Take a hike! 15 family friendly walks to do around the Gympie region
Feel like escaping to the great outdoors for a little fresh air, exercise and some vitamin D? Here are 15 family friendly walks you can do around the Gympie and Mary Valley region.
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Feel like escaping to the great outdoors for a little fresh air, exercise and vitamin D? Here are 15 family friendly walks you can do around the Gympie and Mary Valley region.
Coastal strolls
1. Foreshore Bird Walk, Tin Can Bay
Take a stroll along this picturesque 4km stretch of the Tin Can Bay foreshore and take in some of the amazing bird life that calls the region home. This is a nice, easy walk which can be enjoyed by the whole family. You can start the walk at either end, and you’ll find a playground, barbecue and picnic tables at the Norman Point end.
2. Wildflower Walk, Tin Can Bay
Enjoy the natural beauty of some of the region’s breathtaking native flora on the Tin Can Bay Wildflower Walk. Coming in at just over 1km, it’s only a short stroll, but there’s plenty to look at, and it makes this walk perfect for those who aren’t wanting to commit to anything too long.
3. Seary’s Creek Boardwalk, Cooloola Recreation Area
If the idea of a short walk followed by a refreshing dip in a picturesque creek takes your fancy, then this is the walk for you. Starting out at the Seary’s Creek Day Use Area, you’ll wander along a 200m boardwalk until you reach a platform with steps leading down to the creek. Don’t be put off by the tea colour of the water, this occurs naturally thanks to the trees in the area and it’s perfectly safe to swim in. There are some freshwater catfish and eels that call the creek home too.
4. Carlo Sandblow, Rainbow Beach
The Carlo Sandblow is like something from another planet, with many describing it as a “moonscape”. The view from the top is really something else, dishing up vistas over Rainbow Beach, the coloured sands, Double Island Point, Fraser Island and Inskip Peninsula. For a longer walk, start at the Rainbow Beach Information Centre, or lessen the distance by beginning at the Carlo Sandblow car park.
5. Poona Lake Walk, Great Sandy National Park
If it’s time to up the ante and take on a longer walk, the Poona Lake Walk delivers without being too difficult. This 4.2km return walk kicks off from the Bymien Day Use Area and leads through a forest of towering kauri and hoop pines before you reach the lake, which is surrounded by paperbarks. To access the car park, turn off Rainbow Beach Rd into Freshwater Rd and follow it for about 3km.
Inland adventures
1. Rainforest Walk, Amamoor State Forest
Believe it or not, there’s more to the Amamoor State Forest than just the Muster. This stunning 1km rainforest jaunt sets off from the Cedar Grove Camp Area in the Amamoor State Forest and takes you alongside a creek which is known to be platypus territory – make sure you keep an eye out for the telltale bubbles. You can also swim in the waterhole at the beginning of the track, so be sure to pack your swimmers and a towel.
2. Amama Walk, Amamoor State Forest
If you’re up for a slightly more challenging trek, ignore TLC’s advice and go chase a waterfall on the Amama Walk. This 1.5km circuit should take about 40 minutes to complete, but there’s no shame in taking longer to appreciate the natural beauty of the waterfall that’s at around the halfway point. It’s important to note that there is a natural creek crossing on this walk which can be slippery, so please take care. You can access this walk from the Amama Day Use Area.
3. Fig Tree Circuit, Amamoor State Forest
Fancy roaming among wild fig and macadamia trees alongside a creek? Fig Tree Circuit is just shy of 1km long and is also accessible from the Amama Day Use Area, so it’s definitely one to pair with the Amama Walk. This walk also crosses a natural creek, so please take care to not slip if you do this one.
4. Scrubby Creek Circuit, Mudlo National Park
Tucked away in Mudlo National Park to the north of Kilkivan, Scrubby Creek Circuit is about 1km long and should take you around 30 minutes to complete. Beginning at the Scrubby Creek Day Use Area, the trail wanders alongside the creek and through giant fig trees.
5. Pearson’s Lookout Track, Mudlo National Park
If you’re looking for a slightly more challenging hike, then Pearson’s Lookout Track in Mudlo National Park could be right up your alley. This one also starts out at the Scrubby Creek Day Use Area, is about 3km return, and will likely take you between 1.5 and 2 hours to complete. This track is a little steep and will require a little more fitness than the Scrubby Creek Circuit, but there is a lookout that dishes up views over the national park at the top.
6. Daniel’s Lookout, Boat Mountain Conservation Park
This is another one that’s slightly longer and more challenging, but provides fabulous 270 degree views towards the Bunya Mountains from the top, making it well worth the effort. The Daniel’s Lookout walk starts out at the Boat Mountain Picnic Area. In case you’re wondering, the conservation park got its name because it of its distinctive flat-topped ridge that some say looks like an overturned boat.
7. Victory Heights Recreational Trails, Gympie
If taking a drive to a national park sounds too hard, the good news is that you don’t even have to leave Gympie to be able to enjoy a good wander through the bush. Head over to Victory Heights and take a stroll around the Victory Heights Recreational Trails to get your outdoors fix without the need to listen to your kids ask if you’re there yet for what feels like an eternity.
Heritage trails
Have you ever wondered what the region was like in years gone by? These heritage trails are the perfect way to get a glimpse of what our region was like in the past.
1. Gympie Town Centre Heritage Trail
Did you know that Gympie saved Queensland from bankruptcy in 1867? Take a stroll through Gympie’s colourful history on the Gympie Town Centre Heritage Trail. Kicking off from The Fiveways, the trail takes you for a stroll around significant sites in town, with 14 different plaques to read and learn from along your way.
2. Kilkivan Heritage Trail
Did you know that Kilkivan gets its name from an early settler to the region, John Daniel Mactaggart? He named his new land after his family’s estate in Scotland. Start out at the Kilkivan and District Museum, where you can get some more information about the trail, and then take a little wander through history.
3. Goomeri Heritage Trail
Did you know that the Goomeri township only formally came into being in 1911, but the history of the area stretches back to the 1830s? Start the Goomeri Heritage Trail at the town’s Visitor Information Centre where you can get more information about the trail before you set off.
What about the rail trails?
Normally a list of walks for the Gympie and Mary Valley region would certainly include the River to Rail Trail, the Kilkivan to Kingaroy Rail Trail and the Mary Valley Rail Trail, but these rail trails are all currently closed due to flooding events. Hopefully they will reopen again in the near future.
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