Dog-friendly Yeppoon: Off-leash beaches, gelato and Kinka Beach days
Some towns you visit. Yeppoon you sink into. Coming in from Rockhampton, the Capricorn Coast slows us right down: beach first, food second, plans optional. Bert and Penelope have clocked up plenty of visits to this stretch of sand, and we've had gelato, sandwiches and a fish and chip feed with two beagles at our feet. Here's our dog-friendly Yeppoon and Kinka Beach, plus the Emu Park rules, with everything checked against council so you can just enjoy it.
Every Capricorn Coast beach: off-leash before 8am and after 4pm, lead on in between, unless a sign says otherwise.
Weekday off-leash beaches: Farnborough Beach in Yeppoon and Fisherman's Beach in Emu Park, not on weekends or public holidays.
Fenced dog park: Olive Dorey Park on Clayton Road, Lammermoor.
No dogs: anywhere in Capricorn Coast National Park, including the Double Head and Bluff Point walks.
Kinka Beach: slow mornings with the beagles
Kinka Beach is where Bert and Penelope have spent the most time on this coast. It sits on the Scenic Highway between Emu Park and Yeppoon, right across the road from the faded old Big Whale, and it's the kind of beach that never seems to be in a hurry.
The sand is coarse and grainy, the water laps rather than crashes, and when we've been there a few lone fishers have been working the shallows. We head for the southern end, where the mangroves take over, and let Bert and Penelope sniff and wander at their own pace. Get there before 8am and the lead can come off, as long as your dog comes back when you call.
Keep an eye out for the shorebird sign by the beach. Kinka is a feeding, resting and breeding spot for shorebirds, so if there are birds on the sand, pop the lead back on and give them plenty of room.
Fish and chips at Kinka Kippa
The best bit of a Kinka Beach morning is what comes after it. Kinka Kippa, at the southern end of the beach, does fish and chips, and we've eaten them outside with both beagles right there with us. Salty air, hot chips, two very interested noses. That's the whole plan, and it's a good one.
Yeppoon, one treat at a time
Yeppoon itself is a proper little seaside town with plenty of reasons to stop. Ours were mostly edible.
Sandwiches at Drapes Deli
Drapes Deli on Normanby Street made us the most delicious sandwiches, and we ate them on the seats outside with Bert and Penelope right beside us. Go hungry and bring a napkin.
Gelato at 1770 Gelato Co
Then dessert, because you're at the beach and those are the rules. We had ours at 1770 Gelato Co on James Street, sitting outside with the dogs right there with us. Bring water for the dogs on a warm day.
Every cafe sets its own rules on the day, so ask before you settle the dogs in. Outside seating was the move for us at all three.
Off-leash beaches on the Capricorn Coast
Livingstone Shire Council is one of the more generous councils we've come across for beach dogs. Here's how it works:
Every beach on the Capricorn Coast, including the Keppel islands, is off-leash before 8am and after 4pm daily, unless a sign says otherwise. Between 8am and 4pm, the lead stays on.
Farnborough Beach, Yeppoon is off-leash from the Bangalee boat ramp south to Barwells Creek, with access via Hinz Avenue. It's a weekday thing only, not weekends or public holidays.
Fisherman's Beach, Emu Park is off-leash from the beach access 150 metres north of Bell Park down to Tanby Point, with access via Hill Street. Again, weekdays only, not weekends or public holidays.
Off-leash still means under control. Council asks you to keep a lead on you at all times, stay with your dog and pick up after them, even in off-leash areas, and there are on-the-spot fines if you don't. These beaches are shared with sea turtles and shorebirds, so give nesting birds a wide berth and keep your dog close around them.
Yeppoon's fenced dog park
For the days when the beach is busy or the tide's wrong, Olive Dorey Park on Clayton Road in Lammermoor is the shire's fenced off-leash dog park. Council describes it as a 1,750 square metre fenced off-leash area with bubblers and seating, plus its own fenced agility zone with tunnels, bridges, weave poles and hurdles.
Where dogs can't go
Capricorn Coast National Park covers the headlands around Yeppoon and Rosslyn Bay, including the Double Head walk and the Bluff Point circuit. Dogs aren't allowed in any section of the park. The one exception is the Bluff Point car park, where dogs can pass through only to reach the beach from the entrance provided. Save the headland walks for a day when the dogs are having a nap in the van.
Bert and Penelope's Capricorn Coast tips
Do your beach run before 8am. It's off-leash time, and it's cooler and quieter.
Use the weekdays for Farnborough and Fisherman's Beach. On weekends and public holidays, they're lead-on like everywhere else between 8am and 4pm.
Carry a lead even when your dog is off it. Council expects you to have one on you.
Pack water and a bowl for the walk and the cafe stops.
Read the signs at each beach access. They override the general rules.
Make a night of it on the Capricorn Coast
Dogs walked, gelato demolished, sandwich crumbs brushed off. Now the fun bit. We run singalong paint and sip nights in Yeppoon and Rockhampton where you walk out with a canvas and a voice that's had a proper workout. Check the Yeppoon paint and sip calendar for the next date, keep an eye on the Rockhampton paint and sip calendar too, and if you're staying in Rocky, our things to do in Rockhampton at night has the rest of your evening covered.
Dog people, this one's for you: our Paint Your Pet sessions let you paint your own four-legged legend from a photo. Heading south from here? Our dog-friendly Bargara and Bundaberg guide is your next stop, and every town we've sniffed out lives in our dog-friendly guides with Bert and Penelope.
Dog-friendly Yeppoon FAQs
Are dogs allowed on Yeppoon beaches?
Yes. Dogs are allowed on every Capricorn Coast beach. They can be off-leash before 8am and after 4pm daily unless a sign says otherwise, and must be on a lead between 8am and 4pm.
Where is the off-leash dog beach in Yeppoon?
Farnborough Beach, from the Bangalee boat ramp south to Barwells Creek, with access via Hinz Avenue. It's off-leash all day on weekdays, but not on weekends or public holidays.
Is there an off-leash dog beach in Emu Park?
Yes. Fisherman's Beach, from the beach access 150 metres north of Bell Park to Tanby Point, with access via Hill Street. It's off-leash on weekdays, but not on weekends or public holidays.
Is there a fenced dog park in Yeppoon?
Yes. Olive Dorey Park on Clayton Road, Lammermoor, has a fenced off-leash area and a separate fenced agility area.
Can I take my dog on the Double Head or Bluff Point walks?
No. Dogs aren't allowed in any section of Capricorn Coast National Park. At Bluff Point, dogs can only pass through the car park to reach the beach.
Dog rules in this guide were checked against Livingstone Shire Council's animals and pets page and its Dogs on Cap Coast Beaches flyer, and against Queensland Parks' Capricorn Coast National Park safety page, on 14/10/2026. Rules change, so always follow the signs on the day.
