Enjoy the best of the beach and the bush at Noosa National Park. Spanning from Coolum to Noosa Heads and encompassing Lake Weyba, this nature park offers you the chance to see both dolphins and koalas in a single visit. Hike the trails, gaze over the ocean from a lookout or relax on the secluded beach.
The 4,000-hectare (9,884-acre) park is made up of four zones: East Weyba, along the shore of the lake Emu Mountain the Peregian zone and the Headland zone, at the very north end of the park. Start in the Headland area, where there is a parking lot and a visitor centre with toilets and free park maps. The trailheads for many of the park’s walking routes are located in this part of the park, so you can begin your walk here.
Choose from a variety of different hikes based on how much time you have and what difficulty level your group can handle. Most tourists try the coastal walk leading from the Headland section to Tea Tree Bay, which takes up to 3 hours. This path can get crowded, so arrive early in the day. If you are travelling with children, perhaps avoid Alexandria Bay, the nude beach just beyond Tea Tree Bay.
While none of the beaches in the park have lifeguards, they are safe for swimming as long as you stay in shallow water. Relax on the sand or climb up to one of the lookouts in the park for a panoramic view of the ocean. See if you can spot the dolphins that inhabit the water.
As you walk through the park’s towering eucalypt trees, keep an eye out for koalas. A large population is known to live in the Noosa National Park, so it is the perfect opportunity to see the animals in their natural habitat.
Noosa National Park is under 2 hour’s drive from Brisbane. Admission is free and the park is accessible every day.
