The Spit on the Gold Coast is the strip of beach, bushland and parkland north of Main Beach, with the Pacific Ocean on one side and the Broadwater on the other. It has a patrolled ocean beach, an off-leash dog beach, the Federation Walk through coastal dunes, and two big parks with picnic shelters, a kiosk and room to fish, cycle and walk.
Seaworld Drive runs the length of it, past Sea World, the Sheraton Mirage and Marina Mirage, and ends at Doug Jennings Park and the Gold Coast Seaway, the channel that links the Broadwater to the ocean. It is about 70 minutes by car from the Brisbane CBD.
How The Spit is laid out
Going north along Seaworld Drive, you pass these in order:
- Hollindale Park – the southernmost park, just south of Philip Park, with two playgrounds, barbecues and toilets.
- Sea World, the Sheraton Mirage and Marina Mirage – the resorts, the theme park and the marina along Seaworld Drive.
- Philip Park – a coastal park with barbecues, picnic tables and an outdoor gym, with several beach access points.
- Federation Walk Coastal Reserve – 60 hectares of dune bushland with walking and bike trails.
- Doug Jennings Park – about 30 hectares at the northern tip, with the kiosk, the dog beach, picnic shelters and views of the Seaway.
Can you swim at The Spit Gold Coast?
When the beach is open, yes, in the patrolled area between the red and yellow flags. Lifeguards patrol from 8 am to 5 pm every day of the year at Tower 41, beside the Sheraton Mirage, and at Tower 45, at the southern end of the Doug Jennings Park car park. Towers 42 and 43 are staffed from 8 am to 5 pm on weekends from November to April and during school holidays. Tower 46, at the northern end of the car park, is surveillance only and has no flagged swimming area.
A patrol can close for dangerous swimming conditions, unsafe beach conditions or beach maintenance, so swim only while the flags are up. Dogs are not allowed within 200 metres of a flagged swimming area.
Beginner surfers get gentle whitewash waves in the shallow water north of the jetty, which council says can help when northerly winds spoil other Gold Coast beaches. If you are unsure of the conditions, stay out of the water. For another patrolled beach with a long foreshore, try Surfers Paradise Beach or Broadbeach to the south.
Is The Spit dog friendly?
Yes, there is an off-leash dog beach along the northern part of The Spit beach, which Experience Gold Coast says is very popular on weekends. It is part of the beach council currently lists as closed (see the swimming section), so check before you bring your dog. Access is between the Seaway Kiosk and the sand bypass pumping jetty, with another way in along the Seaway breakwall. Dogs can swim, run and play there.
Everywhere else in Doug Jennings Park, Philip Park and the Federation Walk Coastal Reserve, dogs must be on a leash, and they are not allowed in children’s playground areas. Doug Jennings Park has drinking fountains with dog bowls. Browse more dog parks across South East Queensland.
Federation Walk and the coastal reserve
The Federation Walk Coastal Reserve covers 60 hectares of bushland and nearly three kilometres of shoreline, from Philip Park near Sea World up to the Seaway. It is one of the few places on the Gold Coast with an established dune system and it is known for its birdlife.
Experience Gold Coast describes the Federation Walk as a 3.5 km walk that starts at a fig tree in the car park opposite the Sea World entrance. It passes patches of rainforest, goes under the sand bypass jetty and finishes near the southern wall of the Seaway at the end of the Gold Coast Oceanway. Council also lists bushwalking, running, bike riding and birdwatching in the reserve, and has track maps you can download from its Federation Walk Coastal Reserve page.
The coastal walkway through Philip Park is a wide concrete path, but the other trails are dirt or sand.
Doug Jennings Park and the Seaway
Doug Jennings Park is the park at the tip of The Spit, managed by the Gold Coast Waterways Authority (GCWA). A $5.75 million revitalisation added the Seaway Green, an open grassy space with views of the Seaway and Broadwater, plus new walking and cycle paths, upgraded seating and new picnic shelters.
Council lists these facilities:
- Picnic shelters and tables, with plenty of shade.
- Two public toilet blocks, near the kiosk and along Moondarewa Spit, plus disability toilets.
- Beach showers, a water tap and drinking fountains.
- A fish cleaning station and bike racks.
- The Seaway Kiosk, with a large deck overlooking the park, and seating along the Seaway Promenade.
- A path around the park from one end to the other.
Rules apply under the park’s by-law: no camping, no lighting fires, no overnight parking, no commercial activities and no littering. The vehicle gates are closed from 8 pm to 6 am, but the park stays open to people on foot at all times. If your car is locked in, the signs show an after-hours release number and a fee.
Fishing at The Spit
People come to Doug Jennings Park to fish, dive, surf and swim, and the park has a fish cleaning station. The Gold Coast Sand Bypass System jetty is a working platform for pumping sand, so it is closed to the public whenever sand pumping, construction or maintenance is under way, or in severe weather. Check GCWA’s jetty status page before you plan to fish from it.
Philip Park and Hollindale Park
Philip Park has barbecues and picnic tables, an outdoor gym, outdoor showers and drinking fountains, and toilets at its car park and at a second car park south of the Sheraton Mirage. The hilly section is shaded by trees, and there are open grassy spots under large trees. It is also a popular spot for weddings.
The nearest playgrounds are at Hollindale Park, just south of Philip Park off Seaworld Drive. The north playground has a large spider net, a twisted slide, a swing set and a ring bridge, and the south playground has a boat-themed structure on a sand surface. The park also has barbecues, picnic shelters and public toilets with a parent room.
Food, Sea World and Marina Mirage
The Seaway Kiosk at Doug Jennings Park is known for its crab sandwiches. For a bigger day out, Sea World is the theme park on Seaworld Drive. Marina Mirage, at 74 Seaworld Drive, has a marina, dining and boutique shops. Check each venue’s own website for hours and prices.
Planning your visit
- How long: 1 to 2 hours for a swim or a picnic and coffee; allow half a day to walk the Federation Walk as well.
- Best time: swim between 8 am and 5 pm, when the lifeguards are on. The dog beach is busiest on weekends, so a weekday is quieter.
- Cost: no entry fee is listed for the beach, parks or walks. The kiosk, Sea World and Marina Mirage are extra.
- What to bring: water, a hat, sunscreen, and a leash for your dog.
- Accessibility: Doug Jennings Park has a path around the park that suits people with disabilities, disabled parking bays and disability toilets. At Philip Park, some paths are not wheelchair accessible, and the toilets at the main car park have no path to them; the toilets at the second car park, south of the Sheraton Mirage, are on a paved path.
Getting there and parking
By car, The Spit is about 80 km by road from the Brisbane CBD, about 70 minutes. Follow Seaworld Drive, Main Beach, north along The Spit. There are two council-listed beach car parks, the Philip Park Carpark and the Doug Jennings Park Carpark at the end of Seaworld Drive, with more parking along the park’s ring road and disabled bays. Council and GCWA do not list a parking charge, so read the signs and line markings when you park.
Translink buses 704 (from Helensvale station via Harbour Town and Southport) and 705 (from Broadbeach South station via Surfers Paradise) both stop on Seaworld Drive at Southport Yacht Club and Mariners Cove, and at Sea World (drop-off only). None stops at the Seaway end, so expect a long walk north or bring a bike. Plan your trip with the Translink Journey Planner or call 13 12 30.
More detail is on council’s Doug Jennings Park page. Details can change, so check before you go.
Nearby
- Southport Broadwater Parklands – the Broadwater foreshore on the Southport side.
- Gold Coast Aqua Park – a floating obstacle course on the Broadwater at Southport.
- Surfers Paradise Beach – the patrolled surf beach in the middle of the Gold Coast.
- Broadbeach – another patrolled beach with a beachfront park and a light rail stop.
- Burleigh Heads Beach – a surf beach with a headland park and a coastal walk, further south.
- Things to do on the Gold Coast – ideas for the rest of the day.
Browse more beaches, fishing spots and things to do on the Gold Coast.
Quick answers
Is The Spit Gold Coast free?
No entry fee is listed for the beach, the parks or the walks. The kiosk, Sea World and Marina Mirage cost extra, and council and GCWA do not list a parking charge, so check the signs.
Can you swim at The Spit?
Yes, between the red and yellow flags when the beach is open and patrolled: lifeguards are at Towers 41 and 45 from 8 am to 5 pm every day, and at Towers 42 and 43 on weekends from November to April and school holidays. Council’s pages currently list the beach as closed until further notice because of erosion after Tropical Cyclone Alfred, so check them first.
Is there a dog beach at The Spit?
Yes, an off-leash beach along the northern part of The Spit beach, reached between the Seaway Kiosk and the sand bypass pumping jetty. Dogs must be on a leash elsewhere. Council currently lists the beach as closed until further notice, so check first.
How long is the Federation Walk?
Experience Gold Coast gives it as 3.5 km, from opposite the Sea World entrance to the Seaway.
What time do the gates close at Doug Jennings Park?
The vehicle gates close from 8 pm to 6 am. The park stays open to people on foot, and no overnight parking is allowed.
How far is The Spit from Brisbane?
About 80 km by road from the Brisbane CBD, about 70 minutes by car.
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