7 fabulous things to do in Agnes Water & 1770, Queensland

Top things to do in Agnes Water and 1770, Queensland, include Great Barrier Reef cruises, amphibious vehicle tours and sunset kayaking.

The twin towns of Agnes Water and 1770 in Queensland are rapidly becoming top tourist hotspots. On the coast between Bundaberg and Gladstone, the towns are roughly level with the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef. And, at the lifeguard-patrolled Agnes Water Main Beach, you’ll find the most northerly surf beach in Queensland.

Agnes Water and 1770 are all about the outdoors, fishing charters, nature and wildlife, with the kangaroo-riddled Eurimbula National Park on the doorstep.

The towns are somewhat spread out, but the best way to get around is renting a bike or hiring a scooter.

What to book in 1770/ Agnes Water before you arrive

See the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef – on a Lady Musgrave Island day tour.
Hire a scooter – and pootle around the back lanes looking for kangaroos.
Kick back with sparkling wine on a sunset cruise.
(Highly recommended ✅) Travel on land and water, and try sandboarding – on a quirky full day amphibious vehicle tour.
Or take a shorter wildlife-spotting coastline tour, with lunch.
Get the best deals on your accommodation.

Things to do in Agnes Water & 1770: Visit Lady Musgrave Island

Proximity to the Great Barrier Reef is one of 1770’s key selling points. 1770 Reef runs cruises out to Lady Musgrave Island, one of the key southern reef islands. This cruise includes swimming with turtles, snorkelling in the Lady Musgrave Lagoon, a guided island walk and a glide along in a glass-bottomed boat.

These Lady Musgrave Island tours from 1770 cost from $229 at time of writing.

Five reasons why a day tour to Lady Musgrave Island should top your wish list

A Lady Musgrave Island day trip is usually the highlight of a visit to 1770/ Agnes Water. Here’s why it’s so special.

The Great Barrier Reef is in excellent condition here – it hasn’t received the bleaching damage that other spots further north have.
This is stinger and crocodile-free territory – perfect for a summer trip.
Lady Musgrave has the only navigable lagoon on the Great Barrier Reef – the water colours are extraordinary.
That lagoon makes the water really, really calm for swimming and snorkelling.
You’re almost certainly going to see turtles.

Book your Lady Musgrave Island day trip over here.

Things to do in Agnes Water & 1770: Learn to surf

The Lazy Lizard Surf School takes advantage of the most northerly surf beaches in Queensland to offer surfing lessons. The beginner surf lessons are on a private basis, whether booked as a group or individually.

Prices for one-on-one individual lessons start at $120, while it’s from $200 for a group of three. Lazy Lizard also offers board hire for from $15 an hour.

Things to do in Agnes Water and 1770: Amphibious vehicle tours

You don’t have to choose between exploring on land and exploring on water. 1770 LARC Tours offers a series of tours in an amphibious vehicle, which drives along the coast then turns into a boat when it hits the water.

The most popular two hour trip heads into Eurimbula National Park and focuses on the prodigious wildlife. You’ve got a very good chance of seeing white-bellied sea eagles, dolphins and kangaroos.

This two hour tour costs $85. There is also a longer, full day tour, which includes sandboarding and the Bustard Point Lighthouse, which costs $158.

What to do in Agnes Water and 1770: Catch the sunset

Because 1770 is on a peninsula, it is one of the few places on the Queensland coast where you can watch the sun set over water. The 1770 Beach Hotel is the most popular place to take in the sunset, largely because you can do so with a drink in hand.

However, you can also take in the sunset from a kayak. 1770 Liquid Adventures runs late afternoon kayaking tours on Bustard Bay for $60.

You can also get back in that amphibious vehicle for a 1770 sunset cruise. These cruises cost $43.

Things to do in Agnes Water and 1770: Go kayaking

1770 Liquid Adventures also runs morning kayaking tours that head into Round Hill Creek in search of wildlife. Dolphins, turtles and stingrays are often sighted, and the tours cost $60.

Alternatively, you can hire a kayak and explore at your own pace. Single kayaks cost from $20 and double kayaks cost from $30.

Kayaking in 1770. Photo courtesy of Tourism and Events Queensland.

Things to do in Agnes Water and 1770: Go for a walk

There are several good walking routes around Agnes Water and 1770. The 400 metre Bush Heritage Paperbark Forest Boardwalk in Agnes Water takes you through the cabbage palms and paperbark trees of Reedy Creek.

The classic 1770 walk, however, is the Round Hill Creek Walking Trail through the Joseph Banks Conservation Park. Starting at the Captain Cook Monument, this 1.2km walking trail hugs the shoreline and provides majestic views of Bustard Bay.

Agnes Water and 1770 accommodation: Chill by the pool

The other thing you can do in Agnes Water and 1770, of course, is relax by the pool. You are on holiday, after all. Several Agnes Water and 1770 accommodation options have pools, with hotel prices starting at $150 a night.

Good places to stay include the 1770 Lagoons Central Apartments Resort, the Sandcastles 1770 Motel and the Agnes Water Beach Club.

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