Rainbow Beach has been on our route a few times but not as a destination and with itchy feet the Travelling Two decided that a day trip would fit nicely into the weekly schedule. But I did have a trade off in mind to keep things interesting.
For many years I’ve looked at the squiggly chain line on maps called Cooloola Way, an unsealed short cut from Brisbane to Rainbow Beach that wanders via heathland and coastal swamps through the heart of the Cooloola Recreational Reserve that protects the headwaters catchment of the Noosa River and its lakes. Road reports vary, some calling it a well maintained dirt road while others mention sand drifts, bog holes and dust – I hoped for the latter and plotted a course to start of the track.
Now the beauty of the Travelling Two is the balance that it creates, I’m forced to slow down and look to sides of the track, to stop and absorb more of the destinations rather than focus on the journey. With this in mind we decided to go on a Saturday (when we’d usually stay away from crowds) so that the trip could include farmers’ markets at Cooroy, Pomona and Kin Kin. I also added Harry’s Hut to the itinerary, another place I’d seen on the map that seemed to have a story I’d like to see and hear. When I was an active paddler I thought a few times about getting dropped here and paddling downstream to Noosa, at least this way I’d see the starting point and you never know, the rest of that trip might still happen one day.
An early start helped to mitigate getting caught in Sunshine Coast bound traffic and we arrived at Corooy. The markets were in full swing and included the usual array of fresh produce, coffee vans and handcrafts, but nothing really caught our eye so we continued to Pomona. Now this market was really pumping, lots of people which provided social proof it was the one to be at. The market itself sprawled through the town park and up a rise but still managed to envelope the stores in the main street. A coffee fueled our wanderings through the stalls and we ended up juggling a collection of chili preserve, garden plants and dragon fruit back to the car.
We nosed further north to find the Kin Kin markets were on the alternate Saturday, ending the civilised part of today’s excursion. The road trip through this part of the world is stunning, on a decent country road that wanders up and around rainforest clad hills and past pretty farms and some impressive country retreats. But now to the main game.
Cooloola Way is designated as a 4WD track – and although filled with potholes, the road is mostly sand on a solid road base, making the journey a reasonably easy run. Early stages of Cooloola Way are well made and maintained gravel roads that service the local farms and forestry industry, and it stays pretty much like this to the Harry’s Hut intersection. The road into Harry’s drops back to a single lane track that is navigable in a 2 wheel drive when dry but is best tackled in a high clearance vehicle if there is any chance of rain because the track cuts through wallum swampland that is quickly inundated during rainfall due to the already high water table.
Harry’s Hut has a day use area and camping ground spread along banks of the stunning Noosa River. There were a few groups of picnickers already set up and an assortment of camper vans and ground tents in the camping area. Most people come to Harry’s to use the river for paddling or rafting, including people setting off on the multi-day journey downstream to Noosa, and there are launching facilities to assist. The area had a nice feel to it though I suspect there would be plenty of mozzies once dusk approached.
Harry’s Hut is named after Harry Spring, a pharmacist from Cooroy who purchased the hut in the 1960s as a retreat for him and his friends. The hut was originally built by Alan Buchanan and Norm Thrush as accommodation for timber cutters who logged the area until the 1950s. Logs were rafted down the river, then driven by truck to the sawmill in Tewantin. Thankfully the logging days are over, and this spectacular wilderness area can be explored and enjoyed in many different ways.
We back tracked to rejoin Cooloola Way and turned northward again, following as the road deteriorated to a track once past the maintained pine forestry area. There was evidence in the form of old wheel ruts showing that parts of the track must get soft after rain and some of the gullies and low swamp areas would be flooded or impassable after heavy rain. The track includes some stony rises but nothing too extreme and on most days a conventional vehicle could easily make the drive through.
Soon enough we arrived at the main Rainbow Beach road and left our dust cloud behind us as we joined the weekend tourists heading into the beachside town. Rainbow Beach was quite busy and it took some time to find a carpark, the number of people combined with COVID restrictions made it hard to find somewhere for lunch so we opted to get takeaway burgers and chips then head down the beach to find some solitude.
As we dropped onto the beach we noticed a group of paragliders playing in the thermal updraft created by the rainbow coloured dunes for which the beach is named. We paused to watch their antics for a while before heading toward Double Island Point to find a spot for lunch.
On this particular day we could do the full loop down the ocean side beaches because we timed our trip to coincide with the midday low tide, at most times however Rainbow Beach becomes impassable once the tide rises and water is up to the infamous Mudlo Rocks. Many vehicles have been lost to the waves when trying to go around this obstacle, a risk that can be avoided with a bit of planning and good weather.
Double Island Point sand spit and lagoon area were pretty busy with groups set up under awnings picnicking, sunbathing or watching jet skiers and paddlers. We stopped for a while but the loud music being pumped out of some camps wasn’t our scene (we must be getting old) so we crossed through the Leisha Track to Teerwah Beach where we were soon set up at a nice spot under the she oaks.
Its moments like this that keep drawing us back out of the comforts of suburbia – sitting on the sand having lunch while watching a distant sail boat slide across the horizon on a stunning afternoon, oh, and admiring the Landcruiser in the foreground only added to my pleasure haha ;-).
From here we headed south to the Noosa North Shore and the Tewantin Ferry across the Noosa River, then the two hour drive back to Brisbane.
Cooloola Recreational Area is a world class attraction that is easily accessed for those with a four wheel drive vehicle, a guide can be found at this link. Ability to do a full loop via the ocean beaches is dependent on the weather and tides so do a bit of forward planning or be prepared to double back if necessary. Trip planning includes purchase of a vehicle access permit ($13.60/day) to drive on the beach, with enforcement by rangers and a number plate monitoring camera on Leisha Track. There is also cost of the Tewantin Ferry ($10.00) if that access is used, running from 5:30am to 10:20pm. Camping on Teerwah Beach is also fantastic, booked through the National Parks portal, see my blog from earlier this year.