There are many hidden jewels of the region but, alas, places like national parks are no-go zones for our furry friends.
I know all too well the sometimes limiting feeling having a dog can be, especially when you love exploring the great outdoors.
After receiving many questions from the greater community about the region’s dog trails and dog-friendly events, the Sunshine Coast Council has kindly shared its top five dog adventures to explore. I have also included one of my favourites for good measure.
🐶 Pincushion Island beach walk, Maroochydore
Take your doggo on a short walk to a small outcrop that once was an island at the mouth of the Maroochy River.
Pincushion Island has been landlocked for more than a decade since the Maroochy River mouth shifted southward and a permanent sandbar joined it to the North Shore.
In the process, a large swathe of Maroochy caravan park foreshore was drowned.
This sandstone mound is now covered with vegetation and is an idyllic rest point after the beach walk. The beach is accessed via North Shore Road and is part of the council’s off-leash dog zone in Mudjimba. If you’re a dog lover then take your canine friend with you.
For more information head here.
🐩 Coastal Pathway: Dicky Beach to Currimundi Lake
A coastal path starting in the bushland at the end of Dicky Beach takes you through a shaded pathway to the eastern end of Currimundi Lake.
This is an easy 1.5-kilometre one-way walk or cycle that is suitable for the whole family. Walkers have the option to walk along the path through beautiful coastal bushland, with pockets of views onto the local beaches. Otherwise, head down on to the beach and enjoy a swim along the way.
For more, head here.
🐕 Stumers Creek beach loop, Coolum Beach
A coastal walk that starts in the heart of Coolum and ends at Stumers Creek and its dog beach.
This is an easy 2.5km walk with the option to go through bushland or along the beach. Walk along David Low Way, past the caravan park and you will find the large cement footpath that goes through Norrie Job Park and joins up with Stumers Creek Road.
Those keen to do the trail as a fitness session can make use of the fitness trails course with exercise equipment strategically placed within the park
As you walk north through the bushland you will see coastal banksias and occasionally black cockatoos.
At the end of the road is Stumers Creek, where dogs can be unleashed. At the mouth of the creek you’ll see pre-Ice Age coffee-coloured rocks, formed when layered vegetation became trapped in the sand.
For more information, head here.
🐶Ewen Maddock Dam Main Track, Glenview
A pleasant and varied one-way lakeside walk through a scenic landscape.
This is one for everyone’s bucket list. Called the Main Track, the multi-use trail goes from Maddock Park on the northern side of the lake to Gympie Street North, near Landsborough.
This very scenic trail offers lots of photo opportunities along lake’s edge, including the distant Glass House Mountains, waterlilies and other aqua plants.
You pass through tall stands of eucalypts and other forest trees as well as groves of palms and paperbark trees in wetlands that are buzzing with vibrant blue and burnt red dragonflies (in spring).
The trail is enhanced by a variety of birdlife throughout: willy wagtails, finches, whip birds, parrots, kingfishers, grey herons, ducks and pukekos, even pelicans in the distance. Along the way, near the lake’s edge, you’ll pass a big burnt-out stump, once a giant a tree.
For more, head here.
🐩 Coastal Pathway: Moffat Beach to Kings Beach
Enjoy a more challenging part of the Sunshine Coastal Pathway as it winds above cliffs and around Caloundra.
This is a nearly 3km one-way walk or cycle around clifftops and along Caloundra’s popular Shelley Beach. This section of the coastal pathway represents a more challenging walk or cycle, as it adapts to the different cliffs heights making it ideal for fitness training.
Walk, jog or ride along the shoreline, pausing at times to enjoy the views; behind you to the north is Mt Coolum in the distance. At all times the ocean is close, as are the trees – she-oaks and norfolk pines.
For more, head here.
🐶Fig Tree Walk – Little Yabba Creek, Imbil State Forest
Take your doggo on a stroll under a lofty lush canopy where the rainforest meets the bush, just a short drive from Kenilworth towards Maleny.
Stand in awe beneath the breathtaking 150-year-old Moreton Bay fig trees and look for an abundance of wildlife in this secret hidden patch of rainforest.
This easy and short walk lets you meander through the riverine rainforest’s towering canopy filled with Moreton Bay fig trees, piccabeen palms, flooded gums and white cedar trees.
Learn about the plethora of forest fauna and flora along the way from signs along the roomy wheelchair-accessible boardwalk.
For more, head here.
Want more paw-fect adventures? Head to Adventure Sunshine Coast for 250 walking, running, paddling, cycling, mountain biking and horse-riding trails across the Sunshine Coast.
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