Horse Riding
Rainbow Beach is one of the few places left on the coast where you can fulfil that life time dream of riding a horse on a golden sandy beach. There is something fantastic about the feeling of freedom you get from being on your horse with no boundaries, no fences and no limitations. Just let his head go and enjoy the ride....
Rainbow Beach has a history steeped in horses, from the brumbies which still run free on Inskip Peninsular, to the use of horses in the early days of exploration and logging in the area.
Of course if you don't have your own horse you can take a trail ride. (See "Business Directory" for contact details)
Rainbow Beach Horse Riders Guide
How do I get to the beach?
Look for Pacific Boulevard on at the north end of Rainbow Shores Stage 1. Be careful of traffic coming off the beach.
Riding on the Beach
The grasses on the dunes are fragile and if damaged take a long time to recover. To protect these grasses please ride on the beach below the high tide line. Please do not ride on the vegetated dunes and never tie horses to trees.
From September to April a number of migratory bird species use this RAMSAR area for roosting during their stay in Australia. These birds have been on a marathon journey with many travelling 25,000km each year. In approximately March/April birds migrate to Siberia to breed and return in September/October. During their stay here they must rest and feed to build up their fat reserves to enable them to reach their northern destination. Just one disturbance puts shorebirds to flight.
Please keep well away from these birds and avoid riding on the fore dunes where resident birds nest.
NOTE: Respect and follow instructions given by locals and commercial tour operators. It is the responsibility of all horse riders accessing the beach and permitted trails of Rainbow Beach to ensure they comply with the guidelines above.
Failure to observe these guidelines may incur on-the-spot fines and threaten the future enjoyment of horse riding in this sensitive environmental area.
