1 Forrest Beach
Allingham 4850, QLD
Forrest Beach is the surfing beach for the town of Ingham. It lies 20 km east of the town and the Bruce Highway, and contains a small holiday settlement, spread for 4 km along the 14 km long beach. There is a store, hotel and caravan park at the beach, together with the Forrest Beach Surf Life Saving Club, founded in 1928. It is located in the wide foreshore reserve that backs the beach. The reserve also contains an amenities block, playground and picnic facilities (Figs. 4.28 & 4.29). The stinger net is directly in front of the surf lifesaving club, with a concrete boat ramp just to the north. The beach lies toward the northern end of the open Halifax Bay and faces slightly south-east, exposing it to waves averaging between 0.5 and 1 m. These combine with the medium sized beach sand to build a 50 m wide high tide beach, fronted by a 50 m wide bar that is cut by small rip channels during and following waves greater than 1 m.
A moderately safe beach at high tide, however care should be taken at mid to low tide when rips, if present, will intensify. Always swim in the patrolled/stinger net area.
