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Eli Creek
Kgari, Queensland

This swim is a 150 metre long, lazy river ride along a sand-bottomed, freshwater creek with vibrant aquatic life under the water on each bank. This spot is super fun for kids, with shallow water depth along most of its length, a gentle current, easy entry and exit from the water, and a boardwalk that runs from one end of the creek to other for repeated river rides. Swimming at Eli Creek, Kgari Above: The steps down to the upstream departure point in Eli Creek (Order this image)

Vehicle access to Eli Creek is limited to two hours either side of low tide, unless you have come in on foot from one of the nearby beach camping areas. When I visited, it was not necessary to cross Eli Creek when travelling from the south, with parked cars and tour buses lined up directly in front of the creek.
Because there is only a few hour window to visit, make sure you plan ahead using the tide times. Driving along the beach is quite fun, and much easier than driving inland, with only a couple of tricky sections around Yidney Rocks and Poyungan Rocks where you have to detour inland on a short one lane track if it is not quite low tide. Swimming at Eli Creek, Kgari Above: The bridge and boardwalk across Eli Creek (Order this image)

Once at Eli Creek, head up to the footbridge, then walk 150 metres along the creekside boardwalk to the upstream departure point, where there are steps down into the water. The creek is typically around half a metre deep.
It was deep enough to fully immerse under the water, with some slightly deeper patches here and there, but there was not anywhere that I encountered where I could not stand up with my waist above the water.

Floating down the creek there is lush vegetation on either side and in some places the trees have grown overhead to create an arch of foliage over the creek. The views above the water are stunning as the creek environment wraps around you gently from all sides. This swim can however be as calm and relaxing, or as energetic and exciting, as you want to make it. Under the water there were lots of fish hanging around the exposed tree roots, with plenty of reeds and grasses for cover, so bring a snorkel mask to explore this underwater riverscape if you want to take the energetic option. Once at the downstream end there are steps available to exit the water, straight onto the boardwalk to head upstream and ride again as many times as you like. Swimming at Eli Creek, Kgari Above: The outlet of Eli Creek and the beach parking area (Order this image)

Here is a video of tubing down the creek on my inflatable doughnut.

Other Information Before You Go:

Location:Eli Creek, K'gari. K'gari is opposite Hervey Bay, which is 300 km (approximately 3.5 hr drive) north of Brisbane.
Latitude:-25.296197 Longitude:153.222337
Getting there: From Eurong, head north for 26 km by 4WD along the beach at low tide. From Kingfisher Bay head inland along Cornwells Road, Northern Road, Smith Road, and Cornwells Break Road to the beach on the eastern side of the island, then head north for 19 km by 4WD along the beach at low tide. You can also fly directly to Eli Creek from Hervey Bay Airport or Maroochydore Airport.
Facilities: Public toilets, car parking on the beach, boardwalks, steps down to the water, information boards.

Entrance fee: None at Eli Creek, but you will need to purchase a vehicle permit from the Queensland Government if driving on K'gari.
Water temperature: Mild
Water clarity: Clear
Under foot: Sand
Maximum water depth: Less than 1 metre
Minimum swimming proficiency required: Beginners under typical flow conditions and water depths. The water is typically shallow. Avoid swimming if the creek is in flood during or after heavy rainfall.
Prohibitions including whether you can bring your dog: No dogs, no fires, no camping, no fishing, no diving, no jumping into the water, no smoking near public facilities, observe the local parking prohibitions on site (which can change depending on the creek outlet location), no drinking water from the taps at the toilets.
Sun shade: No shade on the beach. Partial shade available in and out of the water along the creek.
Opening times: Always open, but vehicle access is restricted to 2 hours either side of low tide.
Wheelchair access: The boardwalk that runs alongside the creek is wheelchair accessible, but there is a lot of sand and a creek to cross to reach the boardwalk. The entry to the creek at the upstream end is via stairs. Access to the toilets is via stairs.
Managing authority: Queensland Government
Nearby attractions: Maheno shipwreck, 4 km to the north.
Before you head out, make sure to read the swimming safety information and check with the managing authority for any current change of conditions. Specific to this swim, the managing authority has warning signs on site advising that the water height may be shallower than it looks, and therefore to never jump or dive into the water, to be dingo-safe, and to always supervise children when they are near water.

Locality Map:

The marker indicates the approximate location of the start of the boardwalk along Eli Creek. If the map is not zoomed in locally, as can sometimes occur when loading, simply click or tap on "View Larger Map" below.
View Larger Map

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