Subtropical Beaches in South East Queensland Australia
Subtropical Beaches in South East Queensland Australia located in the stunning Great Sandy National Park, Cooloola helps protect the beautiful beaches and marine wildlife of the area.Subtropical Beaches in South East Queensland Australia
- Experience beach living while taking in breathtaking ocean views at Double Island Point and explore its lighthouse.
- Help protect the stunning beaches in the area through debris collection, weed removal and pandanus stripping.
- Visit the world-famous Carlo Sand Blow and experience four wheel drive beach driving.
- Walk through the Gondwanan Rainforest to reach the white sandy shores of Poona Lake.
- Visit the Walkabout Creek Wildlife Centre while on your placement
- Enjoy stargazing, camping, traditional Aussie camp cook ups, sunset dinners and whale watching (seasonal) while helping make a difference.
Sample Itinerary
Note that itineraries, activities and visited places may vary based on seasonal weather conditions.
Day 1 – Meet the local team at 8am at the meetup point in Brisbane. From there, you will travel south to Cooloola via Teewah Beach (tide dependent). You will start conservation activities in the afternoon with debris collection, pandanus stripping and weed removal. You will be provided with Lunch and Dinner.
Day 2 – You will carry on with conservation activities started the day before. You will then be driven to the world-famous Carlo Sand Blow. It is a well known giant sand mass of 15 hectares in size, with breathtaking views of the coastline from Double Island Point to Inskip Peninsula and the southern tip of Fraser Island. You will be provided with Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Day 3 – You will continue to carry out conservation activities and then will be driven to Double Island Point. The lookouts are truly spectacular and you will have plenty of time to explore the beaches, rock pools and lighthouse while looking for whales on the horizon (seasonal). You will then return to your original spots to look for glowing mushrooms and glow worms. You will be provided with Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Day 4 – You will complete your conservation activities before driving to Poona Lake for a picnic lunch, which is reached after a 40 minute walk through Gondwanan Rainforest. You will be provided with Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Day 5 – Head back to Brisbane for 4pm via the Walkabout Creek Wildlife Centre to see platypus, wombats, rainforest birds, reptiles and nocturnal marsupials. You will be provided with Breakfast and Lunch.
Conservation Impact
In this region, there is a high infestation of jamella hoppers. These tiny insects originated in North Queensland where their populations are controlled by a parasitic wasp. Unfortunately, through transport and climate changes, the insects have made their way south and are now wreaking the coast ecosystems, and have destroyed approximately 20% of pandanus plants. Conservation activities in the area include preparing areas of pandanus for a biological control program to control jamella hoppers.
Volunteers also collect marine debris to prevent harmful materials such as rope, nets and plastics from being washed into the ocean and consumed by entangling the marine life. All debris collected are recorded and the data is provided to a local foundation for analysis to help identify source polluters.