Adventure time: Dunethin Rock Explore (2km circuit)

A short hike to a rocky boulder with great views over the Maroochy River, cane fields and mountain monoliths to the north.

Suitability

Suitable for walkers.

Highlights

While it’s possible to drive right to the top, walk this little loop instead through tree-lined roads to stretch your legs and earn the view.

Dunethin Rock has been a landmark tourist destination for over a century offering peaceful views over the Maroochy River, its mangroved banks, cane fields and Mount Coolum and Ninderry to the north.

Meaning place of swimming trees, its name reflects the region’s timber-logging past. In the 1860s, logs were rafted down the Maroochy River to this point, where they were loaded onto boats bound for Brisbane sawmills. Today, the rock is still appreciated for the vistas from the summit and is part of the Maroochy River Canoe Trail.

Afterwards

While here, make sure you visit the lake and walk on one of the most impressive pontoons on the Sunshine Coast. It’s a great spot for sunsets though you might need to protect yourself from the mozzies. Because of the mangroved banks, it’s also a great place to fish for mangrove jack, bream and flathead.

There is a boat ramp here for launching and doing the Maroochy River Canoe Trail or for enjoying a paddle around Lake Dunethin. Canoes are available for hire from the scout camp opposite the lake entry. It’s a perfect spot to learn to paddle as the waters in the lake are shallow.

Lake Dunethin connects to the Maroochy River providing access to Yandina upriver, and Cotton Tree downriver.

How to get there

Take the Yandini Bli Bli Road that runs between the Bruce Highway and Bli Bli Road. (Turn off on Bli Bli Road is Willis Road).

The park is approximately halfway along the road in either direction (6 km), on the northern side, accessed via Pearce Drive. Head to the Dunethin Rock Scout campground to park your car. Walk along Lake Dunethin Road and then right in to Dunethin Rock Road to get to the summit of the rock.

Trail

For more than 250 walking, running, paddling, cycling, mountain-biking and horse-riding trails on the Sunshine Coast #chooseyournextadventure with Adventure Sunshine Coast:  https://adventure.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/

NB – For those who have a four-legged friend they wish to take on their adventures – be sure to check out council’s handy interactive off leash dog map to help identify the current dog off-leash, on-leash and prohibited areas when you’re out and about across the Sunshine Coast local government region  https://pets.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/