On this Coral Beach and the Beak hike, see glimpses of Shute Harbour and Whitsunday passage as you walk between the trees. Notice stately hoop pines perched high on seawood slopes and ridges and enjoy cool breeze and island views at coral beach.
10 minutes into the walk you will find yourself at the Coral Beach Waterfall. Although the waterfall is usually flowing, you will need to time this spectacle after a heavy downpour to see the waterfall in all it's glory. The waterfall is perfect vantage point for some photos and views over the islands and nearby mangroves.
When you make your way past the waterfall and closer towards the beach, you will find yourself moving through different rainforest environments and see different species of birds and insects flying within the canopies.
Once you arrive at Coral beach walk just 180 metres east along the beach and look for the walking track to the beak. Before locating this track, it is worth walking a few hundred metres along the beach to the west to explore the rocky headland. The Beak lookout, provides a great vantage point to view Whitsunday Islands such as Daydream Island and the channel and smaller islands at Shute Harbour.
Be sure to remember that snakes and spiders are quite common in the area so be sure to remember that when choosing your footwear a long the way you will find permanent place cards of local Flora and Fauna that is found within the area.
Closest towns to this walk: Airlie Beach, Proserpine, Cannonvale, Shute Harbour, Hamilton Island
The Coral Beach walking track is a short drive from Airlie Beach (11kms) where the 20 minute walk starts. The beach consists of washed up coral and scattered sand parts. The walk to Coral Beach from the carpark is fairly easy and suitable for most age groups. I would suggest to wear closed shoes, but the track can be taken in thongs or sandals if you would prefer.
Grade 3 (Moderate) - Walks for Most Fitness Levels: Grade 3 on the
AWTGS represents moderate walking tracks. These are ideal for walkers with some fitness who are comfortable with some hills and uneven terrain. While suitable for most ages, some bushwalking experience is recommended to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience. Tracks may have short, steep hill sections, a rough surface, and many steps. The total distance of a Grade 3 walk can be up to 20 kilometers.
The Conway Conservation Park spans approximately 75km of coastline, taking in the entire Cape Conway peninsula. The park includes the rainforest-clad Conway Range, which protects the largest area of lowland tropical rainforest in Queensland outside Tropical North Queensland. Hoop pines grow on coastal ridges and in damp gullies, emerging above the rainforest canopy. Rugged, steep, rocky cliffs provide a spectacular 35km-long backdrop to the Whitsunday Passage and islands.
Dry vine thicket, mangroves, open forests with a grasstree understorey, paperbark and pandanus woodlands, and patches of lowland rainforest with twisted vines grow in the park. It is home to 2 of Australia's mound-building birds, the Australian brush-turkey and the orange-footed scrubfowl.
Rising steeply behind busy coastal settlements, the Conway Range appears impenetrable. Through climate fluctuations over tens of thousands of years, the rainforest has persisted here, providing a continuous refuge for wildlife.
The park's vegetation is very similar to that on the Whitsunday islands because thousands of years ago the sea level rose, drowning coastal valleys and creating the islands. For thousands of years, the Ngaro and Gia people roamed these forests, harvesting riches of the land and the adjoining sea country. Today the adjacent waters are protected in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
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