Swathed in over 600 hectares of national park filled with eucalyptus and grass trees, Goldsmith offers delightful beaches on its northern shore, fantastic snorkelling on the fringing reef and camping for the self-sufficient.

Buy permits online from Queensland Parks before you set sail.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Carlise Island

11.69 MILES

An unspoilt, hilly, 518-hectare island covered by thick forest and surrounded by reefs offering excellent snorkelling, Carlisle Island is connected to…

2. Lindeman Island

16.75 MILES

The best known of the 13 coral-fringed specks in the Lindeman Islands National Park, this island is traditionally owned by the Ngaro, an Aboriginal…

3. Cape Hillsborough National Park

17.98 MILES

Comprising broad beaches, rocky headlands, sand dunes, mangroves, hoop pines and rainforest, the 10.2-sq-km national park lies some 50km northwest of…

4. Keswick Island

23.45 MILES

Thirty-two kilometres northeast of Mackay, Keswick Island is the only island in the Cumberland group with constant human habitation. It's a real paradise,…

5. Escape Beach

24.73 MILES

This sheltered, sandy cove, lapped at by azure waters, is Hamilton Island's loveliest beach - all the more because you're likely to have it all to…

6. Hamilton Island Wildlife

26.25 MILES

This sweet little wildlife centre is a good place to introduce your kids to various marsupials, including wallabies and koalas, as well as a dingo,…

7. Whitehaven Beach

28.46 MILES

One of of Australia's most photogenic and hyped beaches, Whitehaven is a pristine 4.3 mile-long (7km) stretch of blinding sand (at 98% pure silica, some…