Up the coast North of Brisbane nestled in the Western area of the Sunshine Coast is the amazing Kondalilla Falls Walk.
The Falls are closer to Flaxton, but they are on the road inbetween Montville and Maleny on Kondalilla Falls Road, generally it will be a 2 hour trip from Brisbane, shorter or longer if you are on the Northside or the Southside.
We have taken the family up to this walk and picnic area many, many times and you still come home with the same thought in your mind, what a great place to spend the day and also go for a walk and if you are lucky too, we also got married just down the road as well.
Located on the cusp of the Kondalilla National Park, the falls which were named after an Aboriginal word meaning rushing waters are a great tourist attraction as well as a good spot for locals and their families.
The picnic area has tables and also Bar-b-q’s and also a toilet facility and a shelter shed, from the car park you have to walk down to this area too, so it sort of gets you ready for when you hit one of the walks.
Now, having kids usually means we drive there and then eat before we tackle whatever walk we will be doing, you can also take a packed lunch with you on the walk as there is plenty of places to hang out and eat too, there is a couple of walks to choose from, the Picnic Creek Circuit/Walk is about 1.7km and takes roughly 45 mins and up to an hour depending of course on how fast you walk of course, the other, which is the walk we generally do from the picnic area is the Kondalilla Falls Circuit/Walk, this is about 4.7km and takes a little longer with a 2 to 3 hour trek, so make sure if you do the Falls walk take water and maybe a few snacks too.
The walk has over a hundred stairs and winds down to the falls through the rock pools and lookout views, there is plenty of places to sit and rest also on the way down, when you are full of beans and excited about it all and then also on the way back is where these come into play as the stairs and the climb can be a bit taxing if you aren’t Walk Fit as yet or carrying one of the kids up them.
The whole way you are surrounded by rain forest until you reach the lookouts or rock pools, this makes for a fantastic getting back to nature experience, big trees, fresh air and wild life.
If there has been a bit of rain in the last day’s just watch out as it maybe a bit slippery underfoot too, also it may pay to mention thongs, flip flops or jandles probably aren’t adequate footwear for these walks, so I’d be wearing shoes that are suitable for walking distances.
Here is the Google Map of the Kondalilla National Park so you can see where the falls are.
So a great day out and as full on or relaxed as you want it to be, Kondalilla Falls and its picnic area is definitely a place and a walk you should get to, make sure you are ready for the drive home too as the walk and day can be exhausting, no doubt the kids and the wife will be asleep before you hit the highway for home.