Sunshine Coast walks & waterfalls
Coolum and its surrounding areas are a great place for walking tracks and beautiful, sparkling waterfalls. As you leave your Coolum beach apartment - choose between a gentle walk along the ocean or a more vigorous, hiking walk up in the hinterland.
So here are some ideas for great walks and driving trips you can do on your Coolum holiday:
Walking tracks along the Sunshine Coast
The Coolum Boardwalk: this is a beautiful walk along a newly constructed boardwalk, which follows the ocean from Beach Road to Point Perry all the way to Point Arkwright. An easy walk for people of all ages, it is well lit at night and it is just metres from Coolum on the Beach.
Point Perry and Point Arkwright are great spots for both whale watching (from June to November) and bird watching – they are also popular spots for weddings. Point Perry (also known as Wilkinson Park) is a rocky headland at the southern boundary of Coolum Beach. It has a new shelter which offers a chance to rest for a while and take in the stunning views. Point Arkwright is a rocky promontory just a short 1km walk south of Point Perry, and has amazing views north to Peregian Beach, right up to Noosa and south down to Moreton Island/Mulgumpin.
You can continue walking on up to Peregian Beach - a delightful 7km walk north along the beach from Point Perry. Peregian Beach is a quaint little seaside village – but make sure to look out for the tall Norfolk Pines growing alongside the beach so you can spot where to turn off for the village.
Waterfalls
Kondalilla Falls: A leisurely 40km drive from Coolum Beach, south-west via Montville brings you to the Kondalilla Falls National Park, in the Blackall Ranges. The Kondalilla Falls circuit is a 5km walk requiring a medium level of fitness, it has gentle downward slopes but there are a lot of steps on the return journey.
The walk starts at the top of the stunning Skene Creek which falls 90 metres down to the rainforest floor – an awesome stunning spectacle.
Gardeners Falls: This is freshwater swimming at its best. Gardeners Falls at Maleny is a secluded jewel just 45km west of Coolum Beach. Located not far from Falls Creek Road at Obi Obi, it is just a short walk to the falls from the sealed car park and is one of the prettiest waterways in Australia.
Booloumba Falls: Located within Kenilworth State Forest. Drive down Sunday Creek Road, 7km past Kenilworth and take the turnoff for Booloumba Creek picnic and camping areas. These falls are a short 3km walk from the camping area and you will love the large rock pool above the falls – though they can be very popular on weekends.
