Orientation and Access
The first thing to decide is where to start. Cooloolah comprises two regions: the inland region around Cooroibah and Cootharaba lakes , and the beach running north for 40km towards the lower end of Fraser Island and the small township of Rainbow Beach . The lakes and the southern end of the beach can be accessed directly from Teewantin, on the river 7km west of Noosa. Unless you drive up the beach from here - for which you'll need a 4WD - Rainbow Beach and northern Cooloola can only be reached 75km off Highway 1 from the inland town of Gympie, itself around 60km from Noosa. Access to Fraser Island is by ferry from Rainbow Beach (Inskip Point) in the south, or from the town of Hervey Bay in the north, 90km beyond Gympie. Tours around the area run from Noosa, Rainbow Beach and Hervey Bay, though given the grand scale of the region they're inevitably rushed. The wildlife and overall serenity of the area are elusive, to say the least, unless you get away from the more popular places, camp for the night and explore early on in the day. Assembling a group and hiring a 4WD is one way to do this, with hostels in Hervey Bay well experienced in arranging this type of tour for Fraser Island. Another is simply walking , an alternative ignored by almost all visitors, but one which allows unequalled access and intimacy with the region. Unless you're on a tour, you'll definitely need maps , with many available from local garages and newsagents. Relevant sheets on national parks, available from the NPWS, supplement these. Drivers need tide timetables , as most beaches are only reliably negotiable at low tide. Rain won't ruin your stay - in fact it makes driving on sand far easier and enhances the colours - though in rough conditions services to Fraser might be cancelled, leaving you stranded.
Your Tip for Cooloola Coast and Fraser Island
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