Noosa is longboarding’s spiritual home in Australia. At the northern end of Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, a run of dreamy right-hand points wraps around the headland of Noosa National Park, peeling slow and glassy over sand and rock for rides that seem to go on forever. When the right northeast swell is running, First Point, Tea Tree and Granite Bay serve up some of the most enjoyable small-wave, long-ride surfing anywhere, in warm subtropical water beneath a rainforest headland. The catch is that the points are fickle, needing a specific swell direction to switch on, and gloriously crowded when they do, while nearby Sunshine Beach handles the everyday swell for those wanting more punch. This is a beloved stop on our guide to surfing in Australia. Here’s every break, when to go, and how to set up.
Quick surf guide to Noosa
- Best season: summer to autumn (December to April) for the NE cyclone swell that wraps into the points
- Best for beginners: First Point and Noosa Main Beach
- Best for advanced: Sunshine Beach, and the points on size
- Wave type: long sand-and-rock right points, plus an exposed beach break
- Water temp: 20 to 27°C, boardshorts or a springsuit, no full wetsuit
- Crowds: very high when the points are on; it’s a busy resort town
- Getting there: Sunshine Coast (MCY) about 40 minutes, or Brisbane (BNE) 1.5 to 2 hours
- Budget: AUD 90 to 350 a day; Noosa is pricey
Where to surf in Noosa
The famous points chain around the national park headland, with the beginner main beach in town and the punchier Sunshine Beach just south. Tap a marker to preview a break, then click its name to jump to my full rundown below.
The national park points
A chain of right-hand points wrapping the headland, from the mellow town wave to the quieter, better-quality points further round.
First Point
The town wave at the end of Main Beach, First Point is a mellow, waist-to-shoulder right made for cruisy longboarding: soft, forgiving peelers that are perfect for learners and loggers. Being the first point to break and the closest to the car parks, it’s a wall-to-wall zoo the moment a swell arrives, so it’s as much about sharing waves gracefully as riding them. Still, for a first long point ride in warm water, it’s hard to beat.
Little Cove
Just around from First Point, Little Cove (Johnsons) is a sheltered, palm-fringed cove with a soft, forgiving long right, arguably the most idyllic-looking wave on the coast. It’s very gentle and photogenic, which is exactly why it’s packed with logs and learners whenever it’s working. A beautiful, mellow ride and a lovely spot to spend a warm morning, if you can find a gap in the crowd.
Tea Tree Bay (National Park)
The jewel of Noosa, Tea Tree Bay in the national park is a long, tapering right that holds its shape better than almost anywhere on the east coast and can even throw a barrel section when it’s bigger. A five-to-ten-minute walk through the rainforest keeps it slightly less mobbed than First Point, but only slightly, as it’s the marquee wave everyone wants. On a clean NE swell, one of the great longboard and performance points in the country.
Granite Bay
The furthest round the headland, Granite Bay is the most exposed of the points and often the best quality when a real swell runs, facing a slightly different angle so it catches waves when the others are flat. The longer walk in and the rockier entry and exit thin the crowd, rewarding the effort with bigger, cleaner waves. A smart move on a solid day when First Point and Tea Tree are packed and maxed.
The beaches
For a gentle learner beach in town, or real power when the points go flat, the open beaches deliver.
Sunshine Beach
Just five to ten minutes south around the headland, Sunshine Beach is the punchy alternative: a shifty, powerful beach break with rips that faces the open ocean and breaks on ordinary S and SE groundswell, so it works when the sheltered points sit dead flat. This is where you go for real, shortboard-friendly power and the odd barrel, a proper contrast to the mellow logging up the point. Mind the currents, as it’s an exposed, energetic beach.
For total beginners, Noosa Main Beach in town is the safest bet: a calm, north-facing, gently sloping learner beach where every surf school launches, ideal for your very first waves before you graduate to First Point.
When to surf in Noosa
Shoulder
Winter (points often flat, Sunshine Beach works)
Noosa’s points run to a very particular clock. Because they’re tucked away from the prevailing south swell and need northeast or east swell to wrap around the headland, they come alive mainly in the Queensland tropical cyclone season, roughly December to April, when ex-tropical systems spin swell down the Coral Sea. February and March are the sweet spot for consistent, clean point waves. It’s a fickle setup: the points can sit flat for weeks and only truly switch on a handful of times a season, so timing, and a bit of luck, matter.
Outside that window the points are often flat, but Sunshine Beach picks up ordinary S and SE swell year-round as a reliable backup, so you can nearly always find a wave somewhere. The water is warm and subtropical, from about 20 degrees in winter to 27 in summer, so it’s boardshorts or a light springsuit and never a full wetsuit. Whenever you come, dawn on a west wind is the move for the points.
Surf schools and where to stay in Noosa
Noosa is a polished, upmarket resort town rather than a backpacker surf strip, with surf schools running lessons off Main Beach and First Point and a wide range of stays, from holiday apartments to boutique hotels around Hastings Street. Base yourself in Noosa Heads to be walking distance from the town beach and First Point, with the national park points a stroll or short drive away and Sunshine Beach just over the hill. Learn on Main Beach, log the points when the NE swell wraps in, and duck to Sunshine Beach when they go flat. It’s a beautiful, food-and-lifestyle-focused town to enjoy between sessions, if not a cheap one. For a wider trip, see our guide to surfing in Australia.
Compare surf camps in Queensland on BookSurfCamps
What to pack for Noosa
Warm subtropical water, long point rides and a fickle, crowd-heavy setup are what to plan for. My Noosa checklist:
- Boardshorts and a rashie for summer, and a light springsuit or 2mm for cooler winter mornings; no full wetsuit needed in 20 to 27 degree water
- The right board: a longboard or mid-length is the whole point at Noosa, with a shortboard for Sunshine Beach; see our best beginner surfboards and check your board volume
- Reef-safe SPF and a surf hat for the strong Queensland sun on those long point sessions
- A surf watch and a good swell forecast, since the points are fickle and NE-swell dependent, plus a longboard-friendly leash
Getting to Noosa
Noosa sits at the northern end of the Sunshine Coast in southeast Queensland. The closest airport is the Sunshine Coast (MCY) at Maroochydore, about 40 minutes’ drive south, while Brisbane (BNE), the main international gateway with far more flights, is around an hour and a half to two hours away. A car is handy for reaching Sunshine Beach and getting around, though Noosa Heads and Hastings Street are walkable to Main Beach and First Point, and the national park points are reached on foot through the reserve. If you’re planning a wider trip, pair this with surfing in Australia.
Frequently asked questions
Is Noosa good for beginner surfers?
Yes, very. Noosa Main Beach is a calm, gently sloping learner beach where the surf schools operate, and First Point is a mellow, forgiving longboard right that’s ideal for progressing. Warm water and soft, slow waves make it one of the friendliest places in Australia to learn, though it gets very crowded when the points are on.
When is the best time to surf in Noosa?
Summer to autumn, December to April, the Queensland cyclone season, when northeast and east swell wraps around the headland to light up the points, with February and March the sweet spot. The points are fickle and need that NE swell direction; outside the season they’re often flat, but Sunshine Beach still works.
What is the best wave in Noosa?
Tea Tree Bay in the national park is the jewel: a long, tapering, high-quality right that holds its shape beautifully and can barrel when bigger. First Point is the mellow town wave for learners and loggers, Granite Bay the quieter, more exposed quality point, and Sunshine Beach the punchy option when the points go flat.
Do I need a wetsuit to surf in Noosa?
No full wetsuit. The water is warm and subtropical, about 20 to 27 degrees Celsius, so boardshorts and a rashie do the job in summer, with a light springsuit or 2mm top for cooler winter mornings. It’s about the warmest surf on the Australian mainland outside the tropics.
Why are Noosa’s points so crowded?
Because they’re world-famous, beginner-friendly and fickle. When the NE swell finally wraps in after a flat spell, everyone paddles out at once, and First Point and Tea Tree in particular can be wall-to-wall. Surfing at dawn, walking further to Granite Bay, or heading to Sunshine Beach helps you find more space.
Can you surf Noosa year-round?
Sort of. The points are seasonal and NE-swell dependent, best in the summer-to-autumn cyclone window and often flat otherwise. But Sunshine Beach picks up ordinary S and SE swell year-round, so there’s nearly always a rideable wave somewhere around Noosa, just not always on the famous points.
Noosa is longboarding heaven when the stars align: warm water, a rainforest headland and long, glassy right points that reel forever. Learn on Main Beach, wait for the northeast swell to wrap the points into life, share the crowded lineups with grace, and duck to Sunshine Beach for power when they go flat. Bring a log and a sun hat, and enjoy one of Australia’s most enjoyable waves. See you in the lineup.
