Starting from Elanda Point Road, Como, this walk takes you to the Kinaba Information Centre and the foreshore of Lake Cootharaba via the Kinaba Track, visiting several lookouts along the way. Expect to see heaps of bird species as you make your way through the lovely paperbarks and cabbage palms. You’ll get great views of the lake, especially at the mangrove boardwalk at the end. Interpretive signs at the said boardwalk will inform you about the history of the area. You can also take a little detour and visit Mill Point for a panoramic point of view. Try to spot some stingrays whilst taking in the scenery. This shady walk is pretty empty most of the time, including the information centre. Keep in mind that the information centre is also accessible by boat. Take a strong mozzie (Australian term for mosquito) repellent with you to have a better experience. Let us begin by acknowledging the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we travel today, and pay our respects to their Elders past and present.
Before you start any bushwalk ensure you;
• Tell someone you trust where you are going and what to do if you are overdue
• Have adequate equipment, supplies, skills & knowledge for the whole journey
• Consider the impact of weather forecasts, park/track closures & fire dangers
• Can respond to emergencies & call for help at any point
• Are healthy and fit enough for this journey
If not, change plans and stay safe. It is okay to delay and ask people for help.
Start
At the intersection of Elanda Point Road & Cooloola Wilderness Trail (-26.2568315,152.9944747)
At roundabout, take exit 2 and drive for another 280 m
At roundabout, take exit 1 onto Old Bruce Highway and drive for another 1.9 km
Turn right onto Pioneer Road and drive for another 2 km
Turn right onto Reserve Street and drive for another 1 km
At roundabout, take exit 2 onto Reserve Street and drive for another 270 m
Turn left onto Factory Street and drive for another 1.9 km
Turn right onto Louis Bazzo Drive and drive for another 17.2 km
Turn left onto Lake Flat Road and drive for another 2.1 km
Turn right onto Elanda Point Road and drive for another 1.3 km
Continue onto Elanda Point Road and drive for another 65 m
Getting started From Elanda Point Road (480 metres southwest of the Habitat Noosa Hotel), head north along the Cooloola Wilderness Trail as you move away from the road and the lake. Continue straight at the 4-way intersection and cross the wide fire trail. Follow the same trail as you keep the lake to your right to continue along the Kinaba Track.....
Turn map
Directions & comments
At the intersection of Elanda Point Road & Cooloola Wilderness Trail Start heading along Cooloola Wilderness Trail (a footpath).
Find the sign at the start.
Find the car park at the start.
After another 225 m continue straight, to head along Cooloola Wilderness Trail.
After another 340 m continue straight, to head along Cooloola Wilderness Trail.
After another 75 m turn right, to head along Cooloola Wilderness Trail.
After another 500 m continue straight, to head along Cooloola Wilderness Trail.
After another 145 m continue straight, to head along Cooloola Wilderness Trail.
After another 15 m pass the sign (on your left).
The starting point of an optional sidetrip. An optional side trip taking you to Mill Point lookout where you can get great views of Lake Cootharaba. Expect around a 20-minute addition to your walk time (out & back). To start this optional side trip veer right here. On returning from this side trip turn right when you get back to this intersection. Details below.
After another 470 m (at the intersection of Mill Point Trail & Cooloola Wilderness Trail) continue straight, to head along Cooloola Wilderness Trail.
Then pass the sign (on your right).
After another 430 m continue straight, to head along Cooloola Wilderness Trail.
After another 850 m pass the sign (on your left).
At the intersection of Kinaba Track & Cooloola Wilderness Trail turn right, to head along Kinaba Track (a walking track).
After another 3.2 km continue straight.
After another 35 m pass the "Kinaba Information Centre".
After another 20 m come to the "Kinaba Information Centre" (7 m on your right).
Continue straight.
After another 35 m pass the toilet (8 m on your right). This toilet is male and female.
After another 85 m pass the sign (on your right).
Veer left.
After another 25 m come to a viewpoint.
Turn around here and retrace the main route for 6.2 km to get back to the start.
An optional side trip taking you to Mill Point lookout where you can get great views of Lake Cootharaba. Expect around a 20-minute addition to your walk time (out & back).
Turn map
Directions & comments
At the intersection of Mill Point Trail & Cooloola Wilderness Trail Start heading along Mill Point Trail (a walking track).
Find the sign at the start.
After another 320 m continue straight, to head along Mill Point Trail.
After another 400 m come to "Mill Point".
The end.
Turn around and retrace your steps back the 720 m to the main route.
Kinaba Track
Grading
Class 2/6
Easy track
Length
12.4 km
Time
3 h 30 min to 5 h
Quality of track
Clear and well formed track or trail (2/6)
Gradient
Gentle hills with occasional steps (2/6)
Signage
Clearly signposted (2/6)
Infrastructure
Generally useful facilities (such as fenced cliffs and seats) (2/6)
Experience Required
No experience required (2/6)
Weather
Weather generally has little impact on safety (2/6)
Medium chance of showers in the early morning. Patchy morning fog. Sunny afternoon. Light winds becoming west to southwesterly 15 to 25 km/h in the morning then becoming light in the evening. Daytime maximum temperatures between 19 and 23.
Fire Danger Rating: Moderate
UV Alert: Sun protection 10:30am to 1:10pm, UV Index predicted to reach 3 [Moderate]
Tuesday 8 July
8°C → 22°C
Sunny. 5% chance of rain
Sunny. Patches of morning frost inland, mainly in the south. Light winds. Overnight temperatures falling to between 3 and 8 with daytime temperatures reaching between 19 and 23.
Wednesday 9 July
10°C → 24°C
Mostly sunny. 5% chance of rain
Mostly sunny. Light winds. Overnight temperatures falling to between 4 and 9 with daytime temperatures reaching the low to mid 20s.
Thursday 10 July
13°C → 24°C
Mostly sunny. 20% chance of rain
Mostly sunny. Slight chance of a shower. Light winds becoming westerly 20 to 30 km/h during the morning. Overnight temperatures falling to between 6 and 13 with daytime temperatures reaching between 19 and 23.
Planned Burn – Middle Rocks to Orchid Beach In/Out Road and Orchid Beach West Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) will be conducting planned burns (weather permitting) from Saturday 5 July 2025 to Friday 18 July 2025, as part of the fire management program for Great Sandy National Park, K’gari section. Affected parks: K'gari, Great Sandy National Park Cornwells Road partially closed, K’gari Recreation Area (update) Access between Eastern Beach and Kingfisher Bay via Cornwells Road remains closed due to damage caused by Tropical Cyclone Alfred. Recommended access between Eastern Beach and Kingfisher Bay or Central Station is via Eurong resort on Eurong-Wanggoolba Road to Pile Valley Road. Affected parks: K'gari, Great Sandy National Park; K'gari Great Walk Planned burn – Southern Lakes Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) will be conducting planned burns (weather permitting) from Friday 4 July 2025 to Friday 11 July 2025, as part of the fire management program for Great Sandy National Park, K’gari section. Affected parks: K'gari, Great Sandy National Park; K'gari Great Walk K'gari Great Walk Please be advised of the following closures and conditions. Affected parks: K'gari, Great Sandy National Park; K'gari Great Walk Ngkala Rocks to Sandy Cape Beach Conditions Exposed rock, sand erosion and fallen trees, between Ngkala Rocks and Sandy Cape have resulted in sections of beach becoming impassable. Return day travel to Sandy Cape is not advised due to risk of being stranded between low tides. Affected parks: K'gari, Great Sandy National Park; K'gari Great Walk Beach camping zone 9 – Diray and Carree CLOSED (update) Beach camping zone 9 (Diray and Carree) is temporarily closed till 31 October 2025. This temporary closure is required due to severe erosion and fallen trees caused by large tides and ocean swell resulting in a reduction of accessible camp sites within the zone. Affected parks: K'gari Great Walk; K'gari, Great Sandy National Park New waste transfer stations for Great Sandy National Park, Cooloola Recreation Area (update) Starting mid-May 2025, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) will be establishing new waste transfer stations for Great Sandy National Park, Cooloola Recreation Area. Affected parks: Inskip Peninsula Recreation Area; Cooloola Recreation Area, Great Sandy National Park Dingo (Wongari) Seasonal Information - Breeding Season (update 29 May) Following the autumn mating season, many female wongari (dingoes) will be pregnant. Gestation takes about 9 weeks and litters of 1–10 pups (normally 4–6) are born and cared for (whelped) during the winter months. Affected parks: K'gari, Great Sandy National Park; K'gari Great Walk Eli Creek Exposed Sand Dunes (update 27 May) Exposed sand dunes and sand cliffs at Eli creek are unstable and collapse without warning, causing serious injury or death. Affected parks: K'gari, Great Sandy National Park Planned burn – Woody Island (Tooliwah) Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) will be conducting a planned burn (weather permitting) between May and July 2025, as part of the fire management program for Woody Island (Tooliwah) located in the Great Sandy Marine Park. Affected parks: Great Sandy Marine Park; Woody Island (Tooliewah) and Little Woody Island (Walangoora), Great Sandy National Park Annual Cooloola Hazard Reduction Burn Program The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) will be conducting planned burns within the Cooloola area from April - August 2025, weather permitting, as part of the annual hazard reduction/conservation management program for parks and forests. Affected parks: Inskip Peninsula Recreation Area; Cooloola Great Walk; Cooloola Recreation Area, Great Sandy National Park Exposed sand cliff and dune landslide danger Exposed sand cliffs and dunes along Teewah Beach, Rainbow Beach and Double Island Point are unstable and can collapse without warning. Affected parks: Cooloola Recreation Area, Great Sandy National Park Woralie Road Dump Ezy Temporary Closure The Woralie Road Dump Ezy will be closed until further notice. Affected parks: K'gari, Great Sandy National Park Park Alert - K’gari Planned Burn Season 2025 The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) and Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation (BAC) rangers will be conducting planned burns within the K’gari (Fraser Island) section from 26th February 2024 – August 31st 2025, weather permitting, as part of the annual hazard reduction/conservation management program for parks and forests. Affected parks: K'gari, Great Sandy National Park; K'gari Great Walk Cooloola Wilderness Trail - No pedestrian access across Kin Kin Creek (update 14 Jan) As a result of flood damage Figtree Point can only be accessed from Harry’s Hut or the Boronia Walk. The Kin Kin Creek pedestrian bridge linking Elanda Point to Figtree Point on the Cooloola Wilderness Trail has been washed away. Affected parks: Cooloola Recreation Area, Great Sandy National Park; Cooloola Great Walk Park Alert-Tukkee Wurroo (Indian Head) walking track temporary closure (update 19 Dec) Due to severe erosion, access to Tukkee Wurroo (Indian Head) walking track is closed until further notice. Affected parks: K'gari, Great Sandy National Park Speed limit reduction - Teewah Beach camping area The speed limit on the 14km section of beach adjacent to Teewah Beach camping area has been reduced to 40km/h. Affected parks: Cooloola Recreation Area, Great Sandy National Park Permanent fire prohibition on Teewah Beach (update 9 Oct) A QPWS imposed fire prohibition is in place in the Cooloola Recreation Area, except at Poverty Point camping area. Campfires must not be lit anywhere else in the recreation area including in the Teewah Beach camping zones 1-7. Affected parks: Cooloola Recreation Area, Great Sandy National Park
Bushwalk
3 h 30 min to 5 h
Toilet: There is one 6.1 km from the start.
Map
Notes
Terrain
Reviews
Conditions
More
Find the sign at the start.
Find the car park at the start.
After another 225 m continue straight, to head along Cooloola Wilderness Trail.
After another 20 m come to the "Kinaba Information Centre" (7 m on your right).
Turn around here and retrace the main route for 6.2 km to get back to the start.
The end.