Rainbow Bay History

Captain Henry John Rous named Rainbow Bay in 1828 after his ship, the 28-gun frigate HMS Rainbow, while he was on commission to find suitable new fertile lands.

He journeyed in a whale boat up the Tweed River and in the process he recaptured 9 escapees from the Moreton Bay Penal Settlement.

A military outpost briefly existed after this on the headland at Point Danger.

The outpost was created to intercept any other escapees from the Moreton Bay Penal Settlement.

 Click here for

"Life in Rainbow Bay"

 by Sophie Carter

Snapper Rocks Surf Bank

Once upon a time, Snapper Rocks was a fairly average Gold Coast point break living in the shadow of it's world famous cousin Kirra. In fact it was better known as a fishing spot (hence the name) than it was as a surf break. However, in April 1995 the Tweed River Entrance Sand Bypassing Project (TRESBP) began pumping sand out of the river mouth and dumping it just east of Snapper Rocks.

Before long a super sand bank had formed in Rainbow Bay and once the swells started hitting, local surfers realised they had one of the world's longest, and most consistent point breaks on their doorstep. 

Click here for historical images of Rainbow Bay

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