

Buddina Beach is a long surf beach on the Sunshine Coast, running from Point Cartwright at the mouth of the Mooloolah River south to just north of Coopers Lookout Park. It suits long walks, and the stretch is lined with small parks, showers and a surf club.

Sunshine Coast Council numbers the beach access points along the sand from 198 to 219, and those numbers are the easiest way to find your spot. Most of what you need on a day here is within a short walk of the sand.

Is Buddina Beach patrolled?

Sunshine Coast Council describes Buddina as an unpatrolled surf beach. Check the flags and signs before you go in, and if you want a patrolled beach, Mooloolaba Beach is the nearby one that is patrolled all year.

Is Buddina Beach dog friendly?

Partly. Dogs can run off leash at all times in two sections of the beach:

• Point Cartwright to Gulai Street (beach access points 198 to 201).
• Mawarra Avenue to Talinga Street (beach access points 210 to 217).

Dogs are not allowed in the Buddina Foreshore Reserve. At Point Cartwright Reserve, off-leash dogs are allowed at the times and places shown on signs, and the council has a flyer on the animal access changes at Point Cartwright and La Balsa Park. Read the signs on the day.

Parks along the beach

Point Cartwright Reserve

The reserve covers 5 hectares of open grass and bushland overlooking the mouth of the Mooloolah River, with an active lighthouse at the eastern tip. A free car park sits at beach access 199, next to a viewing platform over the surf, and a path of about 230 metres leads up to the lighthouse. There are two public toilets, one at the car park and one 250 metres west of the water tower. The Point Cartwright guide covers the lighthouse and lookout in full.

Alan Walker Park

This beachside park on Pacific Boulevard sits on the Coastal Pathway beside beach access points 205 and 206. It has a playground with swings, a three-seat rocker and a Supernova, a basketball half-court, shelters, barbecues, picnic tables, shade and beach showers. There are public toilets and street parking.

Coopers Lookout Park

Coopers Lookout Park is on Pacific Boulevard next to Kawana Surf Club, with beach access points 220 to 224 and the Kawana Waters RSL War Memorial. There are two playgrounds, one on each side of the surf club. The northern one has a play fort with a rope climb, slide and fireman’s pole, swings, rockers and sand play. The southern one has a climbing fort with a tunnel slide, a chain climbing net, a spinner and a Velocitron, plus a basketball half-court. The park also has exercise equipment, picnic facilities, public toilets and parking.

Showers and toilets

Beach showers are at access points 200, 205, 207, 208, 210, 213 and 218, which makes rinsing off easy along most of the beach. Public toilets are at Point Cartwright Reserve and Alan Walker Park, with more at Coopers Lookout Park.

Kawana Surf Club

Kawana Surf Club is at 99 Pacific Boulevard, Buddina, and has a bistro and bar. It is open Sunday to Wednesday 10 am to 10 pm and Thursday to Saturday 10 am to midnight. The club says it will move to a temporary setup from January 2027 while it is renovated, with completion expected in late 2028, so check the club’s website or call (07) 5444 8642 before you plan a meal.

Getting there and parking

Buddina is about 85 minutes by car from the Brisbane CBD, roughly 100 km by road.

For the northern end, use the free car park at Point Cartwright Reserve. For the middle of the beach, Alan Walker Park has street parking, and Coopers Lookout Park has parking next to the surf club. Council lists parking at those two parks without prices, so follow any signs.

The Translink journey planner will show buses to Buddina. Pick Pacific Boulevard or the park you are heading for as your destination.

Nearby

• Point Cartwright – the lighthouse and lookout at the northern end of the beach.
• Mooloolaba Beach – the patrolled beach with the Esplanade just up the coast.
• Kawana Waters – the wider suburb behind the beach.
• Mooloolah River – the river that meets the sea at Point Cartwright.
• Minyama – the next suburb inland.
• More beaches and more of the Sunshine Coast.

You might also like

• Little Cove (Noosa Heads)
• Teewah Beach (Noosa)
• Narrowneck Beach (Main Beach (just north of Surfers Paradise))

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