Queensland sinkhole is now 'relatively stable'

A giant sinkhole at a Queensland camping spot is now relatively stable and may have actually been a landslide, a geotechnical engineer says.

About 300 campers were evacuated from Inskip Point near Rainbow Beach on Saturday night after the large cavity opened up and swallowed a caravan, car, trailer and tents.

"Preliminary advice is that the event may have been a 'near shore landslide' rather than a true sinkhole," the Department of National Parks said in a statement on Monday.

The cavity is now about 200 metres long, 50 metres wide and up to nine metres deep.

Theories about what might have caused the sinkhole to develop have been swirling, with some speculating the recent earthquake activity in the area could be responsible.

Others suggest the sand mining that took place around Inskip Point in the mid-20th Century could also be playing a role.

There are around 1,500 campers still in the area but the site of hole while the National Parks Service has cordoned off the danger zone.

A car, a caravan and a camping trailer were all sucked into the hole that quickly began to dilate late on Saturday night near Rainbow Beach on Sunshine Coast, sending campers fleeing for their lives.

Parents grabbed children while others scrambled to move cars as the water crept through the camp ground and the beach dropped away around midnight.

New vision shows the sudden power of the Queensland sinkhole as campers ran to save themselves and their property from being washed away in the expanding void that began under cover of darkness.

One camper at a popular beach on Queensland's Sunshine Coast the terrifying speed with which a sinkhole swallowed the vehicles along with the beach.

On Sunday it measured 150 by 50 metres. It has since expanded to more than 200 metres, taking beachfront with it.

Authorities say the sinkhole is now metres deep and takes in a large part of the MV Beagle camp site.

Camper Melanie Wotherspoon described her horror in a Facebook post.

"Yep, can't believe we made it out," Ms Wotherspoon wrote.

"I thought we were goners for sure, was truly scary how fast it came into our camp site and swallowed it up."

A woman ran through nearby camp sites, screaming at people to wake up and get out, the ABC reports.

Police and SES crews raced to the site which was evacuated of 140 people but no one was reported injured or missing. Around 300 campers have since been moved out of the area.

Queensland Parks and Wildlife staff have cordoned off the area to prevent vehicle and pedestrian access.

Other camping grounds at Inskip Point remain open but people are being warned to stay away from the sinkhole.

"There is a real possibility the hole could expand with ocean currents, so people are urged to avoid the area, senior ranger Dan Clifton said.

While we continue to assess the situation, our priority is public safety.

Holidaymakers who have booked at the MV Beagle camp site can call park authorities for alternative arrangements or to arrange refunds.

The sinkhole is the second in four years at the spot, with a similar sized hole opening up in 2011.