Things to do in Rainbow Beach in May

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Overview

May is a good time to visit Rainbow Beach. The weather is usually mildly cool and breezy, with temperatures ranging from 65—73°F (18—23°C).

Rainbow Beach has plenty to offer for visitors of all ages and interests. In this article, we tell you the top things to see and do for your May trip to Rainbow Beach. Get inspired by the events, activities, attractions, and experiences unique to May. We’ll let you know where to explore events based on your interests, whether that’s food, culture, art, music, sport or others.

We’ll let you know everything you need to prepare for the weather in Rainbow Beach in May. Learn about what to wear and pack for your trip, the average temperatures throughout May, temperature changes from morning to evening and much more.

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Best events and things to do in Rainbow Beach in May

Top experiences in May
We couldn't find any experiences in May
Holidays in Rainbow Beach in May
May
  • Labour Day (May 4)
Other notable holidays

Weather in Rainbow Beach in May

Temperatures on an average day in Rainbow Beach in May

The average temperature in Rainbow Beach in May for a typical day ranges from a high of 73°F (23°C) to a low of 65°F (18°C). Some would describe the temperature to be mildly cool. The general area may also feel breezy.

For comparison, the hottest month in Rainbow Beach, January, has days with highs of 83°F (28°C) and lows of 74°F (24°C). The coldest month, July has days with highs of 70°F (21°C) and lows of 60°F (16°C). This graph shows how an average day looks like in Rainbow Beach in May based on historical data.

Visiting Rainbow Beach? See our Rainbow Beach Trip Planner.

Historical temperature average in May
73°F
highs
65°F
lows

General weather summary

Mildly cool, breezy
Feels like
11%
Chance of rain
0.065 in
Amount
11.5 mph
Wind speed
66%
Humidity
10.9 hrs
Daylight length
6:17 AM
Sunrise
5:10 PM
Sunset
69%
Cloud cover
T-shirt
What to wear
What to wear in May
With an average high of 73°F (23°C) and a low of 65°F (18°C), it generally feels mildly cool and breezy. With that in mind, most people would dress in something light like your favorite t-shirt
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Best attractions for Rainbow Beach in May

Besides the array of exciting events and activities Rainbow Beach has to offer for travelers in May, we want to remind you of the classic attractions in Rainbow Beach that are great to visit at this time of the year as well! You can’t miss these iconic landmarks, local favorites, and places rich with cultural heritage. We hope to give you insights and inspiration into the best things to see and do to make the most of your visit. Here is a list of our top attractions in Rainbow Beach for May.
Carlo Sand Blow
1. Carlo Sand Blow
4.8
(1089)
Scenic spot
Nature & Parks
Known for its "moonscape" appearance, this popular sandy area features cliffside views & recreation.
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Never seen sand dune type things in Queensland. This was such a beautiful spot. The walk up to it felt like a mild hike 😅but it was worth it. Keep in mind if you’re going up for sunset to bring mosquito repellent because we got absolutely munched on. Worth it tho! 🌟🌟
Great view and short walk from parking space. There 2 scenic lookout. Have to walk down towards the beach, but theres no connection to the beach.
Always face place of mine to visit. It is close to a km walk from the car park to the blow hole. Make sure you take the time and effort to get to the edge of the cliff over looking the ocean, it is a little tough if you have issues walking as very sandy and need some strength to get back up. Billion dollar views await !
Its huge and its beautiful. Amazing place for the sunset. Just 10 minutes walk from the car park. Close to Rainbow Beach. I would recommend everyone to Take water bottle and a big beach towel or picnic mat to sit and watch the sunset. We went there on a weekday so it wasnt that crowdy, it could be really crowdy in the weekends as it is very beautiful place. 👍
Such a wonderful experience, and a great find when travelling in this area. Quite an unusual area, but a great place for sand boarding, or even just rolling down the sand dune. Beautiful sea views at the coastal side with paragliding and the opportunity for whale watching, alongside beautiful green landscapes at the other. The sand blow is about a 5 minute walk from the car park, and definitely a must when in the area!
Very nice natural colours, pics are not edited.
Very good,a short walk 🚶‍♀️ from the carpark,enjoy your visit
Amazing. Love this location at sunset, and it can get quite busy here with people coming to have a drink and watch the sun set! Fun to boogie board down the sand dunes and wander around, see the water and beach below. It's a short walk from the carpark through the bush (300ish metres or so, maybe?) with some stairs along the way. Love this spot!
Inskip Point Recreation Area
2. Inskip Point Recreation Area
4.5
(347)
National forest
Outdoor Activities
Low-key, rustic beach with ample space for camping in tents & caravans amid sand & coastal trees.
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Great location for camping. Toilets were surprisingly clean. Would highly recommend
Awesome location for the Fraser Island ferries ⛴️. So close to Rainbow Beach for supplies, the camp grounds here have toilets and spots so close to the water for fishing and kayaking. The area is a 40 zone, not that many abide by it, but there is a merciless motorbike cop catching a few so would serve as a deterrent. The ferry area is sandy, depending on weather, traffic and volume of cars determines how soft the sand it. Air your tyres down so you do not become an obstacle. Bring recovery boards and a snatch strap. Don't stay on 40psi. At least 25-30psi on the day pending conditions. I run at 20psi for the Island 🏝 Was an outbreak of gastro in the camp grounds so practise good hygiene. A picturesque location. Most accessible by normal sedans until the beach, where an AWD/4WD is necessary
Beautiful Inskip Point Queensland camping loads of room and relaxing. Public toilets are available, and shops are close .
Love this spot, great beaches, campsites are well maintained, and toilet blocks kept tidy. Sites are dog friendly which means my little mate can enjoy this stunning part of the world with me too!
Paradise sums it up nicely
Camped here over Easter. Great location, good facilities, that are cleaned daily. Cap on numbers means that every camper has plenty of space. Such a beautiful part of the world.
Good family beach camping spot. Has wheelchair accessible toilet facilities Camp sites are easily accessed with 4x4 but otherwise you can park a few metres from the camp sites on the road Rainbow Beach is very close to get supplies or visit a cafe/pub Can get very crowded during peak periods so probably don't bother during public holidays
Lovely setting with literally thousands of camping spots , (although it does get very busy you should be able to find a spot) you can choose from setting up amongst the trees or on the beach front and everywhere in between. There are toilet blocks and rubbish bins dotted around as well as the occasional non drinkable tap . Take your own drinking water with you as well as any other vitals as there no Shop close (this includes Fire wood) The longest you can camp here is 30days by permit which I think is around 6-7 bucks (beach driving by permit also ) which is online or from some of the shops at rainbow beach .
Poona Lake
3. Poona Lake
4.7
(66)
Lake
Nature & Parks
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Lovely short hike and beautiful views of the lake. Very quiet too, not many people. You can have a picnic at the picnic tables after your hike.
Beautiful tea tree stained lake that was recommended by locals. The water is clear, and the ambience around the lake is very soothing. The hike to the lake from the car park at Bymien Picnic Area takes about 30 minutes one way with nice scenery along the way. Currently, there is no exposed sandy beach, but still definitely worth going.
Just over 4km round trip to get in but well worth it. Would recommend more then thongs but not a hard hike overall (would be a good short trail run). Vegetation changes through the Walk with lots to look at along the way. Lake is boarded in places by white sand and would be great for a dip on a hot day. Would recommend taking a bottle of water with you.
Wow, the bush walk in took 40 minutes and was quite strenuous in one part as we wove through the rain forest track. We only saw a few birds and one lizard on the walk however the Cicadas were active along one part and very noisy. The lake made the walk worth it once we arrived. The water was cool and clear and there were several groups having fun in up to shoulder height water still standing on white sand bottom. Remember to wear your swimmers and take a towel and a mask and snorkel if your into that and a picnic if your of a mind. There is only the pure white beach when you arrive, no facilities. A suitable walk for the moderately fit but no wheelchair access.
We’ve all seen the beautiful photos of Lake Mckenzie on Fraser Island but if you want a gorgeous lake on the Sunshine Coast mainland look no further than Poona Lake. Poona Lake is a 4.2km grade 2 return walk in Cooloola Recreation Area, Great Sandy National Park, and a short drive from Rainbow Beach. The walk starts from the Bymien day-use area which is accessible by 2WDs and a reasonable level of fitness is required. When you arrive at the lake you are rewarded with beautiful tea-coloured waters and white sandy beaches. Chances are you might even have the place to yourself 🙏🏼
Amazing tea tree lake. A small walk for an amazing view and great swimming. Perfect for anyone. Best attraction in rainbow beach area. Normally pretty quiet and nothing but small fish and some tortoises to compete with.
2.1k walk, will be difficult for a 2 year old. Judge for yourselves. But once you hit the lake it's beautiful. We made it with a two year old crying half the trip
Beautiful. A bit of a walk in from the Bymien picnic area/toilets. About 45/60 minutes to get there. So wear the right shoes and take water. There are no other toilets along the way.
Rainbow Beach Tourist Information Centre
4. Rainbow Beach Tourist Information Centre
2.8
(41)
Tourist information center
Visitor Centers
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What a lovely lady Maureen is. She took the time to write out all this information for me as nobody does brochures anymore. The shop had so much memorabilia from the area - there was something for everyone.
They don’t deserve any customers!! I wanted to return something and all three workers laughed at me. I couldn’t even talk to them because of the bad attitude they have.
The lady at the counter with white hair was extremely unkind. Instead of helping, she laughed at us when we asked questions. It felt rude and very unprofessional. A terrible experience — definitely not welcoming for visitors.
Never met such disrespectful people in my life. All the old workers there have a bad attitude. They will retire soon so they don’t care. I’ll never go back there and won’t recommend anyone to go there too!
Staff are extremely rude. Didn't want us there. Stood at check out counter in front of an older lady staring at a book for about 30secs while she pretended not to see us. It was beyond rude. When she served us after we explicitly asked to be served we were made to feel like an inconvenience. If we didn't need the clothes (my 4yr old needed clean clothes) I would have left in disgust. This lady needs to be fired.
Visited this morning with my baby and husband to buy a pair of sunglasses. Picked a pair off the shelf, tried them on and approached the counter. I tripped on the vacuum cord the older female shop attendant was using (she didn’t look up or say anything). We waited patiently at the counter to pay and she eventually came over. My husband said good morning and she said nothing. Then she asked us how we unlocked the cabinet to get the sunglasses. We said we didn’t have to unlock or open anything to get them. She said “these are Carve, the Carve cabinet is locked”. I said again we didn’t have to open anything and she can go check. She scoffed a bit and said “no it’s alright”. Didn’t sound alright! I said “Jesus Christ” and we paid and left. The rest of the customers left the store behind us and a man said to us on the footpath he wasn’t going to buy towels from her after seeing the way we were treated. Neither of us have ever had such poor customer service before. We should have terminated the transaction but we were in disbelief at what was happening! If she owns the store she should think of selling up. If she’s an employee, she should be performance managed, though I doubt this is her first incidence of rudeness.
Cute little place. Lots of things in store for tourist shopping.
Just went into the shop as I purchased a bracelet 2 days ago that has already broke so was going in to ask if I could get a replacement where neither women on shift served me for around 5 minutes whilst I just stood at the desk while they pretended to look busy I then approached the older women of the two where I said ‘excuse me’ very kindly which she turned sighed and told me it’s my own problem and there’s nothing she can do which would be less of a problem if she wasn’t so rude about me! Considering the fact she works in a tourist shop you’d think she has less of a problem when a British person spoke to her and may need to reconsider a new job as I’ve never been spoken to with such disgust and rudeness in my life!
Searys Creek
5. Searys Creek
4.4
(19)
River
Nature & Parks
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Nice little spot. Water is very clear (though cold), you can see some yabbies and big fish. (fishing and catching of animals prohibited). Easy to walk down the boardwalk to get to the water. There is a small toilet block and picnic table adjacent to the small carpark
Charming little spot. Nice for a swim, the water has nice colours for photography, and is clear enough that you can easily watch the big fish swim around.
Lovely pristine waters. Inhabited by plenty of locals, especially the eels, not a fan of those. The swimming hole pictured at least you could see Mr Eel coming from a long way. Hard to get into the water for a not very nimble person.
A great place for swimming with refreshing and clear water. You can find small fish and other creatures in this area and it has pathways which can be explored. It's also great for taking pictures.
Short & easy stroll to the creek. Picturesque! Can imagine it being a popular spot in summer.
Peaceful nice little creek and swimming hole. Watch out for the eels! They just want to say hello
The google maps location for this spot is incorrect. If you want to access the Seary Creek Day Use Area stay on the main road until you see a sign. Do not use the fire break trail, as suggested by google maps, to get to searys creek day use area. Searys Creek day use area is a beautiful boardwalk to a lovely swimmable tea tree creek with cat fish and yabbies.
Nice refreshing swimming hole and nature area.
Carlo Point Marina
6. Carlo Point Marina
4.4
(129)
Marina
Nature & Parks
Slide 1 of 8
Beautiful views especially at sunset. Well worth a visit.
Nice spot for fishing and relaxing, take your midge repellent, and enjoy the ambience
Nice spot for fishing and beautiful place to see sunset here ! Quick walk from nearby caravan park
Quay Carlo restaurant has fabulous food with very generous servings. Staff are bright, cheerful and very helpful. Views are nice. Could sit there all day.
Nice spot for fishing 🎣 & sunset photos 📸 ✨️enjoy your visit
Always go fishing around this area. Couldn't ask for much more. Love the dolphins that come and visit us out on the water.
It’s a shame that Quay Carlo Restaurant is definitely closed! We had a wonderful lunch not so many years ago. It’s a beautiful place to explore with low tide because you can walk on sand islands full of little crabs that it seems that the whole island is moving.
Beautiful views, quiet, peaceful area
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