Cooloola Way passes through Cooloola's western catchment, a low area of wallum banksia, which flowers prolifically in spring, and taller forests with scenic
views east over the Cooloola sandmass. Cooloola Way is signed as 4WD - and although potholed, the road is mainly sand on a solid road base, making the journey a relatively easy run. Some sections may be impassable after wet weather so check conditions before travelling.
Besides the beautiful scenery offered during the drive, one of the major attractions in this part of Cooloola is
Harry's Hut camping and day-use area. There is actually an old hut situated right by the river, with respective signage revealing its colourful history. This camping area lies amongst the backdrop of the forest with each
camp site nicely set in, making it almost hidden from the next. Harry’s Hut is the only camping area on the upper
Noosa River with vehicle access and can be reached by 4WD - and even by boat!! There are a number of small access jetties that service the
camp sites, which makes it convenient for those who wish to use the river for activities like canoeing, boating (with electric motors), or fishing for bass.
After returning to Cooloola Way from Harry’s Hut and heading further north, you will eventually meet
Rainbow Beach Road. Just before this road however, our trek note heads towards the coast, taking in the western and eastern firebreak tracks (4WD only), before meeting Teewah Beach for the northerly coastal run towards
Double Island Point.
How to Use this Trek Note
If you'd like to download this Trek there are two options:
- Purchase our app ExplorOz Traveller. This Australian-made GPS & Navigation app will allow you to download all the ExplorOz Treks to your GPS enabled smartphone/tablet/iPad or laptop and enable active route guidance along the route as per the Directions shown on this page. The app enables offline navigation and mapping and will show where you are as you travel along the route. The app also allows you to edit/customise the route. Viewing the Trek in the Traveller app also includes all the words, images and POIs exactly as on the website (excludes Wildflowers). For more info see the ExplorOz Traveller webpage.
- Alternatively, if you already have another raster mapping software program you can Download this route in GPX format using the button shown below the map on this page .
TIP | To purchase our maps for offline use, you will need to purchase the EOTopo 2021 map licence. To install the maps you will need the ExplorOz Traveller app. |
Environment
The Cooloola region is the birthplace of the
Noosa River, which rises in the Como escarpment and is distributed by tributaries that work its way slowly across the wetlands. The river flows south, where there are many kilometres of scenic waterways to explore using portable watercraft such canoes.
The western catchment of the Great Sandy National Park provides a diverse array of flora. These include tall deep-rooted eucalypt and banksia forests, which give way to low wallum in the shallow soils. Remnant rainforests thrive on the rich soils along
Kin Kin Creek, whilst paperbark and cabbage palms are abundant on the adjacent waterlogged plains. Some of the fauna that you may come across include kangaroos, and plenty of chattering birds like honeyeaters and black cockatoos.
The environmental conditions can be harsh and often vary greatly - ranging from hot, dry summers to cool, wet winters. The low-lying areas are typically wet all year round. Cooloola offers fantastic bushwalking opportunities which are best enjoyed when the
wildflowers bloom in the spring. There are many different walk tracks, where there are signs at the start, indicating the distance. Information and walking leaflets are available from the Noosa Information Centre.
History
For thousands of years, Cooloola has been a special place for Aboriginal people. The Kabi Aborigines were the first known inhabitants of the Cooloola region. This tribe occupied an area from the Mooloolah River to the
Burrum River. Evidence from the amount of broken shells found on the beaches suggested the group ate fish and various molluscs.
In 1770, Captain
Cook sailed past and named
Double Island Point at the northern end of Cooloola. It was not until 1842, that Governor Gipps sent Andrew Petrie to explore this area and this paved the way for resource use of a magnificent area known as the
Kin Kin Scrubs - where today, only a small remnant of this vast rainforest is left.
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