On the rugged Conway Range behind Airlie Beach lies Conway State Forest, home to the Whitsunday Great!Walk. This beautiful forest contains lowland tropical rainforest remnants and picturesque rocky creeks. Volcanic activity millions of years ago created this rugged landscape and the offshore islands. Walking through this wildlife haven is a unique experience as the seasons come and go with different sights, smells and sounds. You may see the blue flash of a Ulysses butterfly after rain, smell lemon myrtle flowers in summer, or hear the distinctive call of the wompoo fruit-dove when the trees around you are fruiting. You will pass majestic tulip oaks on the first day, walk through lush palm valleys and moss gardens on the second, and finish on the third with views of the Whitsunday Islands through open woodland. As of November 2012, the Whitsunday Great Walk is now open to mountain bikes with sections of the 36km dual-use trail graded 2, 3 and 4 for mountain bikes.
