While many think the most northern beach area for kids to swim at is Paradise Point, there is actually a lesser known spot that is perfect for small children, at the very northern edge of the Gold Coast – Lions Park at Jacobs Well.
Jacobs Well is a quaint fishing village, approximately halfway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast. It’s only a 10 minute drive off the Pacific Highway, most of which is through fields of sugarcane! Access to Lions Park is through the Jacobs Well boat ramp parking area, but if you keep driving you’ll find car parking spaces by the recreational area.
As soon as you step out of your car, you’re about 10 steps from the picnic area and 20 steps from the water! This means no need to lug all your stuff across a huge beach with kids in tow, winning! There is an astroturf foreshore area with plenty of picnic tables and shady trees, as well as some picnic shelters and a BBQ.
Beyond a small fence and down 2 steps and you’re on the sand. With a huge shade sail over the sand, this is a great feature of the beach for parents and little kids. Set up your blanket under the shade sail and it is close enough to the water to supervise the little ones. The sand is soft river sand, and there can occasionally be a few sticks and leaves in the sand and water after heavy rainfall, as it’s close to where the ocean joins up to the Pimpama River.
Little kids will love splashing in the shallows. One of the great things about this spot for little kids is that there are no waves (unless a boat comes along), so you don’t have to worry as much about small ones losing their footing in crashing waves. The swimming area is also netted off to protect swimmers from any sharks that may be in the water.
Along the beach (outside of the swimming area) you’ll find people walking their dogs in the water, fishermen and a few small fishing boats pulled ashore. The swimming beach is also just next to the Volunteer Marine Rescue, and there are a range of big and small boats coming and going the whole day. Keep your eyes peeled for pelicans hanging out in the sun while you swim!
In terms of facilities, there are toilets located near the boat ramp (a little bit of a walk from the swimming area, but not too far), a bait shop for anyone with littlies that like to fish, and nearby is a small shopping complex with a bakery, fish and chip shop and service station. There is also a small council playground at the entry to the boat ramp, next door to the holiday park and camp grounds.
For best swimming conditions, visit this spot in the morning on a high tide. As it is river sand, it can be a bit muddy on low tide. Also, there tend to be midges around dusk, so bring insect repellent if visiting in the late afternoon.
Need to know:
- Address: 1174 Pimpama Jacobs Well Road
- Facilities:
- onsite – barbeque, shaded beach, small rainwater tank tap. Bring water bottles for drinking and rinsing off if needed.
- nearby – toilets, small playground, bait shop, fish & chip shop, bakery
- Carparking can be busy during the summer with the boat ramp very popular. If you can’t get a carpark by the recreational area, there are always spots to be found in the street.
