The Desert
Queensland · Australia
Rating right now
The Desert is a SW-facing sand beach on the Coral Sea coastline near Queensland — it picks up S–W swell and turns cleanest in a N–E wind, with the most consistent surf through october–april.
10-day forecast
Local time · updates hourly
Wave height & period
Wind
| Time | Rating | Waves | Swell | Wind | Air |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Water temperature by month
This month: ~22.5°C (72.5°F) on average
Jan
26.1°C
79°F · 24.1–27.7°C
Feb
26.7°C
80.1°F · 25.2–28.4°C
Mar
26.3°C
79.3°F · 24.3–28.2°C
Apr
25.1°C
77.2°F · 23.6–26.5°C
May
23.2°C
73.8°F · 21.7–24.5°C
Jun
21.8°C
71.2°F · 20.4–23.3°C
Jul
20.7°C
69.3°F · 18.9–22°C
Aug
20.3°C
68.5°F · 18.9–21.9°C
Sep
21.1°C
70°F · 19.8–22.7°C
Oct
22.5°C
72.5°F · 21–25°C
Nov
24°C
75.2°F · 22.6–25.5°C
Dec
25.3°C
77.5°F · 23.7–27.4°C
25-year monthly averages from the NOAA OISST satellite record — typical range min–max, not a live reading.
Know before you go
Best swell
S–W
Best wind
N–E
Break type
Beach break
Best season
October–April
Safety: Friendly by surf standards, but rip currents and drop-in etiquette still apply. Shifting sandbars create moving rip currents — learn to spot them and use them to get out back. Sharks are part of the ecosystem here — avoid dawn, dusk and murky rivermouth water.
Nearby spots
Comboyuro Point
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Honeymoon Beach
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Red Beach
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Queens Beach (central)
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Queens Beach (north)
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Queens Beach (south)
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More beaches in Queensland → see all spots in Queensland, Australia
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