Queensland Coastal Navigation Guide – Bar Crossings and Anchorages 

Queensland Coastal Navigation Guide. Ports of Entry, Bar Crossings, Anchorages & Great Barrier Reef Routes.  The total length of the Queensland mainland coastline is 6,973 km (4,333 miles) with another 6,374 km (3,961 miles) of island coastline. It is also one of the most varied and navigationally demanding in Australia, stretching from the engineered entrances of the Gold Coast to the tidal channels of Torres Strait and the shallow estuaries of the Gulf of Carpentaria. Each region behaves differently, with its own bar crossings, tidal patterns, reef structures, anchorages, and weather influences. This guide provides a practical overview of the entire coast, linking to detailed destination pages that focus on real‑world navigation, ports of entry, anchorage characteristics, and the operational realities of sailing in Queensland waters. I have cruised this coast on several boats and currently my own 36 foot ketch is located there.

The coast transitions gradually from shallow, tide‑affected waterways in the south to reef‑fringed headlands and remote anchorages in the far north. Skippers will encounter dynamic river bars, shifting shoals, strong southeasterly trade winds, monsoonal weather patterns, and the complex tidal systems of Torres Strait. This overview is designed to help skippers understand the navigational character of each region before committing to passages, and to support safe planning for both domestic and foreign yachts entering Australian waters.

East Australian Current

Queensland’s offshore sailing is shaped by the early formation of the East Australian Current, where the flow is strongest, most coherent, and closest to the coast, often accelerating southbound yachts and sharpening sea‑state transitions near the shelf edge. Northbound sailors must account for this fast south‑setting current, as even moderate opposing winds can create steep, uncomfortable seas, particularly off Fraser Island, Cape Moreton, and the wide continental shelf of the southern Queensland coast. Read about the East Australian Current in Queensland here.

Queensland Coastal Navigation Guide - Ports of Entry

Queensland’s Ports of Entry for cruising yachts are spread along the coast and offer reliable clearance points for vessels arriving from overseas. Major ports such as Brisbane, Bundaberg, Gladstone, Mackay, Townsville and Cairns provide full Customs, Immigration and Biosecurity services, with deep‑water access and facilities suited to international arrivals. Smaller northern ports including Cooktown, Thursday Island and Weipa serve as essential clearance options for yachts arriving via the Coral Sea, Torres Strait or the Gulf of Carpentaria. All require advance reporting, adherence to designated arrival procedures and entry during approved operating hours. Clearance is only permitted at these official Ports of Entry, and yachts must remain in quarantine until officers complete their inspections. If entering Australia please read and understand Australia Customs and Biosecurity for Yachts and make your life much easier.

South East Queensland (SEQ) – Coastal Navigation 

Gold Coast – Southport.  Southport is a designated Australian Port of Entry and a common arrival point for foreign yachts beginning their Queensland cruising route or sailing south to NSW and beyond. The Gold Coast Seaway is a dredged entrance with strong tidal flow and breaking seas during moderate swell. The outer bar can stand up quickly when swell meets the ebb, making this one of the more dynamic Queensland bar crossings. Inside, the Broadwater offers sheltered but shallow navigation with shifting shoals and heavy traffic. Cruising Guide for Southport is here.  

Queensland Coastal Navigation Guide - Moreton Bay

Moreton Bay – South Stradbroke, Peel Island, Scarborough, Bribie Island.  Brisbane is the Port of Entry for this region. Moreton Bay is a shallow, tide‑sensitive system with extensive banks and narrow buoyed channels. Strong southeasterlies create short, steep seas across the banks, a defining feature of Moreton Bay navigation. Peel Island is a fair‑weather anchorage. Scarborough offers deep, all‑weather access. Pumicestone Passage is extremely shallow and tide‑dependent. Cruising Guide for Moreton Bay is here. 

Queensland Coastal Navigation Guide - Brisbane 

The Brisbane River is a deep commercial waterway with strong tidal flow and continuous shipping. Movements must be planned around port traffic and wash from large vessels. Upriver marinas provide secure berthing but require tide‑aware transit. The Cruising Guide for Brisbane is here. 

Sunshine Coast

Mooloolaba’s entrance is a dynamic coastal bar and one of the more challenging Sunshine Coast bar crossings, with frequent shoaling and breaking seas in moderate swell. Conditions change rapidly and require bar‑crossing experience and updated local advice. Reference website and bar camera. This is also the base for Brisbane Port Pilots who have their vessels based here.  The fishing fleet here ensure really great fresh seafood. Noosa’s bar is highly unstable and generally unsuitable for cruising yachts.
The Cruising Guide for Mooloolaba and Noosa is here. 

Central Queensland – Bar Crossings, Tides & Reef Gateways

Fraser Coast – Wide Bay Bar, Great Sandy Strait, Hervey Bay, K’gari.  Wide Bay Bar is one of the most significant hazards on the Queensland coast, known for steep breaking seas and shifting shoals. Inside, the Great Sandy Strait is shallow and tide‑dependent, requiring precise waypoint navigation. Hervey Bay anchorages are workable only in settled weather. The Cruising Guide for Wide Bay Bar, Tin Can Bay, Great Sandy Straits are here. 

Breaksea Spit -Hazard and Navigation Considerations

Breaksea Spit marks the point where swell from the Coral Sea and Tasman Sea begins to interact with the shallow shelf, producing refracted and reflected wave patterns that can confuse the sea state. Yachts approaching from the west or south‑west may encounter a sudden increase in wave steepness as they near the spit, particularly during spring tides or when residual East Australian Current flow is present offshore. Maintaining a wide safety margin, monitoring depth trends closely, and avoiding wind‑against‑tide scenarios are the most effective strategies for managing risk in this area. 

Breaksea Spit is one of the most dynamic and potentially hazardous areas on the Queensland coast, and yachts rounding the top of Fraser Island must treat it with caution. The spit forms a long, shallow extension of Fraser Island’s northern tip, with rapidly changing sandbanks, tidal overfalls, and abrupt depth transitions that can turn otherwise moderate conditions into steep, confused seas. Even in calm weather, the combination of shallow water and strong tidal flow produces turbulence, and the sea state deteriorates quickly when a southerly wind blows north against the south‑setting flow offshore. This wind–current opposition is amplified by the shoaling effect of the banks, creating short, breaking seas that can extend well beyond the charted shallow areas.

The inner routes across Breaksea Spit, sometimes used by smaller vessels, are unsuitable for most yachts due to shifting channels, unmarked hazards, and unreliable depths. The banks migrate frequently, and the seabed can change significantly after strong weather, making older local knowledge or historic tracks unreliable. For this reason, most yachts adopt a conservative offshore arc north of the spit, remaining in deeper water where the sea state is more predictable and the influence of tidal overfalls is reduced. This offshore route still requires careful timing, as fresh southerlies can create uncomfortable conditions even in deeper water, and the transition from Hervey Bay’s sheltered environment to the open Tasman Sea can be abrupt.

Bundaberg – Burnett River, Bunker Group 

Bundaberg is a major arrival and entry point for yachts entering Australia. The Burnett River entrance is well‑marked but can break across the leads during strong onshore swell. Offshore, the Bunker Group offers the first true Great Barrier Reef sailing anchorages northbound, requiring good light and careful eyeball navigation. Home of course to the great Bundaberg Rum and Bundaberg Ginger Beer.  The Cruising Guide for Bundaberg, and Lady Musgrave Island are here.

Gladstone – Curtis Island

Gladstone is a deep industrial port with controlled shipping lanes and strong tidal flow. Surrounding islands offer limited but useful anchorages. This region marks the transition into stronger trade‑wind conditions. The Cruising Guide for Gladstone and Curtis Island are here.

Rockhampton – Keppel Bay

The Fitzroy River is long, shallow, and tide‑dependent. Most vessels use Keppel Bay Marina. Offshore, the Keppel Islands provide multiple anchorages with varying protection, forming a key part of the Capricorn Coast sailing route.  The Cruising Guide for Keppel Bay and Great Keppel Island are here.

Yeppoon – Capricorn Coast

Rosslyn Bay is a reliable all‑weather harbour. The Capricorn Coast northward is exposed, with limited shelter until Shoalwater Bay.  The Cruising Guide for Yeppoon is here.

The Whitsunday Coast – Mainland Ports 

Mackay – Slade Point, Flat Top Island (Port of Entry).  Mackay Harbour is deep and accessible, though swell can wrap into the entrance. Strong southeasterlies accelerate around Slade Point. This is a key provisioning stop before entering the Whitsundays. The Cruising Guide for Mackay is here.

Bowen – Edgecumbe Bay, Stone Island

Bowen – Edgecumbe Bay, Stone Island.  Bowen’s bays are workable in settled southeasterlies but exposed to northerlies. Shoaling occurs near beaches, and tidal flow is noticeable around headlands. The Cruising Guide for Bowen is here.

Airlie Beach – Pioneer Bay

Airlie Beach is the primary mainland base for Whitsunday sailing conditions. Pioneer Bay has good holding but is exposed to northerlies. The Cruising Guide for Airlie Beach is here.

Shute Harbour

A deep, enclosed basin offering strong protection and often used as a cyclone refuge. The Cruising Guide for Shute Harbour is here.

Whitsunday Islands – Tidal Passages & Reef Navigation

The Whitsunday Islands offer numerous anchorages, each with specific wind‑direction suitability. Tidal flow is strong in Hook Passage, Solway Passage, and Fitzalan Passage, key features of Whitsunday sailing routes. With some 74 islands and many great anchorages this is a great place to explore.

Outer Great Barrier Reef – Hardy, Bait, Line Reefs

Fair‑weather reef anchorages requiring good light and updated charts.  Hardy Reef and Bait Reef sit within easy striking distance from Hamilton Island, offering reliable moorings and some of the most accessible outer‑reef snorkelling and diving in the Whitsundays. The Cruising Guide for Hardy Reef and Bait Reef are here.

Mechanical and Electrical Repairs Resource

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North Queensland – Tides, Trades & Island Anchorages

Townsville – Cleveland Bay, Cape Cleveland (Port of Entry).  Townsville is a deep commercial port with strong tidal flow. Cleveland Bay offers limited protection except in light conditions. The Cruising Guide for Townsville is here.

Magnetic Island – Horseshoe Bay, Nelly Bay, Picnic Bay, Radical Bay

Multiple anchorages with specific wind‑direction suitability. Western bays provide the most reliable shelter.  The Cruising Guide for Magnetic Island is here.

Orpheus Island, Hinchinbrook Channel, Goold Island, Dunk Island

Sheltered anchorages with strong tidal flow. Hinchinbrook Channel is narrow, tide‑dependent, and protected. The Cruising Guide for Orpheus Island and the Hinchinbrook Channel are here.

Far North Queensland (FNQ) – Reef‑Fringed Coast & Monsoonal Weather

Cardwell – Hinchinbrook Channel.  A sheltered inland waterway with strong tidal flow and shallow sections. The Cruising Guide for Cardwell is here.

Innisfail – Johnstone River

Innisfail’s Johnstone River entrance is narrow, tide‑affected and prone to strong cross‑currents, making bar timing and updated local conditions essential for a safe approach. Bar entrance with breaking seas in moderate swell. The Cruising Guide for Innisfail is here.

Cairns – Trinity Inlet 

Cairns has a wide, well‑marked approach channel, but strong tidal flow, commercial traffic and frequent dredging mean skippers need to monitor depths, timing and VTS updates closely when entering or departing. A major staging point for reef passages and the run north. The Cruising Guide for Cairns is here.

Port Douglas – Dickson Inlet

Port Douglas has a straightforward, well‑marked entrance, but tidal flow, shifting depths and steady tourist‑vessel traffic mean skippers need to approach with care and monitor conditions closely. It is a tidal river entrance with shifting shoals. The Cruising Guide for Port Douglas is here.

Low Isles, Snapper Island, Hope Islands, Undine Cay, Mackay Cay, Tongue Reef, Opal Reef

Navigation around Low Isles, Snapper Island, the Hope Islands, Undine Cay, Mackay Cay, Tongue Reef and Opal Reef requires close attention to bommies, fringing coral, shallow patches and strong trade‑wind chop, with most approaches best made in good light and settled conditions. The Cruising Guide for Low Isles and also Hope Islands are here.

Cooktown – Endeavour River

The Queensland Coastal Navigation Guide stops into Cooktown’s Endeavour River has a well‑marked but narrow entrance with strong tidal flow and shifting shoals, so skippers need to time the approach carefully and follow updated depth information when entering. The Cruising Guide for Cooktown here.

Lizard Island

Lizard Island offers a well‑protected anchorage in Watsons Bay with good holding, but the approach requires careful eyeball navigation around fringing reef and bommies, best done in clear light and settled conditions. The Cruising Guide for Lizard Island here.

Eagle Island, Howick Group, Ingram Island, Flinders Group, Claremont Isles, Cape Melville, Bathurst Bay

Navigation to Eagle Island, the Howick Group, Ingram Island, the Flinders Group, the Claremont Isles, Cape Melville and Bathurst Bay demands careful eyeball work in good light due to extensive fringing reef, bommies and shallow patches throughout the area. Most anchorages are exposed to trade‑wind swell and only reliable in settled conditions, with limited protection from wind shifts. Tidal flow can be strong around headlands and between reefs, and depths vary significantly with coral shelves extending well offshore. Cape Melville and Bathurst Bay offer the most dependable shelter in the region, though both require cautious approaches and attention to shifting sand and gusty katabatic winds. The Cruising Guide for Cape Melville and the Flinders Group is here. The Queensland Coastal Navigation Guide looks at all those remote islands.

Princess Charlotte Bay

Large, shallow bay with extensive mangroves. Princess Charlotte Bay offers broad but exposed anchorages with strong tidal flow, extensive reef systems and shifting shallows, making good‑light navigation and settled‑weather timing essential for safe entry. The Cruising Guide for Princess Charlotte Bay is here.

Piper Islands, Night Island, Forbes Islands

Fair‑weather anchorages only. Anchorages around the Piper Islands, Night Island and the Forbes Islands are generally small, exposed and best used in settled weather, with approaches requiring good‑light navigation to avoid fringing reef, bommies and shallow coral shelves. The Cruising Guide for Piper Islands and for Forbes Islands are here. The Queensland Coastal Navigation Guide covers everywhere.

Cape York, Torres Strait & Carpentaria – Tidal Currents & Remote Ports

Cape Tribulation to Cooktown. Narrow, reef‑fringed coastline with limited anchorages. The stretch from Cape Tribulation to Cooktown requires vigilant reef‑edge navigation, good‑light eyeball work and careful routing around bommies, shoals and fringing coral, with limited shelter and strong trade‑wind exposure along much of the coast. The Cruising Guide for Cape Tribulation is here.

Cape York – Escape River, Albany Passage, Somerset, Seisia

The Queensland Coastal Navigation Guide includes the Cape York region, including Escape River, Albany Passage, Somerset and Seisia, requires precise tidal timing, good‑light navigation and careful reef‑edge routing, with strong currents, shifting shoals and limited shelter along much of the coast. Strong tidal flow, narrow channels, and shifting shoals. The Cruising Guide for Cape York is here.

Torres Strait – Thursday Island

The Queensland Coastal Navigation Guide also includes the Torres Strait, with Thursday Island as the primary Port of Entry, demands precise tidal planning, vigilant reef‑edge navigation and strict adherence to marked shipping channels, with strong currents, shallow banks and heavy commercial traffic requiring disciplined routing and good‑light approaches.  The Cruising Guide for Thursday Island is here.

Gulf of Carpentaria – Weipa (Port of Entry), Karumba, Burketown, Bamaga, Lockhart River

Queensland Coastal Navigation Guide and the Gulf of Carpentaria, including Weipa (Port of Entry), Karumba, Burketown, Bamaga and Lockhart River requires careful tidal planning, attention to shallow bars and shifting mudbanks, and conservative approaches to river entrances, with most anchorages exposed and best used in settled conditions. Shallow, exposed coastline is dominated by tidal flats. River entrances are tide‑dependent. The Cruising Guide for Weipa and Karumba are here.

Queensland Coastal Navigation Guide - Summary

Queensland offers a long, continuous coastline with no single navigational pattern, and safe passage depends on understanding how each region behaves. From bar entrances and shallow channels to reef passes, tidal streams, and remote anchorages, the coast demands conservative decision‑making and accurate local information. The linked destination guides provide the detail needed for planning, while this overview gives skippers a clear sense of the broader route and the operational considerations that define each section of the Queensland coast. The Queensland Coastal Navigation Guide is here to assist in passage planning.