The mainland half of the Great Sandy story: a vast national park of coloured cliffs, perched lakes, towering sandblows and a beach you can drive from Rainbow Beach all the way to Noosa.
Cooloola is the mainland section of Great Sandy National Park, stretching from Rainbow Beach in the north down to the Noosa River. It's a younger cousin to K'gari — the same towering sandmass, coloured cliffs and freshwater lakes, but reached without a ferry.
Sitting roughly 155 to 240 kilometres north of Brisbane, it rewards everyone from casual walkers to multi-day hikers and 4WD adventurers tackling the Great Beach Drive.
A short walk from Rainbow Beach to a giant windblown sand mass with 180-degree coastal views.
A headland topped by an 1884 lighthouse, with surf, kayaking and sweeping views in every direction.
Kilometres of coloured-sand cliffs and an iconic 4WD beach-driving and camping run.
A perched lake reached on foot, and a clear tannin-stained creek perfect for a cool dip.
The headline sights cluster at the northern, Rainbow Beach end: the Carlo Sandblow, the Coloured Sands cliffs, and Double Island Point with its solar-powered 1884 lighthouse and protected northern bay. The southern reaches run down the Noosa River, with quiet camping, paddling and birdlife.
Wildlife is everywhere — brahminy and whistling kites overhead, turtles and dolphins offshore, and whales passing in season.
For a short, rewarding walk, the Carlo Sandblow track is hard to beat. Bymien picnic ground gives access to Lake Poona and the rainforest, while Seary's Creek has an easy boardwalk. Serious hikers can take on the Cooloola Great Walk — a roughly 100-kilometre, multi-day traverse — or the Cooloola Wilderness Trail.
Always check current park alerts before a longer walk, as creek crossings and sections can close after weather or for hazard-reduction burns.
Teewah Beach is the spine of the Great Beach Drive — a long sand highway running between Noosa North Shore and Rainbow Beach, and on across the barge to K'gari. It needs a high-clearance 4WD, lowered tyre pressures, a Vehicle Access Permit and careful tide planning.
Note that fires are permanently banned on Teewah Beach, and natural sand movement can affect access around Double Island Point.
Cooloola's beaches and tracks need a Vehicle Access Permit and tide awareness, and the park runs hazard-reduction burns through the cooler months. Exposed sand cliffs can be unstable — keep clear of the base of the coloured-sand cliffs. Always read the current Queensland Parks conditions report before you go.
No 4WD, or travelling with a group? Our transfers and charters do the heavy lifting.
Door-to-door transfers to and from Hervey Bay Airport and beyond — meet-and-greet, fixed prices and a driver waiting when you land.
Book a transferPrivate coaches and mini-buses for groups, weddings, schools and corporate travel — your own driver and your own schedule.
Charter a coachGuided trips that take in the Cooloola sights and K'gari without the logistics, plus transfers and charters.
Browse Fraser Coast toursNo — Cooloola is the mainland section of Great Sandy National Park, while K'gari (Fraser Island) is the island section. They share the same great sandmass geology and sit either side of the Great Sandy Strait.
For the beach drives (Teewah, the Great Beach Drive) and most camping, yes. The Carlo Sandblow and several walks near Rainbow Beach are reachable by conventional car.
Around 100 kilometres, typically walked over about five days between Noosa and Rainbow Beach. Shorter day walks cover the highlights for those with less time.
On the headland at Double Island Point, reached by a short, steep walk. Built in 1884, it now runs on solar power and offers panoramic coastal views.