Noosa Heads Surf Guide: First Point, Tea Tree and the National Park Points

Noosa is a run of right-hand points tucked into Laguna Bay at the northern end of the Sunshine Coast. First Point sits off Main Beach, and further around the headland inside Noosa National Park are Johnsons, Tea Tree, Granite and Ti Tree. Noosa was declared a World Surfing Reserve, and on a good day it's the most famous longboard wave in the country.

Why Noosa is so often flat

Laguna Bay faces north, and the headland blocks most of the south and south-east swell that hits the rest of the coast. For the points to break, the swell has to be big enough and from the right angle to wrap around Noosa Head. That usually means a cyclone in the Coral Sea or a strong east coast low.

When it happens with a south-east wind, which blows offshore here, the points peel for long distances. When it doesn't, the bay can be flat for weeks. Sunshine Beach, on the open side of the headland, is the place to check on those days.

The points, from inside out

• First Point: the most accessible and the gentlest, right off Main Beach. Classic longboard wave, very crowded.
• Tea Tree: inside the national park, faster and more lined up. A favourite on a good swell.
• Granite and Ti Tree: further around, more exposed and more powerful. Reached on foot along the coastal track.

Crowd

Noosa's line-ups are among the most crowded anywhere when it breaks. Longboards dominate First Point. Wait your turn, and don't drop in on someone already up and riding; see surfing crowded spots.

Every spot we watch has its own setup: which swell directions reach it, what size and period it needs to come alive, which winds blow offshore, and which tides suit the bank or reef. We check Noosa against all of that through the day, and you get one text when it all lines up. Never in the dark.

Want to see what real alerts look like? Our firing board shows the spots that have actually turned on recently, with the swell and wind at the time.

Related reading: Cyclone Swell Explained and Swell Shadows Explained.

Closest spot guides

• Coolum, about 15 km away
• Alexandra Headland, about 30 km away
• North Stradbroke Island, about 120 km away
• Burleigh Heads, about 190 km away

Or browse every break we cover in our Australian surf spot guides by region.