Bulcock Beach

Bulcock Beach sits inside the Pumicestone Passage, a sheltered waterway between the Caloundra headland and Bribie Island. You won't find surf here. It's the only patrolled beach on the Sunshine Coast that faces flat, calm water, and that's exactly the point.

At low tide, the sandbar exposes shallow tidal pools just deep enough for toddlers to splash around in. The water is warm, clean and turquoise. At high tide the usable sand shrinks considerably and currents pick up further from shore, so check tide times before you go.

The boardwalk runs the length of the foreshore and at sunset you get an unobstructed view across the passage to the Glass House Mountains. Cafes and restaurants line the street directly opposite. Facilities are solid: BBQs, showers, a playground and a lower fishing deck off the boardwalk.

Patrols run weekends, school holidays and public holidays from September to May. Parking along the Esplanade is free but fills fast on weekends. Arrive early or walk from the town centre, which is just minutes away.