Rainbow Beach, Queensland

Rainbow Beach is a coastal town in the Wide Bay–Burnett region of Queensland, Australia, east of Gympie. At the 2011 census, Rainbow Beach had a population of 1,103. The town's name derives from the rainbow-coloured sand dunes surrounding the settlement; according to the legends of the Kabi people, the dunes were coloured when Yiningie, a spirit represented by a rainbow, plunged into the cliffs after doing battle with an evil tribesman. Much of the sand colors stem from the rich content of minerals in the sand, such as rutile, ilmenite, zircon, and monazite. A black dune of ilmenite sands, overgrown by dune vegetation can be found north west of the main town. This is currently being removed for sale in China with complete removal expected to take two years.

Originally a sand-mining community and gazetted in 1969, the town's economy is now heavily influenced by tourism. Double Island Point, a popular destination amongst 4WD enthusiasts, is located east of town. Vehicular ferries for Fraser Island depart from Inskip Point, north of town.