Cooloola Recreation Area, Great Sandy National Park Sunshine Coast

At the end of the Boronia trail, stop at Kin Kin Creek to listen to the birds and look for aquatic life. Photo credit: Rob Cameron © Queensland Government

Four-wheel drive past towering coastal sand cliffs and coloured sands in the paradise of Cooloola Recreation Area. Photo credit: © Tomek Z Genek

Boronia trail

Discover wallum banksia woodlands, a rainforest ‘scrub’, colourful flowering shrubs and varied wildlife, such as birds, wallabies and even platypus.

Journey type
Walk
Distance
3.6km return Start and finish points are the same and the traveller must return via the same path
Time suggested
Allow 3hrs walking time.
Grade
Grade 3 walking track

Accessible by

  • High clearance 4WD

Journey facilities

  • Walking

Explore inland Cooloola, near the area’s western boundary, on this easy short walk that starts 4.5km along Harry's Hut Road. Marvel at scribbly gums, meander through wallum banksia woodlands and explore rainforest 'scrub' near Kin Kin Creek, with towering stands of kauri pines and flooded gums.

The track crosses the Cooloola Wilderness Trail and continues to the creek bank, where you'll find the foundation remains of an old suspension bridge. In late winter and early spring, admire the prolific pink and purple flowers of Wide Bay boronias and wallum boronias. Look for goannas and wallabies along the track, and spot birds and maybe platypus at the creek.

Refer to the Cooloola and Inskip recreation areas discovery guide (PDF, 4.0MB) for a map and more details.

Getting there and getting around

The Boronia trail is in Cooloola Recreation Area, Great Sandy National Park, on the Sunshine Coast between Noosa Heads and Rainbow Beach (155km–240km north of Brisbane).

Via Harry's Hut Road

  • From Brisbane, drive 135km north on the Bruce Highway or the Sunshine Motorway to Tewantin. Follow McKinnon Drive, Louis Bazzo Drive and Junction Road for about 18km north-west to Cootharaba Road. Turn right and travel about 10km along Cootharaba, Kimmond Creek and Dr Pages roads to the Gympie Kin Kin Road. Turn right and drive 6km, then turn right onto Cooloola Way.
  • From Gympie, drive 10km east on Tin Can Bay Road, turn right onto to the Gympie Kin Kin Road and drive about 31km, then turn left onto Cooloola Way.
  • Drive 4km on Cooloola Way then turn right onto Harry's Hut Road and drive 4.5km to the start of the Boronia trail.

Via Cooloola Wilderness trail

  • You can also access the trail on foot from the Cooloola Wilderness Trail, 4.7km north from the Elanda Point QPWS car park.
    • From Brisbane drive 135km north on the Bruce Highway or the Sunshine Motorway to Tewantin; or from Gympie drive 58km south and east on the Bruce Highway to Tewantin.
    • From Tewantin drive 19km west and north via McKinnon Drive and Louis Bazzo Drive to Boreen Point. Turn left onto Lake Flat Road and drive 2km to the Elanda Point access road.

Wheelchair access

There are no wheelchair-accessible facilities.

Before you visit

Opening hours

Boronia trail is open 24 hours a day.

Check park alerts for the latest information on access, closures and conditions.

Visiting safely

For more safety information see Visiting Cooloola Recreation Area safely and Walk with care.

View all park alerts