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Tallebudgera Estuary Floating Boom
Gold Coast, Queensland

A floating boom creates an Olympic length swimming pool in the calm waters of the Tallebudgera Creek estuary. This free public swimming enclosure is located right outside the caravan park. It is hugely popular with kids, with younger ones playing in the shallows and teenagers perching themselves on the far corners of the boom, to find some space outside of earshot of mum and dad. Swimming in the Tallebudgera Creek estuary Above: The three sided floating boom swimming enclosure in the Tallebudgera Creek estuary (Order this image)

The foreshore here is usually busy, with caravan park guests and locals alike, spilling out onto the boardwalk that runs along the back of the little beach. On the beach itself there are some umbrella shades that provide limited shade, or bring your own sun shelter.
The pool is 50 metres long and around 25 metres across, with depth depending on the tides, noting that it can get quite deep near the outer boom. Swimming in the Tallebudgera Creek estuary Above: The estuary from the Murlong Park foreshore (Order this image)

You can also wander along the estuary foreshore to find a quieter spot to swim before a lunch or evening bbq, making sure to stay away from the stormwater drain outlets that are clearly visible at low tide. If you head downstream towards the highway, you will find the estuary mouth, which is usually a shallow strip of water with banks of sand on either side.
Heading a couple of hundred metres upstream, you will find Murlong Park, which is also a hive of activity with its shady strip of lawn, public barbecues and little jetties. People wander in off the foreshore and plomp themselves down on the sandy bed to cool down in the still water.

Other Information Before You Go:

Location:Murlong Crescent, Palm Beach
Latitude:-28.101225 Longitude:153.457026
Getting there: From the Gold Coast Hwy (Route 2) at Palm Beach, head west along Tallebudgera Drive to Murlong Crescent. There is parking available in Murlong Crescent. From there, walk about 150 metres along the estuary to the east to find the floating boom. If you are staying at the tourist park, the floating boom is at the back of the park.
Facilities: Shade cloth at the back of the beach, and a bike path that runs behind it. About 50 metres to the south of the swimming enclosure are the public toilets. Facilities on the Murlong Park foreshore include a little jetty, boat ramp, public bbqs, picnic tables, rubbish bins, public outdoor shower. There are a range of additional facilities for guests staying in the tourist park, including a pool and a splash pad.

Entrance fee: None
Water temperature: Mild
Water clarity: Clear
Under foot: Sand
Maximum water depth: 1 to 2 metres, depending on the tides
Minimum swimming proficiency required: Beginners in the shallows (under supervision)
Prohibitions including whether you can bring your dog: No dogs on the beach or in the swimming enclosure (but dogs are permitted along the board walk on a leash). In the swimming enclosure there is no fishing, no diving, no fires, no camping, no littering, no cars and no smoking. Swimmers are advised to keep off the swimming enclosure barrier.
Sun shade: Shade available out of the water under the shade cloth at the back of the beach, or under the trees further away along Murlong Park. No shade in the water.
Opening times: Always open
Wheelchair access: The boardwalk that runs along the back of the beach is wheelchair accessible, but access to the water is across soft sand.
Managing authority: Gold Coast City Council
Nearby attractions: Harley Smith Reserve, a swimming hole also on Tallebudgera Creek, about 10 km upstream in the Tallebudgera Valley.
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 of deep water, and steep drop offs in the water.

Locality Map:

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