There were already plenty of people heading the same way as I was, and
some who looked like they were even coming back from the National Park, no
doubt having been out for a 5am hike that morning! This seemed like a good sign
to me – if so many people were out to explore the National Park, then it must
be pretty good!
Right behind the Surf Club is Noosa Main Beach. This was already
idyllic, and we hadn’t even made it into the National Park yet! Even
mid-morning at the time I arrived, the beach was already pretty busy, families
taking the opportunity to swim in the calm blue water or relax under canopies
on the sand.
Past the Main Beach, I headed up a boardwalk which offered great views
over Main Beach and some of the smaller and less busy beaches beyond it. Much
of this section was covered with trees and surrounded by grassland, so it wasn’t
long before I came across a python chilling in the grass – certainly something
I wouldn’t stumble across back in the UK!
Continuing on, you pass view after view and beach after beach, some of
which were practically deserted. There’s so many beaches here, you can almost
have one to yourself! I paused at Dolphin Point to gaze out over the ocean and
keep an eye out for any dolphins, but none seemed to be showing themselves at
the time.
I’d read about a place called the Fairy Pools, which isn’t technically
on the map nor any routes, as it’s not the easiest place to get to. However, it
is on Google Maps, so pop that in and it should lead you right there.
Scrambling over a few rocks down a track off the main path, I found the pools –
large rock pools hidden from view of passersby which hung out over the ocean.
There were a few people floating in them when I arrived, and it was easy to see
why with the Instagram-worthy location. No doubt there’s not the easiest to get
out of though!
Onwards and upwards, I soon arrived at Hell’s Gates, the highest point
on my journey and without a doubt the windiest. However, the breeze was pretty
refreshing given the hot sun beating down as I walked along, so this was
actually pretty pleasant.
Things only got better as I wound my way down the track onto Alexandria
Bay, by far the most beautiful part of the whole walk, and that’s saying
something. A long stretch of beach lay ahead of me, the waves lapping the
shore, shallow enough to walk through at the edge if you don’t mind getting
your shoes wet. Again, this beach was relatively deserted, with just a few
walkers like me and the occasional (usually nude) swimmer - this seemed to be a secluded enough location
for that activity.
I could happily have stayed in beautiful Alexandria Bay for hours, but
this was a 10km walk and there was still a bit more to be done. Where the path
continued wasn’t exactly clear, but I figured if I just walked to the other end
of the beach I’d pick it up again. Then it’s a bit of uphill walking as you
return high enough for pretty views, before reaching the end of the coastal
walk at the edge of Sunshine Beach. The view here was utterly spectacular, sea
and sand stretching along the coast as far as the eyes could see.
This one way journey had taken me about two hours to complete, and
quite frankly I could’ve happily called it a day then, but alas I had to make
the trek back. Of course I didn’t mind, as it meant even more beautiful views
on the way back, this time from a different direction.
All in all, it was about a three and a half hour walk, so I had a
well-deserved acai bowl at the end, and am excited to see what other treat
options there are for future walks. I have no doubt that this excursion will
become a pretty regular occurrence for my time in Noosa, and I look forward to
sharing more of my Sunshine Coast adventures with you soon!
I hope you enjoyed today's adventure! Were there any parts of the National Park I missed? Drop me a message in the comments below. I'll be posting plenty more of my Australia trips to the blog, so make sure to stay tuned and follow me on Twitter @CiarasCountry to be notified once they're up - thanks for reading!
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