Cooloola Great Walk Day 4or2 Dutgee to Brahminy Walkers Camps

The Cooloola Great Walk links Rainbow Beach to Noosa North Shore via the eastern high dunes known as the Cooloola sandmass. This one of the largest accumulations of wind-blown sand found along the Queensland coast that has been built up during the last 500,000 years. It conserves unique dune, lake and vegetation systems. This 61,750 hectare section of the Great Sandy National Park is one of the best conserved landscapes of its kind in eastern Australia.This version describes the hike going from North to South. North to south is a better route because the sun tends to fall on your back during the course of the walk.

This day is my favourite day of the Great Walk. Either way you go it is a physical day with about 319 climb South to North or other 400 climb in the way that we did it. This makes it the most physical day by far.

Starting out from the Noosa River you progress out from the communal area at Dutgee initially following the Noosa River up to campsite 3. From there be track makes a beeline towards the hills and dunes across the open heathland terrain.

Eventually you reach the base of the hills where the track winds back and forth to ascend to blackbutt and scribbly gum forests and woodlands with an understorey of grass-trees.. Across this ridge there are various spots when you can view out towards the Noosa River and Tewantin. The ridge leads to the Cooloola sand patch.

The Cooloola Sandpatch is a 2km long sand dune bare of vegetation. There are views back over the upper Noosa River catchment, including Lake Cooloola, Lake Como and Lake Cootharaba. The Sand Patch can be confusing to navigate and especially to find the exit points. It is recommended you follow the trail of wikiloc or use the methodology described by National Parks on the signage on site.

After exiting the Sand Patch the track first ascends and then desends to arrive another forest of Kauri Pine before ascending again to a ridge that edges closer to the east and the sea. Eventually you come out to very open ridgeline that looks north and south over the Great Sandy National Park. The breathtaking views over the coastal dunes and the blue of the sea and sky are spectacular. I most enjoy the windswept eucalypts that form the basis of the valleys in between the dunes.

Following the track on you get to traverse around and past more magnificent dunes. At the time we were visiting in spring there were many flowering heathland plants along the track. So much to keep you occupied while you struggle with your pack to eventually reach Brahminy Walkers Camp after such a long but rewarding hiking day.

Brahminy Walkers Camp is on a west-facing slope of the Cooloola sand mass, amid low coastal heath and banksias. Here you can enjoy magnificent sunsets and spectacular views from the communal area. The campsites can be a little exposed to the elements but the views are worth it.