CSD1-02 1/3/98 1:07 PM Page 1

Coastal sand dunes – their vegetation and management

Leaflet No. I–02

Type and distribution of coastal sand masses

Coastal sand masses (dunes and beach ridges) occur The southern region covers the coastline from along the coastline in three major regions: Coolangatta north to Burrum Shire; the central region • southern Queensland; is situated between Burrum Shire and Proserpine Shire; and the northern region covers the coastline • central Queensland; and north of Proserpine Shire. • northern Queensland.

Cape York 21 Legend: Weipa A Southern Queensland B Central Queensland 22 20 C Northern Queensland 19 18 23 17 Cooktown 1 Southport 14 Bowen Cairns 2 Stradbroke 15 Cape Bowling Island Green 24 16 C 3 Moreton Island 16 Mourilyan 4 Bribie Island 17 Cape Bedford Townsville 15 14 5 Noosa 18 Cape Flattery Proserpine Shire Mackay 6 Cooloola 19 Bathurst Bay 13 7 Fraser Island 20 Princess Queensland B Charlotte Bay 12 8 Bustard Head Rockhampton 11 21 Orford Ness 9 10 9 Gladstone 8 22 Cape Keerweer Burrum Shire 10 Curtis Island 7 23 Mitchell River 6 11 Cape Capricorn N A 24 Karumba 5 12 Byfield 4 3 Brisbane 2 13 Gold Coast 1

Figure 1. The location of some of the better-known sand masses on the Queensland coast.

Beach Protection Authority ISSN Queensland 0312–7796 CSD1-02 1/3/98 1:07 PM Page 2

Figure 1 shows the location of some of the main sand Low dune and mobile sandsheet masses within the three regions. The various types of complexes sand masses occurring along the coastline are Low dune and mobile sandsheet complexes, less than described below. 30m above sea level and partially aligned to the Beach ridges south-east winds, are features of South Stradbroke Beach ridges are deposits of sediment (sand, shingle, Island, parts of the east coasts of North Stradbroke, shell fragments) built up by wave (or swash) action Moreton and Fraser Islands, and the dune area west and often capped by windblown sand. Series of of and south of Inskip Point. They parallel beach ridges fringe the seaward edge of result from wind reworking foredunes and/or narrow many coastal plains and indicate a history of coastal beach ridges and often have active blowouts grading advance. Sandy beach ridges, generally less than 10m into low parabolic dunes. above sea level, also occur along sheltered bays and Parabolic (or transgressive) dunes protected parts of the coastline and sand islands. Isolated beach ridges overlying finer sediments such Blowout dunes aligned SE-NW before the dominant as mud are called ‘cheniers’. Beach ridges occur on south-east winds are formed when strong winds blow Bribie Island, on the coast south of Mourilyan, and a gap in a foredune or make a great scoop in a around the Gulf of Carpentaria, particularly north and massed set of dunes. Alignments of blowouts grade south of Cape Keerweer. into packed parabolic dunes. A blowout can migrate landward through existing dune systems under the Foredunes influence of the prevailing south-east winds. The Foredunes are deposits of windblown sand situated moving sand mass has an advancing head of loose directly behind sandy beaches. Successive foredunes sand and trailing arms of partly vegetated sand can develop, forming a series of parallel dunes ridges. In this manner, the dune assumes a separated by low interdune (or swale) areas. characteristic parabolic form or U-shape. Parabolic dunes occur along the east coasts of North Quite commonly foredunes overtop the seaward Stradbroke, Moreton and Fraser Islands and on the members of a beach ridge system. They occur behind mainland at Cooloola. They also occur just south of the beaches along the east coasts of Moreton and Cape Capricorn and about Cape Bedford, Cape Stradbroke Islands, and a narrow foredune strip extends Flattery and Orford Ness. along the mainland coast from Bribie Island to Noosa.

Foredune and low dune mobile sandsheet complex south of Parabolic dune blowouts south of Point Lookout on North . Stradbroke Island.