| Where | Booloumba Creek, Conondale National Park · about 12 km past Kenilworth · roughly 160 km / 2 hr from Brisbane, or 45 km / 50 min from Nambour ⚠ estimate |
|---|---|
| Getting there | Sealed road as far as Kenilworth. From there, Maleny–Kenilworth Road for 7 km, then Booloumba Creek Road — which turns unsealed at the park entrance. A high-clearance 4WD is required from that point, per QPWS's own advice, because of multiple unbridged creek crossings; standard 2WD vehicles should not attempt it. Conventional-vehicle campers can use Charlie Moreland camping area in the adjoining Imbil State Forest instead. |
| Best time | Winter and spring (June–October) — lower creek levels make the crossings safer and the rock pools clearer. |
| Worst time | Immediately after heavy rain — QPWS's own warning is blunt: if the creek crossings are flooded, wait it out. |
| Time needed | Half a day for the short creek walks. A full day to add Strangler Cairn or Mount Allan. 3–4 days for the full Conondale Range Great Walk circuit. |
| Cost | Park entry free · camping (Booloumba Creek 1/3/4) at the standard $7.75pp/$31 family rate |
| Facilities | Toilets at the Booloumba Creek camping areas (one wheelchair-accessible site at Booloumba Creek 1); no generators or dogs permitted anywhere in the park. No potable water noted at the camping areas — bring your own. No fuel or mobile coverage on-site. |
| Best for | Swimmers · campers with a genuine 4WD · multi-day trekkers |
| Difficulty |
3 of 5 — Challenging
Driven primarily by the unsealed, creek-crossing access rather than the walks themselves, most of which are short-to-moderate Grade 3. |
Conondale National Park protects a rugged stretch of the Conondale Range in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, built around Booloumba Creek — a boulder-strewn, rainforest-shaded creek running through cascades, rock pools and a narrow gorge, with a rock formation locally known as The Breadknife marking one creek junction. Getting there is part of the experience: the final approach road is unsealed with several creek crossings, and QPWS is explicit that a high-clearance 4WD is required, not merely recommended.
That access barrier is exactly what has kept Booloumba Creek's pools quieter than the more accessible falls elsewhere in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. Short walks reach Booloumba Falls and a 3.7-metre Andy Goldsworthy sculpture, Strangler Cairn, integrated into a living rainforest fig; longer options climb to the Mount Allan fire tower for 360-degree range views.
The park's other headline feature is the Conondale Range Great Walk — a 56-kilometre circuit walk, done over three to four days through four distinct sections, with named walkers' camps at Wongai, Tallowwood and Summer Falls.
Booloumba Creek 1, 3 and 4 are the park's own camping areas, all requiring the same high-clearance 4WD access. For a conventional-vehicle option, Charlie Moreland camping area in the adjoining Imbil State Forest is reachable by standard 2WD car via Kenilworth and Conondale.
A short, easy introduction through open forest and rainforest to a boulder-filled creek with rock pools and small cascades.
The signature short walk — tall open forest down to cascades, waterfalls, rock pools and The Breadknife rock formation at a creek junction.
Riparian rainforest along the creek to the entrance of a 1920s gold mine (closed to entry, viewable only).
A 3.7-metre Andy Goldsworthy sculpture with a living rainforest fig sapling integrated into the stonework.
Climbs to a 9.6-metre fire tower with 360-degree views over the Conondale Range.
Four sections with walkers' camps at Wongai, Tallowwood and Summer Falls, passing Artists Cascades, Mount Gerald and Mount Langley (868 m, the range's highest point).
Winter and spring (June–October) are the more reliable months — lower, clearer creek flows make both the swimming pools and the crossings themselves safer.
Summer (December–February) brings the real risk factor: sudden heavy rain can flood the access crossings with little warning.
The Conondale Range Great Walk is best planned for the cooler months for the same reasons — lower humidity, more predictable creek levels along the route.
Yes, for Booloumba Creek itself — Queensland Parks requires a high-clearance 4WD due to multiple unbridged creek crossings. Charlie Moreland camping area in the adjoining Imbil State Forest is a 2WD-accessible alternative nearby.
Yes — the creek's rock pools and cascades, reached via the Peters Creek and Booloumba Falls walks, are the park's main drawcard. Conditions depend on recent rainfall.
56 kilometres as a circuit, typically done over 3 to 4 days, with walkers' camps at Wongai, Tallowwood and Summer Falls.
Not quite — the Great Walk is a specific multi-day circuit within the park. A short day visit to Booloumba Creek's walks and swimming holes doesn't require attempting it.
About 160 km, roughly a 2-hour drive via Kenilworth. It's closer from the Sunshine Coast — about 45 km and 50 minutes from Nambour.
Always check current alerts before you travel.