ACTIVITIES RAINBOW BEACH

The Cooloola Great Walk showcases the very best of Cooloola's outstanding natural attractions. From giant sandhills to hidden rainforests, you'll be surrounded by nature's chorus both day and night, captivated by myriad spring wildflowers and stunned by the mirror-image surface reflections on the dark waters of the upper Noosa River. The walk is up to 102 kilometres long, takes five full days of walking and offers four walkers-only camps. Here is a chance to change the working week into a walking week. No campfires are permitted, bring your own fuel stove. Each camping area has a water tank and toilet facilities, although water cannot be guaranteed at all times of the year. To enjoy this remote walk, choose a time from March to late September, always walk in small groups (four is recommended), and carry reliable communication and navigation equipment. Do not walk without the Cooloola Great Walk topographic map, available from QPWS info centres. Camping bookings are essential and permits must be carried with you.

Double Island Point is located just south of Rainbow Beach. The point is a magnet for marine life of every description. Dolphins and whales (the latter from July to November) are a common sight there and Wolf Rock, a formation of four volcanic pinnacles a short distance from the point is rated as one of Australia's top 10 dive spots. As a dive location, there are plenty of swim throughs, vertical gutters and overhanging ledges to explore. Plunging to a depth of 40 metres, it is excellent for multilevel scuba diving. Fish life is prolific and you're likely to see lots of trevally, cod, coral trout, perch, mackerel, batfish, leopard sharks, wobbegong and the famous resident Grey Nurse sharks. It is home to several giant Queensland groper, and manta ray are frequent visitors.

This trail in the Cooloola Section of the Great Sandy National Park offers walkers a wilderness experience of wildflowers, chattering birds, cool clear waterways and solitude. This is a harsh yet stunning coastal environment, where conditions vary greatly, from hot and dry summers to cool winters. Low-lying areas are usually wet all year round. The northern end of the trail is at Mullens car park and the southern end is at Elanda Point. Both points can be accessed by conventional (two wheel drive) vehicles. From Mullens car park to Harry's camping area the trail crosses the western catchment and Noosa Plain. Tall eucalypt and banksia forests on deep sandy soils give way to low wallum on shallow soils. From Harry's camping area to Elanda Point, the trail passes through remnant rainforest on the rich deep soils along Kin Kin Creek, and paperbark and cabbage palm wetlands on adjacent waterlogged plains.

The Inskip Peninsula Recreation Area separates open ocean surf from the sheltered estuary waters of Tin Can Bay and the Great Sandy Strait. This is a wetland of international importance. The sand spit is clad in casuarina, cypress pine and other coastal vegetation, providing a great habitat for birds. The beaches and mudflats are roosts for waders and thousands of resident and migratory shorebirds. Bring your own drinking water and camp in one of four shady camping areas. Enjoy wide ocean beaches. Watch sunsets over quiet bay waters. Dogs are permitted in the recreation area, but must be kept on a leash and under control at all times. Bring your binoculars to view birds in the early morning or late afternoon. Look for button-quail on the sandy tracks and shorebirds (in summer). Watch for dugong, turtles and dolphins in the bay. You must bring your own firewood for campfires, but best to bring a fuel or gas stove and reduce your use of campfires.