Starting from the car park at the end of Coolala Drive, this walk takes you to the Poona Lake via the Carlo Walking Track (a part of Cooloola Great Walk) and back, visiting the Carlo Sandblow along the way. Explore the lively rainforest that is filled with the birdsong of wompoo fruit-doves, noisy pittas and catbirds as you make your way to the tea-coloured lake. The water at the lake is clear despite the tea leaves on it. The pristine white sand around the lake can make for a great picnic spot. In spring, lilly pillies cover the entire area with white berries, creating a lovely sight for you to see. Keep an eye out for impressive strangler figs and piccabeen palms as well. 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.
Turn left onto Brisbane Road, 15, 40 and drive for another 2.2 km
Turn right onto Tin Can Bay Road, 15 and drive for another 42.2 km
Turn right onto Rainbow Beach Road, 43 and drive for another 29 km
Turn right and drive for another 60 m
Turn right and drive for another 6 m
Turn slight left and drive for another 7 m
Turn right and drive for another 85 m
Turn left onto Bomburra Court and drive for another 130 m
Turn right onto Rumbalara Avenue and drive for another 285 m
Turn right onto Double Island Drive and drive for another 35 m
Continue onto Double Island Drive Firebreak and drive for another 9 m
Turn left onto Carlo Walk to Telegraph Track Firebreak and drive for another 205 m
Continue onto Cooloola Great Walk and drive for another 10 m
Continue onto Cooloola Great Walk and drive for another 90 m
Getting started From the end of Cooloola Drive (Carlo Carpark), pass through the wooden bollard and head along the singular dirt track as you pass by a signpost and a bench to your right. Follow the said track until you come to the Carlo Sandblow, then keep right as you make your way over the dune. Join the track on the other side and follow it as you keep the ocean to your left to continue along the Poona Lake via Carlo Sandblow Track.....
Turn map
Directions & comments
Start.
Find the car park at the start.
After another 130 m pass the "Carlo Sanblow Wolking Track Information" (on your right).
Then pass the "Carlo Sandblow Walking Track Revegetation" (15 m on your left).
After another 7 m (at the intersection of Carlo Walk to Telegraph Track Firebreak & Cooloola Great Walk) continue straight, to head along Cooloola Great Walk.
After another 235 m pass the "Carlo Sandblow Welcome Plaque" (15 m on your right).
After another 20 m head down the earthen steps (about 40 m long)
Continue straight.
After another 95 m pass the "Carlo" (85 m on your left).
After another 7 m head down the earthen steps (about 55 m long)
Then come to the viewpoint.
After another 20 m continue straight.
After another 265 m find the "Carlo Sandblow" (55 m on your left).
This sand dune is surrounded by rainforest and also has access to the ocean. Walk the pristine wavy sands and soak some sun in as you enjoy the view.
After another 110 m continue straight, to head along Cooloola Great Walk.
After another 110 m continue straight, to head along Cooloola Great Walk.
After another 760 m (at the intersection of Cooloola Great Walk & Fire Miteigation Zone Break) continue straight, to head along Cooloola Great Walk.
After another 2.5 km veer right, to head along Cooloola Great Walk.
After another 520 m (at the intersection of Freshwater Road & Cooloola Great Walk) continue straight, to head along Cooloola Great Walk.
After another 3.3 km (at the intersection of Walk 18 - Bymien to Poona Lake & Cooloola Great Walk) continue straight, to head along Cooloola Great Walk.
After another 1.1 km come to "Poona Lake".
Surrounded by paperbark trees, this hidden lake has a remote and relaxing feel to it. Keep an eye out for rare bird species as many of them reside here.
Turn around here and retrace the main route for 9.3 km to get back to the start.
Poona Lake via Carlo Sandblow
Grading
Class 3/6
Moderate track
Length
18.6 km
Time
5 h to 8 h
Quality of track
Clear and well formed track or trail (2/6)
Gradient
Short steep hills (3/6)
Signage
Clearly signposted (2/6)
Infrastructure
Limited facilities, not all cliffs are fenced (3/6)
Experience Required
No experience required (2/6)
Weather
Storms may impact on navigation and safety (3/6)
Weather Forecast
Monday 2 June
23°C
Shower or two. 50% chance of rain
Partly cloudy. The chance of fog in the south early this morning. High chance of showers, most likely during this afternoon and evening. The chance of a thunderstorm in the south. Light winds. Daytime maximum temperatures in the low 20s.
Fire Danger Rating: No Rating
UV Alert: Sun protection 10:00am to 1:20pm, UV Index predicted to reach 4 [Moderate]
Tuesday 3 June
16°C → 25°C
Sunny. 20% chance of rain
Mostly sunny. Slight chance of a shower, most likely in the early morning. The chance of a thunderstorm about the southern border ranges in the morning and afternoon. Light winds becoming westerly 20 to 30 km/h in the morning. Overnight temperatures falling to between 11 and 15 with daytime temperatures reaching the low to mid 20s.
Wednesday 4 June
14°C → 23°C
Sunny. 10% chance of rain
Mostly sunny. Slight chance of a shower about the southern border ranges, near zero chance elsewhere. Winds westerly 15 to 20 km/h turning southwesterly 20 to 30 km/h during the morning. Overnight temperatures falling to between 9 and 13 with daytime temperatures reaching the low 20s.
Thursday 5 June
12°C → 21°C
Sunny. 10% chance of rain
Mostly sunny. Slight chance of a shower along the coastal fringe, near zero chance elsewhere. Winds south to southwesterly 15 to 20 km/h becoming light during the afternoon. Overnight temperatures falling to between 6 and 11 with daytime temperatures reaching between 19 and 22.
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 (formerly Fraser Island) 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 K'gari (Fraser Island Recreation Area) Road CLOSURES (update 27 May) Due to damage from Ex Tropical Cyclone Alfred, the following roads on K’gari (Fraser Island Recreation Area) are temporarily CLOSED until further notice: Affected parks: K'gari, Great Sandy National Park; K'gari (formerly Fraser Island) Great Walk K'gari Great Walk Partial Closures (update) Due to damage from Ex Tropical Cyclone Alfred, the following areas on K'gari (Fraser Island) Great Walk are temporarily CLOSED until further notice Affected parks: K'gari, Great Sandy National Park; K'gari (formerly Fraser Island) Great Walk Giant Satinay Walk Closure (update) Please be advised that Giant Satinay Walk will be closed due to track damage from 14 April 2025 until further notice. Affected parks: K'gari, Great Sandy National Park; K'gari (formerly Fraser Island) Great Walk K'gari Great Walk Water Inundation Please be advised that there are short sections of water inundation in the Lake Boomanjin and Lake Garawongera areas. Affected parks: K'gari, Great Sandy National Park; K'gari (formerly Fraser Island) Great Walk Beach camping zone 9 and access to Ngkala Rocks to Sandy Cape CLOSED (update 20 May) Large high tides combined with large ocean swells have caused significant sand erosion and fallen trees at Beach camping zone 9 - Carree & Diray and access from Ngkala Rocks to Sandy Cape, resulting in sections of beach and rocks becoming impassable. Affected parks: K'gari, Great Sandy National Park Severe weather damage affecting access at Yidney Rocks (update 20 May) Large tides combined with large ocean swells have caused significant beach erosion resulting in exposed rock impeding beach access around Yidney Rocks, K’gari (Fraser Island) Affected parks: K'gari, Great Sandy National Park New waste transfer stations for Great Sandy National Park, Cooloola Recreation Area 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 Jabiru Great Walk Access Track and Jabiru Hikers Camp Closure (update) Please be advised that Jabiru Great Walk access track and Jabiru hikers camp will be closed due to track damage and water inundation from 31 March 2025 until further notice. Affected parks: K'gari, Great Sandy National Park; K'gari (formerly Fraser Island) Great Walk 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 Heightened dingo activity Lake McKenzie (Boorangoora) (update 17 Apr) QPWS Rangers on K'gari (Fraser Island) are urging visitors to be dingo safe at all times after recent high-risk dingo incidents at Lake McKenzie (Boorangoora). Affected parks: K'gari, 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 (formerly Fraser Island) 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 Poison canisters washing up on Southeast Queensland beaches (update 12 Dec) Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) is warning visitors of the potential dangers posed by toxic canisters washing up on Queensland beaches. Affected parks: Woody Island (Tooliewah) and Little Woody Island (Walangoora), Great Sandy National Park; Teerk Roo Ra National Park; St Helena Island National Park; Southern Moreton Bay Islands National Park; South Stradbroke Island Conservation Park; Naree Budjong Djara National Park; Minjerribah Recreation Area; K'gari, Great Sandy National Park; Inskip Peninsula Recreation Area; Gheebulum Kunungai (Moreton Island) National Park and Moreton Island Recreation Area; Cooloola Recreation Area, Great Sandy National Park; Bribie Island National Park and Recreation Area 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 Northern Forests scenic drive CLOSED, detour in place The Northern Scenic Drive between the junction of Bullock link Road and Northern Road, and Woralie Road and Northern Road is CLOSED until further notice due to a structural failure identified in the timber bridge. Affected parks: K'gari, Great Sandy National Park Northern Forests walking track CLOSED Please be advised that due to fire and weather events the Northern Forests walking track will be CLOSED until further notice. Affected parks: K'gari, Great Sandy National Park
Bushwalk
5 h to 8 h
Map
Notes
Terrain
Reviews
Conditions
More
Find the car park at the start.
After another 130 m pass the "Carlo Sanblow Wolking Track Information" (on your right).
After another 20 m head down the earthen steps (about 40 m long)
After another 95 m pass the "Carlo" (85 m on your left).
Then come to the viewpoint.
After another 265 m find the "Carlo Sandblow" (55 m on your left).
