Why Brunswick Heads & Cabarita Beach Are My Favourite Drone Locations to Photograph and Film on the Tweed Coast

Of all the places I've photographed and filmed along the Tweed Coast, Brunswick Heads and Cabarita Beach remain two of my absolute favourites.

 

I've flown over many beautiful coastal locations, but these two places continually draw me back. Each has its own character, and both offer something special from the air that you simply don't experience in the same way from the ground.

Brunswick Heads – where the river meets the ocean

Brunswick Heads is one of those locations that becomes even more interesting when viewed from above.

The Brunswick River winds through the landscape before meeting the Pacific Ocean, creating a wonderful combination of river, beaches, sandbanks, vegetation and open ocean.

From the air, the shapes and patterns of the landscape become much more obvious. On a calm morning, the river can provide beautiful reflections, while changing tides expose different sand patterns and waterways.

I particularly enjoy filming the transition from the river towards the ocean. Aerial video allows you to follow the natural flow of the landscape and show the relationship between the river, township and coastline.

There is also something about the character of Brunswick Heads that makes it different from many other coastal locations. It still has a relaxed, natural feel, and I find that comes through particularly well in aerial footage.

Cabarita Beach – dramatic coastline from above

Cabarita Beach offers a completely different experience.

The sweeping beach, rocky headland and powerful Pacific Ocean create some spectacular opportunities for drone photography and cinematic video.

I'm particularly drawn to the way the waves interact with the coastline. From above, patterns in the surf become almost abstract, while the scale of the beach and headland becomes much more apparent.

Early morning is one of my favourite times to photograph Cabarita. The softer light can bring out subtle colours in the water, sand and coastline, while sunrise can completely change the mood of the scene.

Cabarita can also produce some unforgettable wildlife encounters. Humpback whales travelling along the coast can sometimes become part of the aerial story, adding another dimension to the photography and video.

Why these locations keep bringing me back

For me, aerial photography isn't simply about getting a higher viewpoint.

It's about discovering something that isn't immediately obvious from the ground.

A familiar beach can reveal intricate patterns in the sand and waves. A river can become a sweeping line through the landscape. A headland can reveal shapes and textures that aren't visible when you're standing on the beach.

And the conditions are never exactly the same.

The tide changes. The weather changes. The light changes. The ocean changes.

That means I can return to the same location and still come away with something completely different.

Photographing versus filming

I enjoy both aerial photography and drone video, but each gives me a different way of capturing the Tweed Coast.

For a photograph, I'm looking for a particular moment — perhaps the way sunlight hits the water, a wave breaking around the headland or an interesting pattern created by the tide.

With video, I'm looking for movement and atmosphere.

A slow flight along the coastline, a reveal of Cabarita Headland or a journey along the Brunswick River can communicate the scale and beauty of the landscape in a completely different way.

The Tweed Coast from a different perspective

Brunswick Heads and Cabarita Beach are special to me because they offer such a diverse combination of natural scenery within a relatively small area.

River, beach, ocean, headlands, sandbars, surf and coastal vegetation all come together.

That's what keeps me coming back with the drone.

I'm always looking for that next image or sequence that shows the Tweed Coast in a way people may not have seen before.

For me, that's the real appeal of aerial photography and film.

You don't just see the landscape from above — you discover another side of it.