sandcastles 1770 motel & resort location

The Gateway to the Southern Great Barrier Reef

Located between two coastal national parks, we are a small community with isolated surf locations and stunning secluded beaches.

Sandcastles 1770 Motel and Resorts is the perfect holiday destination for a romantic getaway, school holiday & family vacation or a stopover on your East coast travels. We also cater for long term Beach Home holidays, Weddings and Corporate events.

Whether walking from your room to the pristine beaches via direct access or taking a short stroll to the local shopping precinct or dining and socialising in the onsite restaurant – Drift & Wood Bistro & Bar – Sandcastles 1770 Motel and Resorts provides everything you could desire.

Agnes Water 1770 Tours and Activities

Southern Great Barrier Reef Day Tours – Add some adventure to your holiday!

FLY – Lady Elliot Island – minimum 4 pax from $465 per Adult / $320 per Child (fly ex Agnes Water)

• Includes scenic flight over the Southern Great Barrier Reef & Lady Elliot Island
• 6 Hours to explore the island and reef
• Guided Reef Walk Tour at Low Tide
• Combined glass bottom boat / guided snorkel tour
• Island tours
• Buffet lunch
• Fish Feeding in the Lagoon Fish Pool
• Use of snorkel equipment (Mask, Snorkel, Fins)
• Snorkel lesson in the Resort Pool (if required)
• Use of Day Guest Facilities (Showers, Towels & Lockers)


T&C’s – Flight departs Agnes Water air strip at 1770 at 8.45am (check in 15 minutes prior to departure), Return flight departs Lady Elliot Island at 4pm. Flight time is approximately 25-30 minutes. Infants 0-2 years free of charge). All activities are subject to weather and tide conditions. Cancellation fees apply. Price / Rate valid until 31 March 2022. No flights Christmas Day. Luggage limit max 4kg small backpack or personal items. No overhead lockers or stowage facility under the seats.

CRUISE – Lady Musgrave Island Full Day Tours – From $220 per ADULT OR $120 PER CHILD

Your Boat Cruise to Lady Musgrave Island in our Reef Jet Vessel for a day on the Southern Great Barrier Reef includes


• Snorkelling on the Southern Great Barrier Reef with the stunning Marine Life and Selfies with the Turtles in the Pristine Clear Aqua Blue Water of Lady Musgrave Island while Manta Rays glide by. A gorgeous piece of the world to take your loved ones and friends.
• Guided Island nature walks, with our local Tour Guided for a nature walk that you will remember for the rest of your life.
• Glass bottom boat tours so you can see more of the Coral Lagoon and a guide to tell you about the Marine Life below you, so you can then experience it by Snorkelling at your own leisure.

*Subject to availability. Remember to bring a Hat, Water Bottle, Sunscreen, and thongs or sandals that can get wet for the island walk”. We depart 8:30 am and return by 5:00 pm daily from the 1770 Marina, depending on tides, times may vary.

LARC – LARC Tour – Tours Start From $40 per Adult*

Experience the LARC – Providing a selection of unique amphibious tours aboard our pink LARCs! Venture onto beautiful, secluded beaches in the Southern Great Barrier Reef and visit remote areas in our National Parks.
Several Tour Options Available

Paradise Tour – Our full day signature tour visiting the historical Bustard Head Lightstation, sandboarding and travelling 27km of pristine coastline.
LARC & Lunch – A two hour excursion including a relaxed picnic lunch. The destination – a secluded beach, where the only foot prints in the sand are your own!

Afternoon Cruise – A one hour exhilarating joyride. Take in the sights of Bustard Bay & Round Hill Creek, while showing off the LARC’s fun factor & capabilities.

Adventures on a Budget
• Watch an ocean sunset from 1770
• Take a scenic coastal hike on the Red Rock Trail
• Soak up the serenity on secluded Chinaman’s Beach
• Get lost in the sun-dappled paperbark forest
• Watch whales breach and blow from the 1770 Headland (seasonal)
• Visit the 1770 Distillery
• Explore the landscapes at Eurimbula or Deepwater National Park
• Visit the museum or visitor centre (*small entry fee)
• Try the Stand-up Paddle Boards from $25 per person
• Hire a Kayak and explore the 1770 waterways from $20 per person

DINE WITH US – DRIFT & WOOD RESTAURANT – ONSITE AT SANDCASTLES 1770

Chef Gracie Sharwood is dishing out extremely tasty food with an emphasis on fresh local seasonal produce. With a passion for food, attention to flavours and fabulous customer service, this combination makes for a wonderful dining experience.

Matched with full table service and an inexpensive wine list, our venue is quickly becoming a favourite with locals, inhouse guests and travellers as the place to eat in Agnes.

You can also pick up some of “Gracie’s Pantry” Homemade Jams, Relishes, Syrups and more. The range changes with the seasons using local produce from the Bundaberg and Wide Bay Region.

Live Music Every Sunday from 3.30pm.

Agnes Water 1770 Natural Beauty

Uncover the treasure that Lieutenant James Cook beheld in 1770 when he first stepped foot on Queensland sand.

Aptly named Town of 1770 and Agnes Water captivate visitors with their pristine beaches, access to the Southern Great Barrier Reef, 4WD tracks and trails through coastal palm forests, laid back surf culture and idyllic regional charm. Bush to beach, beach to reef – the Discovery Coast epitomizes and celebrates everything that an Australian holiday should be.

GREAT RANGE OF ACTIVITIES

  • 1770 LARC! Tour
  • Lady Elliot Island 
  • Lady Musgrave Island & Reef Tour
  • Golf Course & Driving Range
  • Learn to Surf School
  • Stand Up Paddleboarding
  • Kayak Tours
  • Fishing Charters
  • Lawn Bowls
  • Liquor Distillery
  • Bush walks
  • Massages, facials and alternative therapies

How to Get here

BY AIR:

From Brisbane Airport there are several flights daily to Gladstone and Bundaberg, both of which are situated about one and a half hour’s drive north and south of Agnes Water and 1770.
(QANTAS: 13 13 13   VIRGIN: 13 67 89)
Hire cars are available at both airports and it is possible to fly into one and fly out of the other. Another option is to fly to Hervey Bay, the gateway to Fraser Island, and continue your journey up to Agnes Water by hire car or Greyhound Bus (13 14 99)

BY ROAD:

Travelling from Brisbane along the Bruce Highway there are several stop overs you can make.  The Ginger Factory at Yandina, just north of Nambour, has a lovely Café as well as a great shop selling ginger products and stylish souvenirs and is only a couple of hours north of Brisbane. A little further on is  Eumundi,  a quaint hinterland town, which is famous for its Markets held on Saturdays and Wednesdays. Both towns are only a couple of minutes off the highway.
Further north is Maryborough, a town full of history, a stopover in the Wharf St. precinct is well worth the detour.  Otherwise Sexie Coffee, on the highway just on the northside of Maryborough makes for a good stopover.
Then on through Childers which has the Childers Art Space, and onto Appletree Creek which is where you leave the Bruce Highway and take the exit for Bundaberg and drive through the rolling hills of macadamia and sugar farms.
From Bundaberg the drive to 1770 is about 90 minutes.
If travelling from the North, continue onto Miriamvale and take the exit to Agnes Water which is then about a 40 minute drive.

BY RAIL:

The closest train station is Miriamvale, with services from the north and the south. We can organise a shuttle bus to transport you from the station to Sandcastles 1770.
Queensland Rail Travel: 1800 872 467