Sarina Beach is a late twentieth century coastal settlement, 35 km south-east of Mackay and 8 km east of Sarina. It is situated on the northern headland of Sarina Inlet which was named by surveyor William Wilson in 1869.
Sarina Beach has ready access to a sandy ocean beach and to the protected waters of the inlet. A caravan park was closed and its land fronting Owen Jenkins Drive was redeveloped as an upmarket housing estate. It has a store, a motel, a surf life-saving club, and its hinterland includes wetlands and tree-covered slopes. Its census populations have been:
| Census Date | Population |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 401 |
| 2001 | 359 |
| 2006 | 1340* |
| 2011 | 352 |
* larger census area
The next headland south of Sarina Beach is Freshwater Point, and beyond there is the coastal settlement of Armstrong Beach. It is nine km south-east of Sarina. Formally named in 1999, the settlement dates at least from the early 1960s when a population of 26 was recorded.
Armstrong Beach has a caravan park and a history of vacation-shacks. Armstrong Beach's census populations have been:
| Census Date | Population |
|---|---|
| 1961 | 26 |
| 2001 | 420 |
| 2006 | 576 |
| 2011 | 533 |
