Cylinder Beach

Beach

The northern shore of North Stradbroke Island faces essentially due north and runs for 13 km from low, sandy Amity Point to 25 m high Point Lookout, the north-east tip of the island. In between are four sandy beaches, the eastern three bordered by rocks and headlands, together with the... Read more

The northern shore of North Stradbroke Island faces essentially due north and runs for 13 km from low, sandy Amity Point to 25 m high Point Lookout, the north-east tip of the island. In between are four sandy beaches, the eastern three bordered by rocks and headlands, together with the growing town of Point Lookout, which now backs about 3 km of the north-eastern corner of the island. Cylinder beach (1583) is the most popular swimming beach on the island. The 500 m long, north facing beach is located between the hotel headland and 30 m high Cylinder Head. It is backed by a continuous, shady foreshore reserve, including a picnic and camping area, and the main Point Lookout Road and settlement. Two small creeks also drain across the beach. The beach receives waves that have been refracted around Point Lookout and averages 0.5 to 1 m in height. The lower waves and fine sand maintain a usually wide, low gradient beach fronted by a continuous bar, with the mobile sand waves and bars extending up to 200 m off the beach. As a consequence, like all the north side beaches, beach, bar and surf conditions change considerably over time. The beach is patrolled during the summer and holiday periods.

Swimming

The north shore beaches offer generally low to moderate waves along a dynamic beachfront. The safest swimming is at the patrolled Cylinder Beach. Be careful off all the beaches as there is a highly variable bar and trough topography associated with the migrating sand waves, together with often strong westerly drift and rips, when waves exceed 1 m.

Surfing

There are several excellent surfing spots along this section of coast, all of which usually require a larger swell to operate and also a suitable configuration of the sand bars. The main locations are Cylinder, off the headland, Point Lookout off Deadmans and, during bigger swell, at Rocky Point. All can offer low right-handers.

Fishing

The north side is very accessible for beach fishing, usually with a range of holes and gutters associated with the bars and sand waves, as well as a few small creek mouths.

General

The northern sun-drenched side of North Stradbroke and site of the largest settlement at Point Lookout offers north facing beaches of low to moderate energy, with good access to all and accommodation and facilities nearby.