A Seaway day from Bayview Beach Holiday Apartments covers two spots either side of the Southport Seaway: a morning paddle out to Wave Break Island, then an afternoon on the Spit. Both sit within about 20 minutes of our front door in Biggera Waters, and the kayak tour actually starts on foot from our street.
How do you get to Wave Break Island from Biggera Waters?
The easiest way is on a guided kayak and snorkel tour that leaves from right here on the Broadwater. Seaway Kayaking Tours meets beachside at 456-484 Marine Parade, which is a short walk north along Marine Parade from us at 418. You can leave the car in the carpark and stroll up, which is why guests staying with us keep picking this over driving anywhere.
Departures run daily at 7.30am, 10.30am and 1.30pm, with the meeting time fifteen minutes earlier. The paddle across to the island and back runs about two and a half hours and starts from around $89 per adult, with family discounts available, so it is worth checking the current rate when you book. All the gear comes with it: a stable kayak with a proper seat, paddle, lifejacket, dry bag, mask and snorkel, plus a wetsuit and a hot drink through the cooler months from June to September. Take the early tour if you can. Mornings on the Broadwater are calmest, before the afternoon sea breeze picks up, and the guides recommend them for beginners and younger paddlers.
What is there to do once you land on Wave Break Island?
The main draw is snorkelling the rocky reef on the eastern side, where subtropical fish gather in surprising numbers in the clear, sheltered water. Wave Break Island is a man-made island, built from sand dredged during the Seaway construction, and its calm western beaches are perfect for a swim or simply sitting with the Gold Coast skyline across the water.
One thing to know before you go: the island has no facilities at all. No toilets, no shop, no bins. Bring your own water, snacks and sun protection, and carry every scrap of rubbish back out with you. That is part of what keeps it feeling wild and quiet, so close to the city. Most people spend an hour or so ashore, snorkelling, wandering the short bush track between the beaches, and watching the pelicans and terns that work the sandbanks. If the wind is up and you would rather stay on the water, the calm channels around the island are lovely for paddling on their own.
Where can you eat around the Seaway?
Because the island has nothing, lunch is best sorted on the mainland. Our pick for a proper Seaway day is a barbecue at Doug Jennings Park on the Spit, which has free electric barbecues and shaded picnic shelters looking out over the water. Bring the makings of a cook-up and you have lunch with one of the best outlooks on the coast.
If you would rather someone else do the cooking, Charis Seafoods is the local institution, a few minutes south of us at 371 Marine Parade, Labrador, and open 7am to 7pm every day. The fish and chips are cooked to order and the prawns come straight off the co-op, and there is a free pelican feeding out the front most afternoons that guests keep telling us their kids love. It sits right on the Broadwater, so you can eat with your feet almost in the water before heading across to the Spit.
The Spit in the afternoon: the Seaway wall and Federation Walk
The Spit is the long finger of land on the far side of the Broadwater, and the afternoon belongs to it. Start at the Southport Seaway wall, a walkway of about 700 metres along the south side of the channel, with open views south down the coast and north to South Stradbroke Island. Time it right and you will watch boats and the odd big ship thread the Seaway. It is also rated the best land-based fishing spot on the Gold Coast, so if you are keen on casting a line, our guide to fishing the Broadwater is worth a read first.
From there, Federation Walk runs 3.5 kilometres of shaded coastal track through littoral rainforest between the beach and Doug Jennings Park, quiet and genuinely pretty. Short on time? Skip the full walk and just do the Seaway wall for the views and the ship-watching. If the kids still have energy, the calm lagoon of the Marine Stadium behind the Spit is made for a last swim or a paddle.
Getting there and parking
Here is the quirk of a Seaway day: Wave Break Island sits under two kilometres from us across the water, but the Spit is a loop by road. From Bayview Beach it is roughly a 20-minute drive, about 14 kilometres, around the Broadwater through Southport and out along Sea World Drive. Parking at Doug Jennings Park is free, though it fills fast on weekends and through the school holidays.
October makes the timing easy. It is spring, the water is warming, and the summer crowds are still weeks off, so a weekday will feel like you have half the Spit to yourselves. Aim to be paddling in the morning and on the Spit by early afternoon, and you have a full, unhurried day without ever going far from home.
Questions guests ask us
Can you walk to the Wave Break Island tour from Bayview Beach?
Yes. The tour meeting point at 456-484 Marine Parade is a short walk north along Marine Parade from us at 418, so you can leave the car at the apartment and stroll up for the 7.30am, 10.30am or 1.30pm departure. It is one of the easiest mornings out we can offer.
Is Wave Break Island safe for families and beginners?
Yes. The Broadwater here is sheltered and calm, and the early morning tour is the least windy, which the guides recommend for beginners, non-swimmers and young children. A safety induction, lifejackets and stable kayaks with back support are all part of the tour.
Are there toilets or shops on Wave Break Island?
No. The island has no facilities at all, so bring your own water, food, sun protection and a bag for rubbish. Most guests pack a small picnic, then carry everything back out and leave the island exactly as they found it for the next visitors.
Where can you park at the Spit?
Doug Jennings Park has free parking, but it fills quickly on weekends and school holidays. In October the weekdays are still quiet, so arriving before mid-morning gives you an easy spot close to the Seaway wall and the start of Federation Walk.
When is the best time of year to visit the Seaway?
October is one of the nicest windows. The spring water is warming up, the summer holiday crowds have not arrived yet, and mornings stay calm before the afternoon sea breeze fills in. It is a comfortable time to paddle, snorkel and walk the Spit.
A Seaway day is the kind of outing our spot on the Broadwater was made for: a morning on the water and an afternoon on the Spit, both close enough that you are back at the apartment by dinner. If you want to build a whole stay around days like this, have a look at what else sits on our doorstep in our guide to the Broadwater, then check availability in our Biggera Waters apartments and make Wave Break Island the first thing you do.
Image credit: Shiftchange via Wikimedia Commons (CC0)