The Broadwater

The Broadwater is a large shallow estuary that stretches from Southport to the southern end of Moreton Bay in the north. The estuary is separated from the ocean by South Stradbroke Island.

The southern entrance is Seaway that was constructed in 1986 to stabilise the shifting river mouth of Nerang River. The northern entrance, Jumpinpin Channel, is still in its natural state after forming recently from spring storms in 1896, likely due to the salvage activity for the Cambus Wallace in 1894 that likely weakened the sandbar.

Wave Break Island is a man-made island built in 1985 to protect the area from storm surges coming in from the Seaway, but it's now naturalised and is a fantastic day trip with its white sand beaches and snorkelling opportunities.

What to expect

Wide estuary with white sandy beaches with plenty of islands and side creeks to explore.

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Paddling Options

There are multiple options from short trips based at one of the put-in locations, to longer trips of the main estuary itself noting that a full return trip is over 60 km, significantly longer if you explore along the way.

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Logistics

There are multiple spots along the Broadwater and mostly operated by Gold Coast City Council though the very upper reaches encroach towards the Redland City Council region of Southern Moreton Bay.

The following are likely the better spots to put in, but there are some other locations that you can use too. The Blue Marker indicates the approximate distance from Main Beach on the Gold Coast. It's a 5 km paddle just to access the main Broadwater from Jacobs Well, but other access points get much closer as you head south and are on the Broadwater itself once you get south of the Coomera River.

Refer to the Interactive Map for additional details.

Boat Ramps

For those paddling solo trying for a longer trip, Translink provides regular bus services along the lower stretches below the Coomera River, but there aren't any services to the towns in the main middle and upper sections, meaning you would have to paddle all the way through to Redlands in Moreton Bay.

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Tides

There is a strong tidal influence for most trips, with care required near the Gold Coast Seaway and Jumpinpin Channel due to the strong current and ocean waves.

The tidal patterns are complex with channels to the north, south and centre. Tides are mostly calculated from either the Brisbane Bar or Gold Coast Seaway, although there are official predictions for Runaway Bay and the Gold Coast Operations Base at Southport too.

Tidal info for Brisbane Bar

December

22

Sun

02:12

1.65 m

07:52

0.84 m

14:18

2.08 m

21:11

0.72 m

December

23

Mon

03:15

1.68 m

08:55

0.94 m

15:06

1.97 m

21:58

0.70 m

December

24

Tue

04:24

1.76 m

10:08

1.00 m

16:01

1.87 m

22:48

0.66 m

December

25

Wed

05:29

1.88 m

11:25

0.99 m

17:00

1.79 m

23:38

0.62 m

Tides for selected locations on the northern Broadwater for Sunday, 22nd December

Cabbage Tree Point

02:42

1.65 m

08:21

0.84 m

14:48

2.08 m

21:40

0.72 m

Jacobs Well

02:40

1.65 m

08:10

0.84 m

14:46

2.08 m

21:29

0.72 m

Jumpinpin Channel

01:22

1.65 m

06:57

0.84 m

13:28

2.08 m

20:16

0.72 m

Pimpama River Entrance

02:40

1.65 m

08:24

0.84 m

14:46

2.08 m

21:43

0.72 m

Tide predictions are estimates only. Other locations tide predictions are calculated from Brisbane Bar and have been adjusted using various offsets for low and high tide times.
Please refer to the Bureau of Meteorology and Australian National Tide Tables for official tidal information.
© Commonwealth of Australia

Tidal info for Gold Coast Seaway

December

22

Sun

01:18

0.97 m

06:36

0.49 m

13:09

1.31 m

19:54

0.33 m

December

23

Mon

02:24

1.01 m

07:44

0.56 m

13:56

1.21 m

20:39

0.33 m

December

24

Tue

03:31

1.09 m

09:00

0.60 m

14:50

1.13 m

21:25

0.32 m

December

25

Wed

04:28

1.20 m

10:17

0.59 m

15:50

1.07 m

22:11

0.30 m

Tides for selected locations on the southern Broadwater for Sunday, 22nd December

Tipplers Island

02:33

0.97 m

07:46

0.49 m

14:24

1.31 m

21:04

0.33 m

Coomera River Entrance

02:28

0.97 m

08:12

0.49 m

14:19

1.31 m

21:30

0.33 m

Paradise Point

02:19

0.97 m

08:01

0.49 m

14:10

1.31 m

21:19

0.33 m

Howard Street

02:00

0.97 m

07:37

0.49 m

13:51

1.31 m

20:55

0.33 m

Tide predictions are estimates only. Other locations tide predictions are calculated from Gold Coast Seaway and have been adjusted using various offsets for low and high tide times.
Please refer to the Bureau of Meteorology and Australian National Tide Tables for official tidal information.
© Commonwealth of Australia

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Map

Explore the key locations in the map below. Most locations will have a photograph that can be seen by clicking on the icon or number in the map itself.

The map also has markers every kilometer that start at 0 at the Nerang River Entrance all the way to Jumpinpin Channel.

You may need to zoom in to see all of these kilometer markers. These do not correlate with any existing numbering system on the bay.

• Logan River
• Southern Moreton Bay
• Swan Bay
• Jumpinpin Channel (The Pin)
• Pimpama River
• Coomera River
• Coombabah Creek
• Runaway Bay
• Gold Coast Seaway
• Wavebreak Island
• Biggera Creek
• Loders Creek
• Nerang River
• Restricted Area
• Boat Ramps
• Campsites
• Kayak Ramp or Path
• Access Points
• Pontoons

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