Woodford and D'Aguilar National Park

 Woodford and D'Aguilar National Park 17-18 September 2021

After an early finish from work we headed to Woodford.  We camped for the night at the free camp Cruice Park.  We have camped tonight with friends who have a new to them camper on their first trip, hence the sneaky one night away. 

https://www.visitmoretonbayregion.com.au/natural-attractions/cruice-park-woodford

We were all up nice and early on Saturday morning.  I took a few photos around the campsite and then we headed off to parkrun.  

Our destination was chosen because we wanted to try the Glasshouse Conservation Parkrun. 

https://www.parkrun.com.au/glasshousemountainsconservation/  

This was a great parkrun on a not too technical trail with a very friendly crew happy to have parkrun tourists along.

We then headed off to breakfast with a group of over Sunshine Coast parkrun tourists.  We all had a catch up, and enjoyed breakfast sitting by the lake. 

https://theplace2b.com.au/

We then headed back to the van to pack down and drove south to Mount Mee.  We stopped at the Dahmongah Lookout Park which was well worth the stop. 

https://www.visitmoretonbayregion.com.au/natural-attractions/dahmongah-lookout-park-mount-mee-lookout  

Then on to the North D'Aguilar section of D'Aguilar National Park. 

https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/daguilar 

https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0024/150459/daguilar-guide.pdf

We parked at The Gantry and took on the Somerset Trail. 

https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/daguilar/journeys/somerset-trail

https://www.visitmoretonbayregion.com.au/natural-attractions/the-somerset-trail-mount-mee

The walk took us just under three and a half hours including lunch.  It was a very enjoyable walk, travelling through a variety of forest types with several types of small wildflowers seen along the way.  The view from the lookout was well worth the climb.  The track is well utilized without being busy.  Definitely recommend!

And then home.  Hopefully next time we can be away more than one night, but one night away is better than none.

Cooloola Great Walk Day 3 - 22km

 

Day 3. 22km

I had planned to sleep in and have a leisurely breakfast on the last day, however I woke at first light, so decided to pack and make a move, to ensure I walked easy for the day, without pushing the pace. The start of the walk was pretty, with nice views as described from last night. The walking was on some sand however the footing was solid. I did make the small side turn to the top of Mt Seewah and the view was worth the detour. Once the walk went behind Teewah village, the walk turned into an undulating, hot, sweaty, airless drudge behind the dunes towards the cutting. I am glad I stayed true to the trail, however I would suggest to others to walk on the beach. At least you have a beautiful view, as the path did not. I was pleased, to say the least, when I crossed the cutting and walked onto the beach. It was a Sunday so the beach was packed with people however once I past the crowds I met a lady at the very start of her journey hiking in the opposite direction. We talked a few minutes helping each other find the trail, and some other information I think we were both pleased to have passed on. I wish I had gathered contact details from this lady and some others on this walk as it would have been great to hear how each other went on our adventures. Before the last km or 2 of the trail I stopped where the trail re-entered the bush and had a long swim in the ocean, my first clean in 3 days and slowly ate a big meal. I aired my back as my old pack no longer fitted me well, and I had lost a lot of skin in the lumber region. Refreshed, I walked the last km or 2 to the end of the trail. I was a little pleased with myself. After a stop at the convenience store for a large soft drink I took my time hiking to the ferry, for the trip to Tewantin. This is the point at which I followed my tradition and left my walk stick, that I collected at the start of the walk in Rainbow beach, in the park beside the ferry.

Wrap up.

This is a beautiful walk however I recommend you complete it over 5 days. Stop and enjoy the natural beauty. I plan to complete this walk again, once over 5 days, and once as a single solo trail run.

https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/cooloola/journeys/cooloola-great-walk

Cooloola Great Walk Day 2 - 37km

 Day 2 37 km

I was up early once again, as I was concerned about the time I would need to complete a second day of long hiking. Once packed I said goodbye to JP, as he was solo walking back to Freshwater. I set out around 6am and I really enjoyed the high country as it become lightly wooded and at times was mass planted with grasstrees. The views to the west were opening up more. The ground was becoming more and more sandy, so the walking was a little tougher. After many kms of steady downhill walking I made campsite Dutgee. This camp site is in very low-lying ground and extremely spaced apart. I would not like to be around this site in wet weather. I ate a large meal in the eating area beside the Noosa River. I filled up with water and drank all I could before moving on.

The next section wandered beside the Noosa River, in what was very pretty low-lying bush land, before opening up at the base of the climb to the Cooloola Sandpatch. This is over 4 km of constant walking up, on very soft sand, and it was a hot day, with little shade. Day trippers were also on the walking trail at this point. At the top of the climb the view southwest was open and clear and a good view of the lakes could be had. I entered the Sandpatch at around 1pm, so it was unrelentingly hot, I followed the instruction boards and after an hour or so I re-entered the bush. The sandpatch was large and beautiful, however even though I was travelling mostly downhill, the soft sand had taken its toll on my body. The walk to the final camp Brahminy was only about 7 more kms however I ran out of water with 2 km to go, and I was overheated. The views to the East over the ocean were a welcome end to the walk. I was most grateful to make camp in the last hour of light of the day. This camps’ eating area had a beautiful view of almost 180 degrees facing south. Unfortunately, I had campers’ tents sent up in the eating area as well as weekend walkers having a small party, so my time in this area was limited. Again, the water in the tanks was plentiful, and my tent site was flat and fairly isolated.

https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/cooloola/journeys/cooloola-great-walk