Towns of the Great Sandy Strait Lady Elliot Island
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BOONOOROO Boonooroo (pop 322) is also a fishing hamlet, with a bowls club, golf course, tennis court, caravan park and bike and boat hire. Australian flora and fauna abounds with tea trees, eucalypts and bottle brush sheltering a swamp wallaby area also populated by visiting kangaroos, galahs and sea eagles. It is the second largest dugong protection area in Queensland. Visitors are welcome at the at the Boonooroo Sandy Straits Bowls Club and at hit over nine holes and a meal at the Boonooroo Golf Course and Tavern is also popular.
TUAN Tuan, a further 4km south via Eckert and Wilkinson roads, is a lowkey holiday destination for people who love boating and fishing. With a resident population of about 150, the town has maintained its “old fishing village” character with barbecue facilities along the Esplanade and a great public boat ramp.
In the north, the biosphere incorporates the Woongarra Coast from Burnett Heads to Elliott Heads and in the south, the Cooloola sandmass on the coast north-east of Gympie.
For those who enjoy nature, there are wildflower displays in late winter and spring and birdwatching in the nearby Great Sandy Conservation Park and Tuan State Forest along Tinnanbar Road.
The Strait is a double-ended sand passage estuary stretching 70 kms from Hervey Bay to Tin Can Bay and because of the relatively flat near shore, it has large tidal movements. Low water is one kilometre offshore in some areas.
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Sheltered by Fraser Island and Hervey Bay, the Great Sandy Strait offers unique sailing and stunning scenery, rivalling the Whitsunday Passage in North Queensland. The Strait is a diverse mix of marine and coastal wetlands, crystal clear turquoise water, long stretches of white sandy beaches, native woodlands and dense rainforest. Dugongs, turtles, rare Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins and fish populate the Hardie and Simpson artificial reefs in the northern section near Hervey Bay.
The coastal fishing and camping villages of Maaroom, Boonooroo, Poona, Tuan and Tinnanbar are the heart of the southern section of the Great Sandy Strait and are accessed via the MaryboroughCooloola Road.
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• One of the best ways to experience the Great
Covering 874,000 hectares of land and 540,000 hectares of marine park, the biosphere was designated by UNESCO in 2009 and with the incorporation of the Ramsar-listed Great Sandy Strait, is described as a significant wetland in the same class as the Galapagos Islands, the Central Amazon and Uluru.
The saying, so much to do, so little time has real meaning here ... but there is always plenty of time.
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The calm, turquoise waters of the Strait are perfect for a tinny and a spot of fishing and the varied countryside will remind you of the unhurried pace of life from decades ago. The Strait separates World Heritage Listed Fraser Island (K’gari) from the mainland and is part of the Great Sandy Biosphere, which extends from Bundaberg in the north, east past Fraser Island, south to Gympie and inland beyond Maryborough.
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Disconnect from the hustle and bustle and take a holiday break with a difference at one of the seaside hamlets on the Great Sandy Strait, where you can spend a day, a week or a year.
GREAT SANDY STRAIT ATTRACTIONS
They offer caravan and villa accommodation and are made for relaxation, bushwalking and fishing - either from the shore or by boat along mangrove-lined creeks and sheltered waterways.
The township of Poona with 355 homes and a permanent population of 482 is situated midway between Maryborough and Tin Can Bay. It is the largest of the fishing villages on this section of the Great Sandy Strait. The town doubles or triples on popular holiday weekends and school holidays and has accommodation options ranging from holiday homes to the caravan park with separate cabins. For those interested in bushwalking, bird watching, fishing, crabbing and kayaking, Poona is an ideal holiday location. Migrating shore birds are common, spotted from the various walking tracks. The Poona Community Hall is a popular central meeting place.
POONA NATIONAL PARK Poona National Park starts just 6km south-east of Maryborough and is situated on the northern side of the Maryborough-Cooloola and Boonooroo Road. Access is possible by four-wheel-drive vehicle, boat or walking. This is a fantastic place for low-key nature-based activities such as photography and bird watching. Spectacular wildflower displays occur during spring and summer. Kalah Creek is a noted fishing spot but no facilities are provided and camping is not allowed.
For those keen to travel to the area on the water, catamarans can be pre-booked in Hervey Bay, where there are also places to hire the humble tinny.
The park has remnants of the Wallum health communities which flourished in the Maryborough-Hervey Bay area before closer settlement and clearing. Stands of paperbark trees as well as mangroves, banksia and blue gum woodlands also grow in the park.
MAAROOM
Poona National Park is the traditional country of the Butchulla people, who lived on nearby Fraser Island and the mainland.
The first town on the road from Maryborough is Maaroom (population 220), a small fishing village on the waterfront with views to Fraser Island. It is 20km south of the Heritage City off the Cooloola Coast Road and 50km from Hervey Bay. The caravan park with camp kitchen is 400m from the waterfront. Down at the water’s edge is a pleasant spot to picnic, with a sheltered gazebo and playground. There is a boat ramp with tidal access for fishing and crabbing, and the region has extensive bird and marine life.
TINNANBAR The small coastal town of Tinnanbar (pop 123) has the reputation as one of Queensland’s most beautiful and secluded beaches, with white sand, clear turquoise water and stunning views to World Heritage-listed Fraser Island. Tinnanbar is a safe swimming spot and perfect for sailing at all tides. It is a haven for sea turtles and dugongs and for fishing enthusiasts, there are lots of nearby creeks and good access to offshore fishing grounds.
For more information call Visitor Information Centre 1800 811 728 or go to visitfrasercoast.com.au or facebook.com/visitfrasercoast.
Sandy Marine Park is by sailboat, taking your time to explore the remote western side of Fraser Island before heading south into the Strait. • There are abundant fishing and diving options. The Roy Rufus, Simpson and Hardie artificial reefs at the northern end of the Strait sustain a variety of marine life and are best dived at slack tide when there is maximum visibility. Fishing from boats is often plentiful. • When heading out to explore, fish or waterski, a stopover at Pelican Bank situated between Big Woody Island and Fraser Island is a highlight. You can swim or walk along the sparkling white sands of this isolated gem. • Go ashore on nearby Big Woody Island and take one of the walking tracks to the last remaining lighthouse, dating back to the 1860s.
THINGS TO SEE AND DO • S ail, canoe or cruise the stunning waterways of the Great Sandy Strait which rival the beauty and diversity of the Whitsunday Passage. • Look for turtles, dolphins and dugongs playing just off the beaches. • Experience the abundant birdwatching, including rare visiting shorebirds, some from as far away as Siberia using the Strait for their summer feeding grounds. • Look for the endangered Little Tern, the Eastern Curlew and many other species of migratory shorebirds. • Take advantage of some of Australia’s best fishing from the shore or on water. • See spectacular wildflower displays in spring and summer. • Explore the tidal pools, pump for yabbies on the beach or chase soldier crabs. • Keep an eagle eye out for dugongs grazing on the seagrass beds. • Drift on a gentle breeze while soaking up the spectacular beauty of the Strait.
EVENTS January 26
Australia Day, Poona Easter Poona Family Fishing March /April Competition Anzac Day Dawn Service April 25 (across from Poona Palms Caravan Park) First Bay to Bay Trailable weekend in Yacht Race May End of September
Boonaroo Fishing Competition
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There are green zones within the Great Sandy Marine Park as well as some go-slow areas between Mangrove Point and River Heads for the protection of turtles and dugongs.
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The Great Sandy Strait is a complex aquatic wonderland of coral reefs, sandy channels, mangroves, sandbanks, intertidal sand and sea grass, with more fish diversity than the Great Barrier Reef. Popular catches include coral trout, bream, whiting, flathead, mackerel, tailor and mangrove jack along with sand and mud crabs.
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For more information or to book your camp area please go to the website: www.parks.des.qld.gov.au/ parks.
• The traditional owners of this region include the Butchulla, Kabi Kabi, Gooreng Gooreng, Gurang Gurang, Djaku-nde and Jangerie Jangerie, Wakka Wakka, Wulli Wulli and Taribelang Bunda groups.
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Vulnerable and endangered species such as the loggerhead turtle, grey nurse sharks and water mouse are found in the Great Sandy Marine Park. If travelling by boat, go slow and watch for dugong feeding in seagrass meadows. Dugong are endangered marine mammals with their survival depending on the health of the seagrass beds and reduced man-made impacts, especially boat strike.
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• The Great Sandy Biosphere adjoins the Noosa Biosphere Reserve, accepted in 2007. Although both regions share some common characteristics, the inclusion of Fraser Island (K’gari), the Great Sandy Strait, the humpback whale watching area off Hervey Bay and the Woongarra fringing coral reef sets the northern biosphere apart.
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Keen photographers capture spectacular images of shorebirds roosting in the tidal areas of the marine park.
FACTS YOU MAY NOT KNOW
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Hedley’s camping area is a sheltered site beside the Great Sandy Strait in the Tuan State Forest, accessible by boat or high clearance four-wheeldrive vehicle. It features a sheltered camping area which is suitable for tent camping beside your car, caravans, camper trailers and small motor homes. There are no facilities but there is access to a dump point. The Log Dump near the popular fishing spot on Kauri Creek is the only camping area in Tuan State Forest with a toilet. It is accessible by boat or conventional vehicle in dry conditions. A boat ramp is located beside the camping area.
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Boonooroo Caravan Park, 18 Oak Street, Boonooroo (4129 8211)
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Maaroom Caravan Park and Cabins, Granville Road, Maaroom (4129 8222)
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Contact Fraser Coast Real Estate, 116 Boronia Drive, Poona (0421 189 150)
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Some holiday homes are available for rent and there is a large influx of people on popular holiday weekends and during school holidays.
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The Great Sandy Strait is the most important shorebird habitat in South East Queensland and is an internationally recognised wetland area under the Ramsar Convention. Up to 30,000 shorebirds, some from the northern hemisphere, use the mangroves and salt marshes to forage for food, breed and shelter each summer.
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Poona Palms Caravan Park, self-contained villas, units and powered sites, Boronia Drive, Poona (4129 8167)
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• The Great Sandy region is an important site for conservation on a national and global scale. It has the world’s tallest and most complex rainforest system growing in sand on Fraser Island. The island has 40 perched lakes (half the world total) and the region is a major feeding and roosting location for migratory wading birds. • The waters between Hervey Bay and Fraser Island, popular with tourists during the annual humpback whale migration between July and November, were recognised in October 2019 as the world’s first Whale Heritage City by the World Cetacean Alliance. • The Great Sandy Strait provides a habitat for half of the bird species found on the Australian continent and is a critical environment for more than 7000 species of flora and fauna, some of which are rare or endangered.
For more information call Visitor Information Centre 1800 811 728
VISITFRASERCOAST.COM