Things to do
Heath circuit track, Currimundi Lake (Kathleen McArthur) Conservation Park.
Photo credit: Ross Naumann, QPWS volunteer.
Prickly-leaved paperbark Melaleuca nodosa flowers have a sweet honey fragrance that attracts many insects and birds.
Photo credit: Ross Naumann, QPWS volunteer.
Boronia flowers stand out among the heath.
Photo credit: Ross Naumann, QPWS volunteer.
This conservation park is a great place to visit for short walks in plant communities that were once widespread on the Sunshine Coast. Two scenic walks along sandy tracks are provided here:
- Heath circuit walk—the first 140m of this walk is a sealed bitumen surface to a viewpoint overlooking Currimundi Creek.
- Beach access track
Along the park’s western and northern boundaries, you can walk or ride on a section of the Sunshine Coast Council’s Coastal Pathway—a 73km walk and cycle path from Bells Creek (south of Caloundra) to Coolum Beach.
You can also walk along the fire management trails that are accessible from the park’s walks and the Sunshine Coast Council’s Coastal Pathway.
There are no other facilities within this small park. Adjoining the park, the Sunshine Coast Council Crummunda Park ’s facilities include picnic tables, barbecues, toilets and a viewing platform/canoe launching area.
Domestic animals, bike riding and camping are not permitted in Currimundi Lake (Kathleen McArthur) National Park. The nearest QPWS managed camping area is Coochin Creek camping area in Beerwah State Forest.
Read about park features, park access, visiting safely, essentials to bring and looking after the park. Find other nearby parks.
Walking
It is essential to stay on the walking tracks and fire management trails. The park is identified as an area containing unexploded ordinance (UXO) used for military training exercises around World War II.
To protect sensitive wet heathland areas, turn back when the track is covered by water (can occur from January to June). Walking through and around waterlogged areas deeply compacts soils and tramples plants—damaged areas take a long time to recover. Slippery and very boggy conditions also increase fall and injury risks.
Be prepared for your walk, especially in hot weather. Wear a hat and sunscreen and carry water and insect repellent. Wear footwear suitable for sandy tracks.
Read the walking track grades and details to choose a walk that suits your ability and fitness levels.
Heath circuit
Distance: 1.4km return
Time: allow 40min return
Details: The first 140m of this walk is a sealed bitumen surface through open forest to a viewpoint overlooking Currimundi Creek. Further along the walk there are woodlands dominated by casuarinas and phebalium, and in other places woodlands dominated by banksia or tea-tree or wattle, and wildflower heathland. In the casuarina woodland look for small comb ferns growing on the forest floor beside the track.
Beach access track
Distance: 2km return
Time: allow 1hr return
Details: This track follows the heath circuit track before branching off through a wattle and tea-tree thicket with midyim and bracken understorey. It meanders over several dunes where rainforest plants including tuckeroo, acronychia and celerywood grow and form a low, dense canopy above the track.
On the ocean side of the foredunes the plants change abruptly to casuarinas and pandanus. There are scenic views south to Caloundra and south-east to Mulgumpin (Moreton Island).
Plant communities and wildflowers
This small park protects a variety of coastal plant communities that were extensive before urban development.
Open forest near the park entrance quickly gives way to woodland and wallum heath. Behind the foredunes, a low closed forest with rainforest species grows sheltered from the wind. On the ocean side of the dunes, the vegetation changes dramatically to salt and wind tolerant plants including pandanus and she-oaks. A small area of sedgeland grows here too.
Wildflowers may be found year-round but especially in late winter and spring when masses of white, pink, gold and purple blooms carpet the wallum heath.
Common wildflowers include purple and pink shades of boronias, twinning peas, prickly heath, wax flower, iris and vanilla lilies; cream to yellow and gold wallum peas, wattles, geebung, guinea flowers, banksias, grass trees and melaleucas; blue hues of lilies and fan flowers; white prickly heath, wedding bush, pimelea and tea-tree; red and green flashes of bottle brushes; deep green banksias and many more. Some flowers are very small and translucent or green.
Request a Currimundi Lake (Kathleen McArthur) Conservation Park species list.
Viewing wildlife
This park is a great place to view coastal plants and animals, especially in the cooler parts of the day—early morning and late afternoon—when wildlife is most active. Look for wildlife tracks along the sandy walking tracks—birds, lizards, snakes and more leave some amazing tracks from their morning activities.
Birds move in and out of the park following the flowering of shrubs and trees. Some birds, like the drongos, are migratory. Others, like friarbirds and rainbow lorikeets, live on the coast all year.
A colourful variety of small honeyeaters can be observed early and late in the day feeding among the heath. Species include white-cheeked honeyeaters, blue-faced honeyeaters, scarlet honeyeaters, Lewin’s honeyeater, little wattlebirds and friarbirds.
Heath habitat also provides a great hunting ground for insect eating birds including rainbow bee-eaters, drongos, fantails, wagtails and wrens. Many honeyeaters also eat small insects. Look for beautifully camouflaged insects and spiders amongst the leaves and flowers.
Around the creek and along the ocean beach look for waterbirds and birds of prey.
Request a Currimundi Lake (Kathleen McArthur) Conservation Park species list.
- There are currently no park alerts for this park.