Things to do

Track sections that pass through wet heathland are often waterlogged in the wetter months, particularly from January to June.

Photo credit: Ross Naumann

Scribbly gum woodland on the Aemula trail.

Photo credit: Ross Naumann

Camping and accommodation

Camping

Camping is not permitted in Mooloolah River National Park. Nearby Beerwah State Forest has a camping area at Coochin Creek.

Other accommodation

There is a wide range of holiday accommodation on the Sunshine Coast, including Sunshine Coast Regional Council’s camping and caravan parks—see the tourism information links below for further information.

Walking

• Mooloolah River National Park maps (PDF, 183.8KB)

Short walking tracks are provided in the Jowarra section. In the Mooloolah River section visitors can explore the park on fire management trails.

Drier winter months are best for walking. Walking tracks that pass through wet heathland are prone to water inundation from January to June—especially during the summer months.

Waterlogged areas are particularly sensitive to the impact of walkers. The soil becomes deeply compacted and trampled plants do not recover quickly. Consider turning back when the track is covered by water to protect these sensitive areas.

Bicycles, trail bikes and other vehicles are not permitted on the fire management trails, walking tracks or elsewhere in the national park.

Walks in Jowarra section

Mooloolah River circuit

Grade 2
Distance: 500m return
Time: allow 20 mins

Details: This short, self-guiding rainforest walk winds along a crystal clear creek. The fruiting fig trees here attract many birds and this is a good spot for birdwatching.

Melaleuca walk

Grade 2
Distance: 1.3km return
Time: allow 40 mins

Details: Rainforest with piccabeen palm groves, eucalypt forest and melaleuca swamp awaits those taking this longer walk. The river here is home to platypus, which may be seen by quiet and observant visitors at dawn and dusk.

Walks in Mooloolah River section

Walks in this section are along fire management trails. Walking conditions on these tracks are similar to walking track standard Grade 3.

Walk distances provided are one-way. The fire management trails are connected to each other, so a walk combining several trails can be planned.

Remember to allow time for your return walk—it takes about an hour to walk 3km and take in the scenery.

Boronia trail

Distance: 2.4km one way

Details: This trail takes you through tall scribbly gum Eucalyptus racemosa forest onto a small heath plain, across a creek crossing and onto the largest heath plain in the park.

Aemula trail

Distance: 1.3km one way

Details: Wallum banksia Banksia aemula woodlands, open forests and heath grow beside this walk.

Littoralis trail

Distance: 1.1km one way

Details: Along higher ground, this trail features open forests and woodlands with scribbly gums and casuarina Allocasuarina littoralis.

Paperbark trail

Distance: 850 m one way

Details: Features casuarina forest with an understorey of golden candlesticks Banksia spinulosa var. collina, and swamp paperbark Melaleuca quinquenervia forest, where bungwall fern Blechnum indicum grows.

Banksias flower in the cool, drier months of March to November.

Photo credit: Ross Naumann

Rainbow bee-eaters are often seen in Mooloolah River section.

Photo credit: Ross Naumann

Hairy bush pea Pultenea villosa is one of many wildflowers that colour the heath plain when wildflowers peak late winter and throughout spring.

Photo credit: Ross Naumann

Bicycling

Sunshine Coast Regional Council bikeway

A wide, cement bikeway runs beside a section of the park featuring tall open forest with scribbly gums, banksia woodlands, and low heath. The bikeway links Sippy Downs and Sunshine Coast University with Kawana and Mooloolaba areas.

Bicycles, trail bikes and other vehicles are not permitted on the fire management trails or elsewhere in the national park.

Viewing wildlife

Mooloolah River is a great place to view coastal plants and animals, especially in the cooler parts of the day—early morning and late afternoon—when wildlife is most active.

Quiet observers may see eastern grey kangaroos, lace monitors, echidnas, snakes, lizards, dragonflies, butterflies, frogs, spiders and other small creatures.

Colourful honeyeaters, insect-eating rainbow bee-eaters, seed eating yellow-tailed black cockatoos, ospreys and many other birds live in the wallum heath areas of the park.

The Jowarra section protects one of the Sunshine Coast’s few remaining areas of coastal rainforest. Extensive clearing of the coastal flats has left isolated pockets of rainforest and these provide important refuge for wildlife. Among them are the wompoo pigeon, yellow-breasted robin, Richmond birdwing butterfly and many frog and snake species. In the quiet calm of the early morning and late afternoon, the more observant visitor may see platypus in the river.

Wildflowers

Wildflowers can be observed here throughout the year, particularly in the heath areas—the season peaks from winter to spring. The intensity and length of flowering depends on seasonal factors, rainfall and temperature.

Fire plays a role and many heath plants have special adaptations for surviving fire, including woody seed pods.

Common wildflowers include purple and pink shades of boronias, twinning peas, prickly heath, wax flower, iris and vanilla lilies; cream to yellow and gold wallum peas, wattles, geebung, guinea flowers, banksias, grass trees and melaleucas; blue hues of lilies and fan flowers; white prickly heath, wedding bush, pimelea and tea-tree; red and green flashes of bottle brushes; deep green banksias and many more.