An iconic Gold Coast destination you should visit with your toddler for a walk on the beach and a swim this spring / summer. Make sure you bring the fur babies too.
Key Details
Address: Seaworld Drive, Main Beach QLD 4217
Time from Ormeau HQ: 36 minutes (34.5km)
Contacts: Website
The Southport Spit, referred to by locals as “The Spit”, is located north of Main Beach and stretches all the way up to the Gold Coast Seaway.
The Spit is home to Sea World, Sea Wold Resort, the Sheraton Mirage Resort and Spa, Palazzo Versace, Marina Mirage and Doug Jennings Park. At the northern end of The Spit (the top of the spit) is the Gold Coast sand pumping jetty.
Today, I am talking about visiting the top of The Spit including Doug Jennings Park and the beach surrounding the sand pumping jetty.
This beach is famous with Gold Coast locals as your dog can run off-leash here. It is a great place to visit for a walk or run on the beach with or without your dog.
Toddler Review
The Spit has been a family favourite of ours even before our toddlers came along! We have visited this well-known spot for years to allow our fur baby to run free on the beach as we walked behind.
Now our two children are a bit older we recently introduced them to The Spit.
I would highly recommend planning any trip to The Spit with small children to have one adult per child. The walk to the beach is a distance and not easy going if you are carrying children plus gear and a dog on a lead. If you have a beach wagon, The Spit is a great place to use it! And whilst the beach has flags I would recommend close adult supervision of small children if going wading or swimming.
On our latest visit we decided to go for a walk on the beach so our dog Dexter could go for a run and finish with a swim. We left our picnic lunch and blanket in the car and just trekked down to the beach with the toddlers, the dog and the swimming gear.
The children loved walking on the beach and watching our dog running happily ahead.
After our swim we headed back to the car and swapped our beach stuff for our lunch stuff and headed to Doug Jennings Park for a picnic lunch before heading home. The park is across the road from the main beach carpark and an easy walk to get there.
Close to the beach carpark is the Seaway Kiosk if you would prefer to purchase a bite. There are also public toilet and beach shower facilities as well.
Now, most dog owners using the Spit do the right thing when their pets do their business but unfortunately not all. This is something to keep in mind when visiting, especially with small children.
You know you have had a great outing with your toddler when they have fallen asleep in the car before you leave the carpark!
What to pack (suggestions)
- Hats and Sunscreen
- Snacks and Water Bottles
- Packed Lunch
- Buckets, spades and other sand toys
- Swimming gear and towels
- Beach shelter or umbrella if you are planning a longer stay
- Beach Wagon if you have one
- Your fur babies
