We did it! We completed our first Great Walk! Coming in at 58.8 km, this little gem tackles the Blackall Range in the Sunshine Coast Hinterlands.
Don't let the distance deter you, we split this baby up over two days, and whilst they were long days, they were very manageable and we think, achievable for most levels of fitness. If you don't believe us, ask Sarah's dad (who will be most unhappy when we tell you he is nearly 30 years our senior) who willing joined us.
Side note: Sarah and Graham (her dad) had been planning to do this hike since he moved to Sunshine Coast Hinterlands several years ago but due to work and life, this hadn't yet eventuated. When Covid struck, forcing people to travel in their own backyards, what better time to make plans to finally tick this one off the bucket list. However, due to Rochelle's FOMO on ANY activity resembling hiking, Graham became the third wheel of our hiking duo as plans were made for us both to travel down to the Sunshine Coast to tackle this hike in September this year.
The effort is well worth the multiple rewards along the way, including waterfalls and views across the Blackall Ranges.
Distance: 58.8 km
Difficulty: 6/10 (would be more difficult if you were carrying more gear, this rating is heavily influenced by the sheer distance you cover, this really is not a difficult walk). To be fair, it is more mental than physical, especially when you start clocking over the 25km mark on day 1.
Reward vs effort: 5/10 (would have been higher if there was more water over the waterfalls)
What you need to know
There are three walkers camps on the track, Flaxton, Thilba Thalba and Ubajee. Most people tackle the walk over 3-4 days and make use of the walkers camps.
If you are staying at the walkers camps you will need to pre-book through the Queensland Parks website and display your tags on your tent. We saw several rangers on this hike doing track and grounds maintenance so best bet is to just pay the small camping fee to risk a fine.
However, if you are like us and want to tackle it over a shorter time or enjoy hiking but love the luxury of sleeping in your own bed, there are multiple opportunities to exit the track on several roads throughout the hike.
We tackled the hike over 2 days, the first day was roughly 32 km and the second day approximately 26 km.
We stayed in accommodation nearby called "The Kookaburra Cottage" which was conveniently located very close to the start of the Great Walk.
You will need to arrange either a car pool, shuttle or Uber/taxi if you are not staying on the track. We were fortunate enough to have Sarah's mum available to do the drop off and pick ups.
There are sections of this hike without reception so our advice would be if you had someone picking you up then you clue them up on the locations before you head off.
The track is extremely well marked and well worn. Queensland Parks do a great job of maintaining this walk.
Lastly, this track does traverse over main roads which for some people ruin the real 'ambiance' of a bush walk. If you want the bush hike feel, this hike may not be for you, however if you are like us and enjoy a whole range of environments to walk then you will love this hike as we did!
A Map of the hike can be downloaded from the Queensland Parks website, and we recommend that you do. We also carried printed versions of the map for safety.
Day 1
We started the hike at the Baroon Dam recreation area which is the official start of the Great Walk. To get here, follow the signs for Baroon Pocket Dam and follow Narrows Rd until you get to the carpark.
From the Baroon Dam recreation area we made our way to Kondalilla Falls. The track is approximately 11km, and isn't too difficult leading up to the falls, as there are some big downhill sections. The track is easy to follow and not overly rough underfoot. If the weather was warm you could certainly stop at Kondalilla Falls for a swim. The falls are beautiful (even when there hasn't been much rain).
Continue to follow the path (this part is wheelchair accessible) along up to the Kondalilla day use area with well maintained toilet and BBQ facilities and a car park, making it an easily accessible pick up point if you are only keen for a short hike.
From the Kondalilla Picnic Area we walked to Mapleton Falls along Flaxton Road, turning off at Flaxton Mill Road (don't worry it is all signed). Sarah was super excited that this hike actually follows a main road as she was able to pick-up a coffee along the way from Flaxton Barn (her ideal style of hiking!). There are also some delicious treats if you need a sugar pick me up!
If you decided you were done for the day by the time you landed at Kondalilla, the Flaxton Walkers Camp is only 1.2 km from the Kondalilla day area. If you keep going past the Flaxton Walkers Camp, keep in mind it is another 12.5 km to the Ubajee Walkers Camp.
After the Flaxon Walkers Camp, walk 5.5 km to Mapleton Falls. Another great spot to swim on a hot day. There is no reception at Mapleton Falls so if this is going to be a pick up spot for you, then we recommend you pre-organise this. After keeping a pretty good pace during the morning despite the delay of a minor incident (keep reading to find out more) we got here at lunch time, so approximately 6 hours after we first started the hike.
After Mapleton Falls your next stop is Baxter Falls. To get to Baxter Falls there will be further detours along main roads and there is also a day use area at the falls. This is all very well signed. This had to be one of our favourite sections of the hike. It was very deserted so it is safest to go with other people but a very peaceful and varied section of the track with rainforests and suspension bridges. The falls itself is a slight detour off the main track which is well signed and well worth it.
After Baxter Falls we continued on through to the Ubajee Walkers Camp which is roughly 5.1 km away. This section of the hike shares a track with a mountain bike route. It is quite exposed and we were walking in the hot afternoon sun so make sure you slip, slop and slap! Also, this is where the walk started to feel tough. A lot of the hike was behind us but still a good few k's to go.
The Ubajee Walker's Camp is very basic but there is a resemblance of a toilet, a tap and some wooden platforms to rest your weary legs and back.
There is a viewpoint at Ubajee Walker's Camp which is worth while checking out before you start the great descent to Gheerulla Falls.
Our last stop of the day was to check out Gheerulla Falls which unfortunately on our visit did not have any water flowing over it. If you follow a similar route to us you will have the opportunity to re-visit this spot on day 2 which might be a good alternative-> to be truthful, we were a bit over it by this point in the day!
We then finished our day by existing out onto Delicia road. We picked up on our second day from this same spot. Spoiler alert, we don't know whether it was because we had just walked 30 odd k's or it was actually steep, but that last little section from Gheerulla falls to the road was a push. The approximately 1 kilometre felt like it took an eternity! We were certainly overjoyed to spot Sarah's mother's car waiting for us! We arrived here at approximately 3pm, so about 8.5 hours after we initially set off-> not bad for 30+ kilometres of hiking!
Day 2
On day 2 we picked up where we left off the following day. Walking down Delicia Road to Gheerulla Falls.
From Gheerulla we followed the signs heading to Thilba Thalba Walkers Camp. The track initially follows along the left-hand side of the creek bed, before turning off to head up the range to the camp. The walk along the creek is easy and relatively flat, which is a good way to warm up sore legs. Confession time, we actually did day two of the hike 3 days later. We had to move dates of our Frasier Island tour meaning we couldn't do this hike on consecutive days. Whilst we were all a bit disappointed initially, we all ended up being grateful for a few days rest (Especially Graham, Sarah's dad, who was quite sore after day 1!)
Note- we found on the second day the track was not as well marked, so make sure you keep an eye out for markers.
To get to the Thilba Thalba camp you do unfortunately need to turn off the nice creek walk to then elevate up the range which is probably the most challenging part of the Great Walk, which would be made more challenging if you were carrying your gear or hiking on consecutive days.
When you reach the top of the range before the walkers camp, make sure you check out the Gheerulla Viewpoint which is only 100 metres off the main track. This was the highlight of day 2 and the clear skies made for stunning views.
Before you reach the camp, make sure you also take the 200 metre detour to the Thilba Thalba viewpoint.
After two small detours for epic views, keep tracking towards the Thilba Thalba Walkers Camp.
Here is the important part. When you reach the camp, walk into the camp. There is an old access road that keeps running past the camp. We made the error of following the road, thinking that this was still on the great walk. We ended up getting "slightly" lost and backtracking back to the camp.
If you head straight into the camp there are signs which signal the path to continue on the great walk. This is a good note to take for the whole hike- there are plenty of signs for the Great Walk, so if you haven't seen one for awhile or reach a road without obvious signs for the Great Walk, check out a map or back track so you can avoid getting too far off track.
Once you go past the walkers camp the laws of gravity apply- what goes up must come back down. You will continue along the path and descend down the range and you will eventually link back to the same point where you started the day.
Side note
Whilst we have commented that this trail is very well maintained, certainly much better worn and marked than we are used to, please still watch out for low hanging branches. Unfortunately, Sarah did not keep a good EYE out.
About 6/8 km into our first day, Sarah copped a swinging tree branch to her eye, cutting her eyelid open. However, Sarah is brave (stubborn more like it) and after a little bit of first aid by her dad and the QLD Park rangers, she insisted that we complete the first day before driving her to Maleny Hospital.
When we got to the hospital, Sarah required 4 stitches in her eyelid and a tetnus shot. We also learnt that Rochelle has a weak stomach. I'm sure the hospital staff were glad to see us leave! This was a bit of an EYE opener (sorry, couldn't help ourselves) that Sarah is incident prone and in fact, not invincible. Carry some basic first aid supplies with you such as bandages, dressings, saline, etc. and basic pain relief such as Panadol and Ibuprofen.
Further Side Note
While you are in the area, why not check out the following:
McCarthy's Lookout
Gardener's Falls (Maleny)
If you are looking for somewhere to stay, check out the Kookaburra Cottage, the views are spectacular: Kookaburra Cottage, Montville – Updated 2021 Prices (booking.com). If it is unavailable, don't fret, the Sunshine Coast Hinterlands are home to one of the most populated bed and breakfast style accommodation options in the country!
Sarah: I'm so grateful I got the chance to share in this experience and my love of hiking with my dad! He did a fantastic job at keeping a great pace, often leading the way and not getting us too lost! We are already planning the next Great Walk!
If you have any comments, questions or queries please don't hesitate to reach out to us on socials. We would love a chat and also love to hear your stories and experiences of your favourite hikes.
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