Happy cyclist at the Woodford Folk Festival

Surveys show that driving is easily the most popular way of getting there, with 86.3 per cent of patrons arriving by motor vehicle. There are a host of problems caused by all that traffic – congestion, the need for parking space, dusty conditions if it’s dry, and mud if there’s been rain. So it makes sense to encourage patrons to find an alternative.

Public transport is a good choice for many. There are up to 10 express bus services a day out to the festival site from Caboolture train station, taking patrons right to the ticketing gate.

The bus services don’t start until Boxing Day, by which time many of the prime campsites have been taken by motoring patrons who arrive the day before. So organisers are providing ‘bus travellers’ camping – car free camping space exclusively for those arriving by bus.

It’s an attractive camping area – level and well drained ground with trees for shade, and close to the ticketing gate and welcome gate. Car-pooling to the festival is another way to keep cars to a minimum. It saves money and is great for making new friends. On the festival website, you can find a link to Car Pool Australia, which connects patrons seeking a ride with those who have space in their cars.

Alternatively, find the notice board on the website, there’s a ‘ride share’  section where you can seek or offer a ride.

Cycling patrons are very welcome at Woodford, a free luggage service being a major incentive.  Together with sponsors Epic Cycles and the Sunshine Coast Environment Council, the festival arranges for luggage to be collected from pick-up points in Paddington in Brisbane (the Epic Cycle shop), and from Nambour (SCEC’ s office in Porters Lane).

The luggage is collected before Christmas and is waiting for patrons when they arrive. It’s then delivered back to the pick-up points on January 2.

Some cyclists ride incredible distances to reach the festival, but most take their bikes on the train to Beerwah or Beerburrum stations, and cycle from there. It’s a relaxed ride through forest and farmland along mostly quiet roads.

Cyclists are encouraged to jump the queue at the ticketing gate – push bikes may push in! They, too, have dedicated camping space. Cyclist camping is nestled along a creek bank lined with rainforest. There’s a marquee for secure bicycle parking and socialising, and, if needed, a mechanical service provided by Epic Cycles.

More details about cycling to Woodford can be found on the festival website.

Great panorama on the Great Walk – the Gheerulla Creek valley provides a sublime view and a place to be contemplative

The recently-opened Great Walk Conondale Range is a trip back in time in more ways than one. The 56-kilometre circuit walk, which begins and ends at the popular Booloumba Creek campgrounds, provides much more than a glimpse of the spectacular forests, creeks and gorges for which the Conondale Ranges have become noted.

While the walk includes three new walkers’ campgrounds and is intended as a four-day experience, it also provides the opportunity for a number of shorter walks as well.

While other great walks like those at Cooloola and the Blackall Range offer a diversity of experiences for the walker, the new Conondales walk brings with it decades of history of forestry, community and conservation involvement.

Anyone driving across the largely cleared hills around Maleny, or visiting the remnant forest of Mary Cairncross Park couldn’t help but wonder of how things had been before European arrival.

Looking across to the forest-clad Conondales in the west provides the answer, but ironically it was only the action of a far-sighted forester who saved such places from the rapacious clearing for farming as was experienced around Maleny. Recognising the future need for timber, the state government around the turn of last century set up a forestry department based wholly on future demand for timber rather than any ecological consideration.

In 1966, Kenilworth scoutmaster, Ross Scott door-knocked Kenilworth with a petition for a National Park in the Conondales, but, though unanimously supported locally (even by the local branch of the Country Party), it was shelved by the state government.

The Save the Conondale Range Committee was established in 1976 following the work of a number of young researchers who were more than impressed with the area’s unique flora and fauna, most notably the Gastric Brooding Frog Rheobatrachus silus. There was great urgency in these early days as the lowland rain and vine forest around Little Yabba Creek was being cleared and the whole area was ear-marked for clearing to make way for pine plantations.

Now, more than four decades on, Ross Scott’s original National Park proposal has been more then realised with a large area of 35 500 hectares having been progressively declared. Sadly Rheobatrachus isn’t around to see it. The last one was sighted in the early 80s and is generally considered to be extinct, one of a number of victims of the introduced Chytrid fungus.

To wander the newly created trails is to walk back through time. The tree fern gullies and mountain creeks suggests links to our Gondwanan origins when such forests were far more widespread. They speak of our indigenous forebears heading up the waterways laying lobster traps as they went, for mountain lobster were highly prized.

Other sections speak more loudly of a forestry past. The walk out from Peters Creek, in particular, takes you past old log-loading ramps and giant stumps from, many of which have re-shot, and much of the walk utilises old forestry tracks, now being reclaimed by forest. While the views from the Mt Allan fire tower are spectacular, the walker is reminded that the tower is but one of a network (including the iconic Jimna Fire Tower) built to protect the forest estate from unplanned fires.

While planning and construction of the walk was principally carried out by a state government Great Walks team, it has also involved considerable local expertise and experience. In the early planning stage, a number of meetings with retired forester Eric Glassop, Sunshine Coast Bushwalker’s Don Burgher and members of the Conondale Range Committee provided valuable information based on years of working and walking experience. As well as this, several volunteer working bees were held to physically construct sections of the track and the Conondale Range Committee and members of the Sunshine Coast Bushwalkers have decided to adopt one of the walker’s campgrounds for ongoing care.

The walk will eventually include an on-site sculpture by internationally renowned artist Andy Goldsworthy who visited the area last November.

DERM (Department of Environment and Resource management) has published a detailed and informative map of the walk. From it, it is possible to identify smaller walks in addition to the four-day one, any of which would provide an introductory glimpse and leave the walker wanting more. The waterfalls on Booloumba Creek, Peter’s Creek and Summer Creek are all worth visiting, each with its own distinct character.

Now living in Gympie, Ross Scott fondly reflects on his scouting and bushwalking days but the construction of this latest walk should make him feel doubly proud for his far-sighted petition more than forty years ago.

Brief walk details

Google Map

Walking Maps

Camp Site Bookings

More information on the Conondale Range

The 56 km four day walk includes three campgrounds with daily sections of between 11 and 17km. Bookings for the low-key campgrounds are necessary before commencing. Some shorter walks are also outlined on the map and other possibilities (like the 10.4 km round trip from Sunday Creek Road to Peter’s Falls) can be readily identified. Walkers are advised that rocks in the creeks in the Conondales become very slippery when wet.

The walk begins and ends at Booloumba Day Use Area 2 and would-be walkers are advised that to reach the start of the trail involves driving over 3 creek crossings for which 4wd vehicles, or at least vehicles with high clearance, is required.

Ian Mackay has been President of the Conondale Range Committee for “quite a long time” and last year was made a life member of the Sunshine Coast Environment Council. He readily acknowledges the work of all those who laid down the groundwork for the recognition of the Conondale’s natural wonders and who’ve worked so selflessly to see them properly recognised and protected. The Conondale Range Committee is one of the Sunshine Coast’s longest serving conservation groups and has been recognised with two environment awards.

Author, John Burrows, on the Noosa Trail

It’s hard to resist the beach at Noosa, but for an adventure off the beaten track you must travel west a little way into the hinterland.

Exploring here has become a lot easier with the establishment of the Noosa Trail Network. It offers 106 kilometres of trail through a smorgasbord of landscapes – rolling hills and mountain peaks, bushland often in National Parks and State Forests, farmland, a scenic lake and the hinterland townships.

The Network was designed for horse riders, walkers, and mountain bike riders, and caters for all tastes and levels of fitness and experience. It utilises gazetted roads, road reserve, bush tracks and some private property, it crosses paddocks and small bridges in quiet valleys or climbs hills of daunting steepness.

Access is possible from many points, particularly the townships which can be reached by public transport, except for Kin Kin.
The Network is made up of eight separate trails, and the ultimate experience would be to combine some of these into one long circular trip.

Lake Macdonald near Cooroy is a good starting point for such a circuit. A picturesque spot, the artificial lake is Noosa’s main water source. Birdwatchers will find many species here – it’s one of 32 sites on the Noosa Bird Trail, and you’ll encounter more of these sites as you explore the Noosa Trail Network. The lake has Canoe Trails, but swimming is not allowed. In any case, Lake Macdonald is infested with cabomba, a pernicious water weed controlled to some extent by Council’s weed harvester which you may see crossing the lake like some weird contraption from Mad Max.

Our circuit begins by following Trail 4 – all trails have excellent signage, some markers may be obscured by vegetation so keep a sharp eye open. There’s interpretive signage too, describing the vegetation or snippets about the first Europeans in the area.
Trail 4 passes through pleasant bushland, dropping and climbing a little, a taste of things to come. It crosses a portion of Ringtail State Forest along an old Cobb & Co route – there’s some nice vine scrub here, although the track is boggy and unpleasant after rain and the alternative Trail 4 route may be preferable.

The country starts rising now up along a watershed separating the Noosa River and Six Mile Creek catchments. There’s a chance to rest and take in admirable views at Twin Hill Views Lookout. The Trail then runs along fence lines through private property and road reserve, the climb continuing to the top of Sheppersons Hill. The going here is steep, rocky and difficult.

Further along is Cootharaba Hills Lookout, offering one of the best panoramas along the Trail. Eastwards, the outlook includes the Cooloola Sandpatch, Lake Cootharaba and the ocean. Camping is permitted – there’s water and a picnic shelter – and it’s a beautiful spot to spend the night.  The lights of Noosa Heads can be seen twinkling after dark.

To the west, the Cooran Tableland dominates the horizon, with rolling hills of the Kin Kin Valley in the middle distance. Immediately below, the view is less appealing.

Preliminary work has begun on a mega-quarry which has locals worried. They’re concerned with the danger posed by many large trucks on small winding roads, including Sheppersons Lane which is part of Trail 4. The quarry spells bad news for the Network, could even result in this section being closed. Residents are organising legal action to have the scheme scrapped, or at least wound back.

For the moment you can continue peacefully along Trail 4. It leads a short distance westwards to Kin Kin, but our circuit switches to Trail 1, and runs through undulating farming country to Wahpunga Lane, the northern-most part of the Network.

Trail 1 then turns south to meet Trail 3, which follows quiet country roads until heading west and ascending the Cooran Tableland. There’s a short excruciatingly steep section up to Johnstons Lookout. A good spot to rest – it has a picnic shelter and water – it’s mostly enclosed in bushland, with limited views northeast into the Kin Kin Valley.

After this, the Trail is merely very steep. The long climb out of the valley reaches an altitude of 450 metres and leads to the shady rainforest of Woondum National Park, a welcome relief on a hot day. It’s one of Queensland’s newest National Parks, 4001 hectares in size.

It’s also one of the few National Parks where horse-riding is allowed. Conservationists objected strongly when the State Government amended the Nature Conservation Act to allow horses in Woondum and several other National Parks. They were dismayed with possible impacts – increased erosion, compromised nutrient status and water quality, and a general undermining of the integrity of National Parks.

The Noosa Trail heads south through Woondum, passing some interesting side tracks. Then it’s delightfully downhill to Tablelands Lookout and a commanding view of the countryside with its spectacular steep-sided volcanic peaks prominent. More descent, including a notoriously steep section known by mountain bike riders as The Mother, before the Trail flattens out and enters Cooran, where Trail 3 ends and our circuit switches to Trail 5.

With the terrain more or less level now, travelling on the Trail is not so arduous. There’s a close-up view of Mt Cooran and you’ll pass by a couple of lagoons that might be good for cooling off on a sweltering day.

Pomona is the next township, on the way the appealing bushland of the Tuchekoi National Park and the start of the walking trail to the top of Mt Cooroora. At 439 metres, it’s steep but manageable and popular.

From Pomona, there’s one last section to complete our circuit. The latest addition to the Network, Trail 7 leads east to our starting point at Lake Macdonald (it’s dubbed Mac ‘N’ Back). Another excellent section of trail, most of it runs alongside or through Yurol State Forest.

Allow plenty of time if doing the entire 70 km circuit as described here, and make sure your trip is well-planned and within your capabilities. Cooler months are best. Cyclists, especially if loaded with camping gear, should expect tough conditions.

Accommodation along the way is plentiful – hotels, bed and breakfast, campgrounds, with bush camping allowed at Cootharaba Views Lookout and Middle Lookout on Trail 2.

Trail users should follow caring-for-the-bush practices and respect the rights of landowners by staying on the trails. In National Parks, horse riders must be aware of the Code of Conduct for riding in protected areas.

More information: the very useful Noosa Trail Network map is available free from any Sunshine Coast Regional Council office, or: the Sunshine Coast Regional Council website.  

With this in mind, the Woodford Folk Festival promotes cycling as a good way of getting there. Sounds daunting? Combined with a luggage service and a ride on the CityTrain, it becomes very manageable.

It’s an easy ride if you cycle regularly, but you don’t need to be a Lance Armstrong – anyone of average fitness can do it.

Cyclists can leave their luggage at a drop off point for collection before the festival begins. The luggage service — it’s free for cyclists — has been operating from Brisbane since 2004, and this year is available for Sunshine Coasters too. The drop off point is the SCEC office in Nambour on December 22 and 23 – be aware though that booking for this service is absolutely essential.

Unhindered by camping gear and everything else needed for a week at Woodford, you can then take your bicycle (it travels free) on the CityTrain to either Beerwah or Beerburrum stations, and start riding.
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The ride to the Festival site is less than 30 kms, and follows scenic roads through forest or farmland. Starting from Beerburrum station is the quietest and safest route, although there’s a fair bit of gravel road.

It’s important to take your time – it’s not a race, ride at a relaxed pace, hop off your bike and walk up that one big hill that lies between the train station and Woodford no matter which way you go.

Once at the festival gate, cyclists – well exercised and elated – receive priority and are encouraged to jump the queue. There’s more red-carpet treatment at Cyclist Camping, a designated car free camping area in a quiet spot along a rain-forested creek bank.

Here, along with some very pleasant camp sites, there’s a roomy marquee with your luggage waiting and plenty of room for secure bicycle parking or socialising with other cycling festival goers.

The festival has produced a Cycle to Woodford Guide/Map which will help you decide which way to go, along with other useful details. There’s a strong emphasis on cycling safety.

For a free copy, phone the Festival office (5496 1066) to have one posted, or collect one from the SCEC office.

Bookings for the luggage service – phone 5447 6993 or 3368 2324.

A great place to stop for a swim on Booloumba creek. Image: Arkin Mackay. stoppress.com.au

The 10 kilometre walk from Booloumba Campsite 3 up to the impressive Booloumba Falls will eventually form the first day of a four- day walking trail, the Conondale Range Great Walk, with walker-accessed camping areas, but this section, constructed last year and opened Christmas Eve, can easily be tackled by itself.

Given the considerable difference in altitude between the Booloumba camp grounds and Booloumba Falls, the recommendation is to start the walk at the Booloumba Falls carpark which means that the bulk of the walk is downhill. Unless planning to walk both ways, it does require a car shuffle.  Drive all walkers up to the Booloumba Falls carpark making sure to leave a car down near Campground 3 for later use. The drive up to the carpark is dry weather only, and has some steep patches.

From the carpark, take the walk to Booloumba Falls, meandering along the creek as it tumbles its way towards a junction with Peter’s Creek, the location of the falls and the stunning rock formation, the Breadknife.

A section of the new Booloumba Creek walking track. Image: Arkin Mackay. stoppress.com.au

After 1.3 kilometres, the new walk heads off to the right and the walk to the falls and Breadknife is an extra kilometre (500m each way) but well worth the trouble. In summer the pool at the base of the falls is a great place to swim and the views over the Breadknife and Boooloumba Gorge are stunning all year round.

The sides of the Booloumba Gorge are very steep so the new walk heads eastwards through higher country. It takes about 3.4 kilometres to wind its way down to the base of the gorge. The first kilometre or so is relatively straight forward (with one particularly beautiful creek crossing) before it gives way to much steeper sections where the walker will probably commend himself for the decision to walk down hill rather than up.

Some of the slopes are quite steep and the track’s construction has made excellent use of the parallel cleavage planes of the local rock to craft some impressive stairs.

When the track reaches the creek, there’s a creek crossing (wet feet, slippery) and a good place for lunch and a swim.
The rest of the walk travels parallel to the northern bank of Booloumba Creek but travelling through a diversity of forest types, from groves of Piccabeen Palms to stands of giant Flooded Gums, with towering Red Cedars and even some rather incongruous Ironbarks. At one stage the track heads to higher country to the base of a tall emergent Bunya Pine. This is the more sedate part of the walk, winding downstream towards the campgrounds.

A sign-posted side-track takes the walker back across the creek (wet feet again) towards Campsite 3 while the track continues on to the Day Use Area 2.

It is suggested that (for experienced walkers) the 18 kilometre round trip up to the falls and back would take six hours. We found the walking part of our one-way trip took us five hours at a very leisurely pace with plenty of stops but be sure to allow time for the initial drive up and the car retrieval trip at the end.

This new walk requires a reasonable level of fitness if done downhill and considerably more if done uphill. It’s a wonderful addition to the existing walks in the Conondales and a great preview of the forthcoming great walk.

(Booloumba Creek campgrounds are accessed from the Kenilworth –Maleny road, seven kilometres south of Kenilworth. The road (a further 6 kilometres) involves two creek crossings which are labeled “4WD only” but can be crossed cautiously by two wheel drive vehicles with high clearance if the water level is sufficiently low.)

They’re closely connected in the Dreamtime tale of the Gubbi Gubbi (Kabi Kabi) people. Both were rivals for the affection of Maroochy, a beautiful young woman. A fierce battle saw Coolum’s head knocked off into the ocean to become Mudjimba Island, Ninderry turned to rock, and Maroochy’s copious flow of tears forming the Maroochy River.

In geological parlance, they are remnants of past volcanic activity. They’re rough and rocky outcrops with near vertical sides and caution is needed if exploring close to their edges.

Looking south from the summit of Mt Coolum. Image John Burrows

Mt Coolum is the most accessible and the most popular. Many thousands take the reasonably easy climb to the top each year to enjoy a great vista – Cooloola National Park to the north, the Glasshouse Mountains to the south, Mt Ninderry and the Blackall Range to the west, and the vast infinity of the Pacific Ocean.

The mountain is 208 metres high, and only 1500 metres from the beach, and you probably won’t find such a high lookout so close to the ocean anywhere else in Queensland.

The starting point for the climb is in Tanah Street West, just off the David Low Way, five minutes walk from the bus stop. Sunbus has an excellent service – the 620 – which runs between Maroochydore and Noosa Heads every half hour.

A National Park information board mentions that Mt Coolum’s cliff edges provides habitat for the peregrine falcon, the fastest animal on earth. It can reach 200 kilometres per hour while diving on prey, and you may be lucky enough to witness this.

The track to the summit can be a little steep and rocky, but won’t present difficulties for anyone of average fitness and agility. It may be slippery if wet. Do observe warning signs where the track nears cliff edges. It’s about 800 metres to the top; allow two hours for the return trip.

There are some interesting rock formations as you ascend. Higher up there is montane heath, a rare vegetation type which occurs where the soil is too thin to support large shrubs and trees.

Then from the summit there are 360 degree views, just walk around a bit to find the best vantage points. The panorama includes extensive coastal development, especially to the south.

If things had worked out differently, the summit of Mt Coolum itself could have been afflicted in the same way. In 1986 the Maroochy Council wanted to allow a development involving a chair lift up the side of the mountain and restaurant, café, function room and other facilities at the top.

This was desecration in the eyes of local community groups, who nipped the proposal in the bud, then fought for Mt Coolum to be declared National Park, as it eventually was in 1990.

That important peregrine falcon habitat thus became protected, along with a host of botanical treasures. These include 40 per cent of all species of ferns in the world, as well as some plant species found nowhere else on the planet.

From Mt Coolum’s summit, there is a walking track down the western side, not as well maintained, but offering good views across cane fields to Mt Ninderry.

The western face of Mt Ninderry. Image John Burrows

Ninderry has a wilder character, and is more difficult to access. For the non-motoring minority, public transport can get you to Yandina, it’s then about an hour’s brisk walk to the trailhead.

From just east of where the Yandina-Coolum Road crosses the Maroochy River, turn up Collins Road to reach Ninderry Road, turn right and proceed for 2.2 kilometres until you reach Eucalyptus Crescent. There’s an unmarked concrete driveway on the right, which looks private, but leads up to a small car park and picnic shelter which is the start of the trail to Ninderry’s summit.

Now largely protected from development with Conservation Park status, the mountain is 304 metres heigh.  It’s not an arduous walk to the top, although rocky and steepish in places, it should take about half an hour.

You’ll walk through attractive eucalyptus woodland, but views are limited until reaching the summit. As with Mt Coolum, there are wonderful panoramas, but you’ll need to scout around to find viewpoints. Spectacular cliffs are on the southern and western sides of the mountain.  Be very careful if approaching the edges.

To the south there’s a great outlook over the Maroochy River snaking towards the ocean, and immense expanses of land once used for growing sugarcane, now mostly unused since the local sugar mill closed down. Mt Coolum dominates the eastern landscape, with the Pacific Ocean providing a fine back drop.

It’s good if you can climb both Mt Coolum and Mt Ninderry in quick succession, to better appreciate how each stands in relationship to the other.

Enjoy both – but keep in mind the fragility of our natural wonders, and be a minimal impact visitor.

Bundaroo Creek. Image John Burrows

Not too far inland from the coast is a lush green wonderland of mountains, forest and crystal-clear streams flowing through hidden gorges – the Conondales. It’s the largest area of sub-tropical rainforest on the Sunshine Coast and a must for exploring.

Access is most convenient from Maleny, but it’s good to approach from the north following the Mary River Valley.  It’s a pleasant journey, and you’ll admire the very visible efforts by locals to stop the proposed dam. Do visit the Information Centre at Kandanga to learn more about the proposal and how you can help prevent it.

Where to go in the Conondales? If time is limited, the Kenilworth Forest Drive provides a good overview and a sampling of the range’s many delights.

The Drive is a circuit which links camping areas at Charlie Moreland Park and Booloumba Creek (both reached from the Maleny-Kenilworth Road) and basically circumnavigates Mount Allan, at 593 metres one of the higher peaks in the area. It’s 37 kilometres of narrow gravel road, winding beautifully through forest, very steep in parts and unsuitable for driving in wet weather.

No need to drive along the Drive though. It’s a quiet shady road running through rainforest and sclerophyll forest, a wonderful two day walk. That said, other walking options in the Conondales may be more satisfying. Rock hopping up creeks is especially sublime. Formed walking trails are available, with a major one on the way – the state government has begun work on a 60 kilometre “Great Walk in the Conondales”, traversing the most spectacular parts of the range. It should be complete in 2010, with some sections (notably the Mt Allan trail) ready much sooner.

Cycling the Forest Drive is very feasible – recommended in fact. It’s not extreme by mountain-biking standards, but because of the steep terrain it is unsuitable for inexperienced cyclists. You will need a mountain bike or sturdy hybrid. Good brakes are essential and have them checked!

Starting from Charlie Moreland Park – a popular family spot with rock pools excellent for swimming – the Drive begins a long and steep ascent to reach a lookout with views of Mt Allan, hoop pine plantations and the Blackall Range in the distance.

Forestry’s impact is very apparent from this viewpoint. Plantations cover hills and valleys once cloaked with natural forest which was decimated by logging then obliterated by monoculture. Conservationists struggled for decades to prevent more of the same before the Conondales were finally protected with National Park or Forest Reserve status. Only plantation timber is logged now and the native forest is secure.

It was a long campaign to save the Conondales, and it gained national prominence with the discovery of the Platypus Frog or the Southern Gastric Brooding Frog, unique in that the young are raised in the stomach and born through the mouth of the mother.

“Don’t Log the Frog” was the irresistible slogan that captured the nation’s imagination. Too late however – once found nowhere except in the mountain streams of the Conondales and nearby ranges, the frog is now almost certainly extinct.

Frog populations worldwide have been devastated by the chytrid fungus, and this may have played a part in the demise of the Platypus Frog, but from the lookout on the Kenilworth Forest Drive, with its vast view of plantation, you can’t help but think that destruction of habitat was the reason for the loss of this unusual creature.

Happily, now largely protected, the Conondales provide safe habitat and a fighting chance at survival for other species in trouble – among them the Plumed Frogmouth, the Black Breasted Button Quail and Coxen’s Fig-Parrot.

Continuing along the Drive – if motoring, stop often to properly appreciate the ambience – the road keeps ascending until reaching the top of the range, then continues up and down in a roller-coaster fashion. There’s a turnoff to Jimna well worth following if there’s time to explore the western part of the range.

Further on, the road drops to cross Peters Creek. A short walking trail leads to an area downstream where the creek cascades over rocks and into lovely pools.

After ascending from Peters Creek, the Drive drops again to cross Bundaroo Creek, another ascent, then another drop to Booloumba Creek. These ups and downs can be quite steep.

All three creeks offer rock hopping opportunities. Bundaroo, with the only catchment untouched by logging, is especially attractive. There’s a walking trail to Booloumba Falls, where you’ll find an attractive rock pool for swimming, and the Breadknife, a serrated rocky outcrop well worth a closer look if you’re able to scramble a bit.

Climbing out of Booloumba Creek, you’ll soon reach the Booloumba View Lookout, with a fine view of the valley far below and Mt Allan far above. A little further along, the Drive begins descending to the Booloumba Creek camping area, just a few kilometres from your starting point.

The book “Walking on the Wilder Side… in the Conondales” published by the Conondale Range Committee, is a comprehensive guide and can be ordered via the website: exploreconondales.com.  EPA’s “Upper Mary Valley” brochure is good for basic information. Part of the Forest Drive is closed to motor vehicles at the time of writing because of an unsafe bridge, contact EPA’s Kenilworth office for details – 5446 0925. For camping permits visit the EPA website or phone 131304.

Canoeing the Upper Noosa River. Image: John Burrows

Canoeing the Noosa River, with blue sky and every detail of riverbank vegetation exactly mirrored on the river’s surface, is an unforgettable experience. The entire river is worth exploring, but it’s the upper reaches, contained in the Great Sandy National Park, which attract the eco-adventurer.

Here you’ll find a wilderness which is about as pristine as you can get. In fact, the river always scores top marks in the South East Queensland Waterways report card, compiled each year after the health of all the rivers in the region has been assessed. It scores so well because much of the catchment is in national park, where there’s little riverbank erosion and no upstream land clearing or other damaging developments which could increase sediment loads, muddying and polluting the river.

Despite its status as the cleanest river in southeast Queensland, the river does have a murky water colour. It’s been stained by tannins, organic nutrients leached from the ubiquitous melaleuca. This gives the river a dark appearance, almost black in parts and on a calm day results in the most amazing reflections.

River Reflections. Image: John Burrows

A very satisfying and eco-responsible way to experience the river is by canoe or kayak. You can see quite a bit on a day trip, but a longer visit is needed to enjoy the river’s many moods. The recommended starting point is from Lake Cootharaba. Canoe hire is possible from both Boreen Point (accessible by public transport, a $2 taxi service running from Tewantin) and Elanda Point, a few kilometres further north.

The lake’s huge expanse of space and light is glorious, but to avoid windy conditions, which make for uncomfortable paddling, it’s best to leave as early in the day as possible. Make sure you have directions to help navigate the waterways.

It’s worth stopping at the Kinaba information centre at the top of the lake, then detouring up Kin Kin Creek, which enters the river from the west. Another detour is possible into Lake Como.

The Noosa River then enters a narrow winding area known as the Everglades. Being less exposed to wind, this is where the river’s ability to faithfully mirror its surroundings is most likely seen. Forests with melaleuca, cypress pine, banksia and scribbly gum line the riverbank and sedges grow thickly to protect the river’s edges. Birdlife can be spectacular, with Brahminy kites, black cockatoos, cormorants, honeyeaters and azure kingfishers, to name just a few.

Continuing upstream you’ll reach Harrys Hut, a popular camping spot accessible by road. This is about four hours paddling from Boreen Point without detours. Another four hours paddling north takes you to the river’s confluence with Teewah Creek. From here, fallen trees make further progress up the Noosa River impossible, but you can continue up Teewah Creek itself for a while. It’s quite narrow and with vegetation meeting overhead is a beautiful stretch of paddling.

There are nine riverside camping sites north of Harrys Hut and, except for Camp 3, you can book one for your exclusive use. You’ll enjoy a real feeling of wilderness, total quiet at night except for bush creatures and the sound of surf drifting across from the coast.

The view looking south from the Cooloola Sandpatch. Image: Greg Hardwick.

Walking tracks starting from the riverside are well worth following, especially in springtime when wildflowers are blooming. One track leads to the Cooloola Sandpatch, with a great outlook over ocean, lakes and the National Park. From here the fragility of the Cooloola area is very apparent. In the 1960s sandmining had begun, more was on the way (applications for mining leases covered 8ooo hectares of dunes), and developers were eyeing off the Noosa River plain and thinking ‘subdivide’. Determined opposition by conservationists saw a complete end to sandmining by 1970, but it took another 20 years before the entire area was permanently protected with National Park status.

Even with this level of protection though, the Noosa River still faces some threats. Teewah Creek is a source of water for settlements in the Cooloola Shire. Increases in population will see more and more water taken from the creek, a decrease in water flows into the Noosa River, and potentially far reaching effects on the ecosystem. A lowering of the water table, and the possibility of seawater entering the aquifer, could have devastating consequences for the river.

Parts of the river system not included in the National Park are subject to agricultural and urban runoff, with impacts on water quality and aquatic and marine life. It’s a concern that last year the SEQ Waterways Report Card reduced the freshwater component rating of the Noosa River from B to B minus.

Play your part in protecting the unique values of the river, be a minimal impact visitor, and help the Noosa River remain the cleanest we have.

There’s more information including campsite bookings on the EPA website.

The Glasshouses, the impressive collection of peaks jutting up from the coastal plain west of the Pumicestone Passage, have plenty to offer if you’re after an outdoor experience. Something mild – a relaxing bushwalk perhaps – or something a bit extreme, like rock climbing. (view google map)

They were named by James Cook (just a lieutenant at the time) as he sailed the tiny Endeavour along the coast in 1770, describing them in his journal as “remarkable for the singular form of their elevation, which very much resembles a glass house, and for this reason I called them the Glass Houses.”

Formed over 25 million years ago, they are the remains of huge volcanoes, now eroded away except for lava flows which hardened inside their vents, leaving an intriguing array of peaks, some squat and rounded, some slender and spire-like.

For the original inhabitants – the Gubbi Gubbi people, who had names for all of the 11 peaks – they were formed in the Dreamtime, and their creation involved a family saga which ends with a despondent father Tibrogargan facing out to sea, his back forever turned to the shamed son Coonowrin who’d deserted pregnant mother Beerwah in a time of danger. Tibrogargan does indeed suggest a massive brooding presence when seen from the east.

Matthew Flinders was the first European to set foot in the area, almost 30 years after Cook sailed past, and climbed Beerburrum after an arduous walk through mangrove and melaleuca swamp.

These days the Glasshouses are much more accessible, many easily reached by foot or bicycle from train stations. Eight of the peaks are enclosed in the Glasshouse Mountains National Park, which is made up of seven detached areas, separated and surrounded by farmland or State Forest, much of which is pine plantation, sadly for biodiversity and exploring interest.

The logical thing for the explorer is to climb some of the peaks and enjoy the panoramic views.

Beerburrum, close to the township Beerburrum on the train line, is easiest and most accessible. There’s a paved if sometimes steep walking track all the way up to a lookout on top, with views over Moreton Bay, even as far as Brisbane on a clear day.

Further north, Ngungun, also close to the train, is another easy climb, with excellent views over Beerwah, Coonowrin and Tibrogargan, taking an hour or two there and back. The track is well worn but becomes a bit rough in parts. There are some steep cliffs so don’t stray too far off the track and if with children keep them closely supervised.

Beerwah – at 556 metres, the highest of all – and Tibrogargan are more challenging. They both have steep, almost vertical faces where rock climbing is popular, but a high degree of skill and appropriate equipment is needed. Both mountains have tracks to the top suitable for moderately fit people with scrambling skills. There are short sections where you need to find handholds, but generally the ascents are fairly easy and safe as long as you keep to the tracks. Be wary of falling rocks, and take particular care when descending, it’s always trickier. Don’t start your walk in the late afternoon – people have lost their way in the dark and been stranded on these mountains – and avoid wet days when the rock is slippery.

It’s no longer possible to climb the eye catching Coonowrin. With steep sides and a narrow profile, it’s also known as Crookneck – Coonowrin’s neck was injured by his angry father in the Kabi Kabi legend. Technical climbing ability is needed to reach the top. Climbers often found the rock crumbly and treacherous, and the mountain is now closed to public access for safety reasons.

You can reach the summits of the lesser known of the Glasshouses – Coochin, Tibberoowuccum, Miketeebumulgrai, Tunbubudla – but you may need scrambling and orienteering skills and local information about access.

All in all the Glasshouses are a real treat for the eco-explorer. Easy to find – there’s good signage to the more popular peaks from Glasshouse Mountains township. Queensland’s EPA website is a good resource for information.

Finally, don’t forget the minimal impact bushwalking mantra – leave only footprints, take only photographs.