Summary

The Sunshine State

Queensland has a wealth of bushwalking opportunities including multiple World Heritage Listed rainforests such as the Daintree and Lamington National Park, great coastal and island parks like Fraser Island and Hinchinbrook Island.

Other Information

World Heritage Areas

• Fraser Island
• Gondwana Rainforests of Australia (Lamington NP, Springbrook NP, Mount Chinghee NP, Mount Barney NP, Main Range NP)
• Great Barrier Reef
• Riversleigh
• Wet Tropics (Daintree NP, Barron Gorge NP, Cedar Bay NP, Girringun NP, Wooroonooran NP)

Contact details

Queensland Parks and Forest:
https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/

Regions

The link below provides a region map of QLD as a reference to what council zones are included in the 7 geographic regions of QLD.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regions_of_Queensland#/media/File:Qld-regions-map.gif

1. Far North Queensland
2. North Queesnland
3. Central Queensland
4. Mackay, Isaac and Whitsunday
5. Wide Bay Burnett
6. Darling Downs South West
7. South East Queensland

Walks in North Queensland

Hard

600 m return

1 hr

Pompeii Cave

Pompeii Cave can be accessed from the Donna Cave car park, 1.8km south of Chillagoe. From the car park, a well-formed track with many steps leads through deciduous vine forest to Pompeii Cave—a cleft in the rock filled with large boulders, the remnants of a previous collapse.

Inside this small cave, look for bats sleeping high in dark crevices and rock-wallabies hopping from boulder to boulder. A short but steep climb to the bottom reveals a dark passage and some attractive formations. Be careful not to walk on or touch cave decorations such as flowstone or cave coral. Torches are required.

Easy

500 m return

45 mins

The Archways

The archways walk is spectacular, with narrow passage connecting larger caverns. You'll want to take the most photos at the Art Site and the end of the Archways walk.
NOTE: There are bats in the archways. There is one small hole you are required to crawl through however there is daylight on both sides.

Hard

13.4 km return

4 hrs

The Bump Track

A steep but relatively straightforward walk that takes you from the Mowbray River Valley near Port Douglas to the Black Mountain Road.

Medium

2.8 km return

50 mins

Towers Hill Walking Track

A short but steep circular walk with amazing views over Charters Towers and the surrounding land. As the site of the first gold discovery in Charters Towers, there are loads of points of historical interest including the ruins of Clark's Mines, the Pyrites Works, many WWII bunkers and the seismograph station. These are well signed with plenty of information boards and even audio-visual displays in two of the bunkers. There is also plenty of wildlife including rock wallabies and birds.

Walks in Magnetic Island National Park

(North Queensland)

Medium

1.2 km return

30 mins

Hawkings Point Lookout

Short walk up to a lookout with lovely views of the island.

Medium

3.2 km return

90 mins

Horseshoe Bay - Balding Bay

Steep incline and decline.

Very Hard

4 km return

7 hrs

Mt Cook

A difficult bushbash to the top of the highest mountain on Magnetic Island.

Medium

4 km return

90 mins

The Forts Walk

This walk has it all - spectacular coastal views, WW2 history, and possibly the best walk in Australia for spotting Koalas in the wild and close up!
The walk leads to WW2 fortifications built to guard the entrance to the Townsville Port, and consequently they provide spectacular and un-interrupted views of the bay and surrounding coastlines. Along the way, the walk passes through the old encampment areas which has great interpretive signage to explain how the area looked during the war. It is in this area that walkers are almost guaranteed to spot a wild koala lounging low in the trees.

Walks in Pallarenda Conservation Park

(North Queensland)

Easy

7.2 km return

2 hrs

Freshwater & Lagoon Trails

The Freshwater and Lagoon trails form a 7.2 km circuit around the coastal wetlands of the Town Common Conservation Park. This is a beautiful area to explore, full of birdlife, great photo opportunities and so close to the city of Townsville

Easy

9.2 km return

2.5 hrs

Lagoon Circuit

An outstanding walk for exercise, bird-watching, or just taking in the expansive views across the wetlands of the Townsville Town Common. Combining the Lagoon Trail and the Freshwater Trail allows you to circumnavigate the freshwater lagoon. There are excellent opportunities for viewing both wetland birds (Brolgas are frequently seen), and open forest birds. Part of the Freshwater Track traverses the top of an old earthen dam through the centre of the wetlands. The track is mostly flat and does not involve any climbing. The route is a shared walking/cycling track, and is mostly open with good visibility. Winter months, and mornings and afternoons are best.