Clontarf Beach: Pelican Park, Bells Beach Park and Parking

Clontarf Beach is the bayside strip along Hornibrook Esplanade on the Redcliffe Peninsula, where two council parks, Pelican Park and Bells Beach Park, look out over Bramble Bay. It is a free, easy day out for families, with a fenced playground, electric barbecues, picnic shelters and toilets close to the sand.

It is also the home of the Redcliffe KiteFest, and it sits a short drive from Suttons Beach and the Redcliffe jetty.

Pelican Park

Pelican Park, at 101 Hornibrook Esplanade, is the main family stop at Clontarf Beach. The park has a fenced playground with soft fall matting, picnic shelters, electric barbecues, tables and seating, a water fountain and toilets, including accessible toilets. Sealed, accessible paths run around the park.

A boat ramp and rigging area sit beside the park, for a final safety check before boats go out.

Council also lists a large bookable event area with an oval of 400 metres by 150 metres.

Bells Beach Park

Bells Beach Park is the longer, shadier stretch of the esplanade, also overlooking Bramble Bay. Council lists beach access, toilets, a car park, electric barbecues, a shelter, seating and shaded picnic tables, plus a bin and a water fountain.

It is known as a spot for watersports such as jet-skiing and windsurfing, so you may see watersports gear along the shore.

Redcliffe KiteFest

Pelican Park is the home of the Redcliffe KiteFest, a free weekend of giant kites held in September, from 10 am to 4 pm on both days. Details can change, so check the KiteFest page on Visit Moreton Bay for the next dates and times before you go.

Can you swim at Clontarf Beach?

Council’s pages for Pelican Park and Bells Beach Park list beach access but say nothing about swimming, lifeguards or patrols. Treat it as an unpatrolled bay beach, check the conditions and tide on the day, and keep children within arm’s reach of an adult.

If you want a patrolled beach for swimming, head to Suttons Beach in Redcliffe, which has patrols and gentle waves, or to the lagoon at Settlement Cove Lagoon. Margate Beach has shallow water but is not patrolled, as the Margate Beach guide explains.

Is Clontarf Beach dog friendly?

At Bells Beach Park, dogs are welcome on the shared pathway but must be on a leash. Council’s Pelican Park page does not mention dogs, so keep your dog on a leash there as well.

Make a day of it around Clontarf

Clontarf works best as one stop in a bay day. Start with the playground and a barbecue at Pelican Park, then walk the esplanade towards Bells Beach Park.

A few minutes away, the Hays Inlet Eco Path is a free concrete bush path through mangroves and saltmarsh, with 131 bird species recorded there. The Eco Path starts from the western end of Silcock Street, Clontarf, and Visit Moreton Bay lists it as accessible.

If the kids still have energy, Woody Point Jetty is a lit fishing jetty on Bramble Bay at the southern tip of the peninsula, with sheltered picnic areas along its length.

Planning your visit

• How long: one to two hours for a playground and picnic stop; half a day with lunch from the barbecues.
• Best time: mornings for a free table in a shelter; a quiet weekday if you want the park to yourself.
• Cost: free to visit; council lists no entry or parking fee. The barbecues are electric, so bring your own food.
• What to bring: sunscreen, hats, water, a picnic rug and food for the barbecue.
• Accessibility: Pelican Park has accessible toilets, accessible parking and sealed paths.

Getting there and parking

Clontarf is about 29 km from the Brisbane CBD, about 35 minutes by car without traffic. There is plenty of car parking at Pelican Park, including accessible parking, and a car park at Bells Beach Park. Both parks front Hornibrook Esplanade.

For buses, plan your trip with the Translink Journey Planner or call 13 12 30.

Council has pages for Pelican Park and Bells Beach Park.

Nearby

• Hays Inlet – a mangrove eco path and birdlife, also at Clontarf.
• Suttons Beach, Redcliffe – a patrolled swimming beach further along the peninsula.
• Woody Point Jetty – a lit fishing jetty on Bramble Bay.
• Redcliffe Beach, Jetty and Lagoon – the peninsula’s main beach day out.
• Settlement Cove Lagoon – a free lagoon on the Redcliffe foreshore.
• Scarborough Marina – boats, fishing and waterfront lunches at Scarborough.
• Redcliffe Peninsula Christmas Carols – a free family night held at Clontarf Beach State High School.

Browse more beaches and the Redcliffe Peninsula.

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• Deception Bay (Moreton Bay)
• Sylvan Beach (Bellara)
• Frenchmans Beach (Point Lookout)

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