North Shore Beach, Mudjimba

If you have a dog or love dogs, this is the beach you will come to.

This large stretch of sand and wild sea extends from the beach entrance 500m south Twin Waters all the way to the Maroochy River.

You can let your dog off the leash in the whole area and the locals make the most of it so even if you don't have a pup, chances are you will encounter plenty on your visit.

Perched at the end you will find Pincushion Island - not only a great spot to visit but also perfect for getting views of Maroochydore.

The small island is a sandstone outcrop at the mouth of the Maroochy River about 100 metres across and supports a small grove of banksia trees.

The rock pools here are very attractive, some of which are large enough to sit in at low tide - though we wouldn't recommend this in the cyclone Debbie weather we experienced on our most recent visit.

Along the top of the island you can see the remains of a boardwalk that has fallen into disrepair. 

In the distance you can even see Point Cartwright, Alexandra Headland and Mooloolaba.

On the other side of the peninsula, you can access the calmer waters inside the river - and there is no shortage of dogs enjoying the sun and sand here either.

Any given day you will find people and their pups relaxing, swimming, fishing and boating on the inside of North Shore beach - making it ideal for younger kids to enjoy the water.

While there is vehicle access and parking for both the beach and river side, you can actually walk all the way around on foot which makes for a nice easy stroll - plus you can cool off with a swim whenever you want!