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Whitsunday Great!Walk
Conway State Forest Airlie Beach Queensland 4802 Australia www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/parks/great-walks-whitsunday/index.htmlAbout
On the rugged Conway Range behind Airlie Beach lies Conway State Forest, home to the Whitsunday Great!Walk. This beautiful forest contains lowland tropical rainforest remnants and picturesque rocky creeks. Volcanic activity millions of years ago created this rugged landscape and the offshore islands. Walking through this wildlife haven is a unique experience as the seasons come and go with different sights, smells and sounds. You may see the blue flash of a Ulysses butterfly after rain, smell lemon myrtle flowers in summer, or hear the distinctive call of the wompoo fruit-dove when the trees around you are fruiting. You will pass majestic tulip oaks on the first day, walk through lush palm valleys and moss gardens on the second, and finish on the third with views of the Whitsunday Islands through open woodland. As of November 2012, the Whitsunday Great Walk is now open to mountain bikes with sections of the 36km dual-use trail graded 2, 3 and 4 for mountain bikes. The Conway Range is remote so carry a first aid kit and know how to use it. Be careful near cliff edges and keep to the tracks. Carry and drink ample water, especially when walking up steep slopes in humid conditions. Use storage boxes provided to keep food away from wildlife. Avoid passing near soil mounds containing Jumper Ants nests and reduce exposure to srub ticks by avoiding thick undergrowth. Keep to the track to avoid leaves of Gympie gympie/ moonlighter (stinging tree) and beware of Red-bellied black snakes. Ensure you have enough daylight as light levels in the rainforest fade rapidly before sunset and you could get disorientated and lost. The track is closed during the wet season from February to March. Between April and September, conditions are less likely to be very wet or too dry.
