About Conway

Park features

This park includes the rainforest-clad Conway Peninsula and protects the largest area of lowland tropical rainforest in Queensland outside Tropical North Queensland. Hoop pines grow on coastal ridges and in damp gullies, emerging above the rainforest canopy. Rugged, steep, rocky cliffs provide a spectacular 35km-long backdrop to the Whitsunday Passage and islands.

Dry vine thicket, mangroves, open forests with a grasstree understorey, paperbark and pandanus woodlands, and patches of lowland rainforest with twisted vines grow in the park. It is home to 2 of Australia's mound-building birds, the Australian brush-turkey and the orange-footed scrubfowl.

Rising steeply behind busy coastal settlements, the Conway Range appears impenetrable. Through climate fluctuations over tens of thousands of years, the rainforest has persisted here, providing a continuous refuge for wildlife.

The park's vegetation is very similar to that on the Whitsunday islands because thousands of years ago the sea level rose, drowning coastal valleys and creating the islands. For thousands of years, the Ngaro and Gia people roamed these forests, harvesting riches of the land and the adjoining sea country. Today the adjacent waters are protected in marine parks.

Looking after the park

Parks and forests protect Queensland's wonderful natural diversity and scenery. Please help keep these places special during your stay.

• Protect the wildlife. Remember, plants and animals (dead or alive) are protected. Try not to trample plants when walking or erecting your tent.
• Camp at designated camp sites only.
• Use a fuel stove. Fires are not permitted.
• Leave no rubbish. Rubbish bins are not provided. Do not bury rubbish—take it with you when you leave. You can dispose of it at Airlie Beach.
• Respect Indigenous culture. Indigenous sites represent thousands of years of living culture of special significance to Indigenous people. They are easily damaged and irreplaceable. Look at, enjoy, but do not touch them.
• Be considerate. People visit parks and forests to enjoy nature, not noisy people or radios.
• Camp and walk softly. Leave your camp site better than you found it. Stay on the walking tracks.

See caring for parks for more information about protecting our environment and heritage in parks.

Park management

Conway National Park's size and undeveloped nature makes it a very significant wilderness area. The park extends north along the coastline to the tip of Cape Conway, 30km south of Shute Harbour. It is managed to preserve its significant beauty and rare and threatened species for generations to come.

QPWS is responsible for managing Conway National Park, Conway Conservation Park and Conway West Conservation Park under the Nature Conservation Act 1992. A special management area (controlled action) has been declared over part of Conway National Park to allow for the continuation of foliage harvesting activities until 2024. These areas are carefully monitored to ensure the maintenance of natural and cultural values.

The Great Barrier Reef, which is part of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, lies just off Conway National Park's coast and is managed by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.

See Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park for more detailed zoning information.

Tourism information links

Whitsunday Regional Information Centre
www.tourismwhitsundays.com.au
192 Bruce Highway, Proserpine Qld 4800
ph +61 7 4945 3967
email info@tourismwhitsundays.com.au
Open Monday-Sunday 9.00am to 5.00pm
Closed Christmas Day

Bowen Visitor Information Centre
www.tourismbowen.com.au
Bruce Highway, Mount Gordon, Qld 4805
ph (07) 4786 4222
fax (07) 4786 4222
email info@bowentourism.com.au

For tourism information for all regions in Queensland see Queensland Holidays.