If you haven’t added camping along the Noosa Everglades to your caravan and camping bucket list, go ahead and dig that little keno pencil out of your bag and do it now. Because this is one destination you’ll want to visit sooner rather than later.
Water so reflective it looks like a mirror, broken in spots by masses of floating lily pads and the occasional ripple when a duck touches down. The only sounds are the birds (40% of Australia’s total bird species, to be exact) and your own breath. Some people say the water itself has healing properties. This is due to the tannin that leeches into the water from the ancient tea trees that fringe the waterways. I don’t know much about the science behind that last statement, but it seems plausible.
What I do know, is that this sneaky spot is one of the best experiences on the sunshine coast. The best part? It’s well away from the hustle and bustle of Noosa and you can stay here in your caravan.
Keep reading below for an RV guide to the Noosa Everglades, including what they are, where to stay in your RV, how to experience it, where to eat, how to get there and the best time to visit. Feel free to click one of the buttons below to jump to the relevant section.
What are the Noosa Everglades
The Noosa Everglades is 60 kilometres of reflective and tannin-stained waters that stretch across two UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, the Noosa and Great Sandy. Found in the upper reaches of the Noosa River, it’s also known as the River of Mirrors. This is due to the amazing reflections in the water, particularly along the ‘narrows’.
65% of the Noosa Everglades is within national parks, and as mentioned before, over 40% of Australia’s bird species are found here. One of only two official Everglades systems on earth, this one has a clear advantage over its cousin in Florida. You can swim in it! The USA’s one is chock full of alligators.
This unique environment is a photographer’s dream, a twitcher’s paradise and, more importantly, the perfect RV escape for nature lovers.
Where to stay at the Noosa Everglades
The loveliest place to stay with a caravan by far is Habitat Noosa Everglades Eco Camp. However, you can also set up your van at the pleasant council-run Boreen Point campgrounds, or head off-road to Harry’s Hut, a 4WD accessible national park campsite.
Habitat Noosa Everglades Eco Camp
Located on the banks of Lake Cootharaba, the gateway to the Noosa Everglades, camp next to the lake in your RV. If you prefer some serious space to spread out, camp ‘out the back’. Or, if you prefer, enjoy the luxury of a modern glamping tent. Either way, you’ll be camping alongside a large mob of eastern grey kangaroos.
There’s a lot of room to move here, school holiday programs for the kids and frisbee golf out the back. Of most convenience is the onsite bistro with its own micro-brewery. This place has a lot going for it, and it’s hard to find any faults besides the price. Which rises from $35 to $70 for a prime waterfront spot for your RV.
Here’s what the lake looks like, not too far from your caravan doorstep if you nab a waterfront campsite:
Harry’s Hut
Harry’s Hut is a QLD National Park camping ground located in the upper reaches of the Noosa River. It provides a picturesque bush retreat and is suitable for those RVing in a camper trailer or smaller off-road van.
The camping area is also used by those on multi-day hiking and canoe adventures and as it’s a national park campground, you do need to book in advance. Facilities here include untreated water (treat before drinking), toilets, picnic tables and a picnic shelter in the day-use area.
There is a canoe landing access point and camping here gives you the benefit of being able to launch straight onto the narrows of the Noosa Everglades instead of having to first paddle across the expanse of Lake Cootharaba.
Boreen Point Campground
Also located on the large expanse that is Lake Cootharaba, you’ll find the council-run Boreen Point Campground. When I say large expanse, I really mean it. Lake Cootharaba is the largest natural salt-water lake in Queensland, spanning nearly 9400 acres.
Accommodation options here consist of free-range caravan and camping spots set in the natural bushland beside the lake. There is a foreshore area for tent camping only and a few marked sites for powered camping. Sites range from $38 – $44 and all the usual facilities you would expect from a caravan park are featured here. This includes a camp kitchen, clean toilets and hot showers.
Those RVing with kids will appreciate the BMX pump track and large oval out the back. And if you can drag yourself out of bed early enough, sunrise views over the lake are amazing here.
The best ways to ‘do’ the Noosa Everglades
The most enjoyable way to experience the Noosa Everglades and its River of Mirrors is in a kayak. Without the chatter of a large tour group and a boat motor, you can enjoy the peaceful surroundings. The river is calm and the going is easy, so you’ll have plenty of opportunity to rest the oars, take in the reflective scenery, listen to the birds or just enjoy the sun on your face.
You can also sit back and relax on a boat cruise or head out on a hiking adventure.
Explore the Noosa Everglades by canoe
We headed out with Kanu Kapers and I highly recommend them for those not travelling with a kayak. Established 14 years ago by World Champion gold medal kayaker Vivienne Golding, these particular kayaks are custom designed with a long water line and rudders, allowing even total beginners to glide through the Noosa Everglades with ease.
They offer a number of guided and self-guided tourist ranging from half a day to a four-day kayaking and camping adventure. Kayaking is a sustainable choice when it comes to ‘doing’ the Noosa Everglades as a kayak leaves no trace of fuel and does not disturb the wildlife as you paddle gently by.
Sit back and relax on a boat cruise
Those short on time or who prefer not to kayak can take it easy on a no-effort afternoon cruise through the mirrored waterways. Everglades Eco Safaris are the exclusive tour operators and do so from a purpose-built vessel with open viewing windows.
Guides provide full commentary and after you’ve crossed the expanse of Lake Cootharaba to enter the narrower waterways, the cruising speed slows down to a snail’s pace and beer, bubbles and juice is served.
Hike alongside the Noosa Everglades
Keen hikers can explore the area on foot, tramping a shorter 17.6-kilometre section between Elanda Point and Harry’s Hut camping area on the much longer 49-kilometre Cooloola Wilderness Trail. It takes around four hours to reach Harry’s Hut and here you can jump into the tea tree-infused waters for a swim. And while I can’t guarantee the healing waters will instantly fix your hiking chafe, I can guarantee that this is Australia’s best answer to forest bathing… quite literally.
All three of these ways to experience the Noosa Everglades depart from or are within walking distance, of Habitat Noosa Everglades Eco Camp.
Where to eat
Although most of you will be self-sufficient in your caravan or camper, it’s worth taking a break from cooking and washing up to visit the following two establishments.
CootharaBAR
CootharaBAR is the in-house restaurant and bar at Habitat Noosa Everglades Eco Camp. The meals themselves are top notch and the venue boasts an artisan microbrewery in Eco Brewing Co.
The beer is brewed with water sourced from the great sandy mass aquifer. Water filters through sand gravel for over 75 years before reaching this brewery where it is then blended with a high-gravity wort and combined with the best yeast and hops around the world to bring you a 100% natural beer that’s free of additives, flavours and preservatives.
Does this mean you won’t get a hangover? You’ll have to find out for yourself.
The Apollonian Hotel
Visit the Apollonian Hotel for an iconic wood-fired spit roast held every Sunday. This historic hotel, also known as the Boreen Point Pub, is within walking distance of the Boreen Point campground and is quite family-friendly with a massive green lawn surrounding the venue.
The hotel was constructed during the gold rush era in the 1870s and moved from Gympie to Boreen Point in 1985 where it stands today and still contains a lot of its historic charm.
How to get to the Noosa Everglades
Lake Cootharaba at Boreen Point in the Sunshine Coast Hinterlands is the gateway to the Noosa Everglades. Both Boreen Point Campground and Habitat Noosa Eco Camp are nestled around its edges roughly five kilometres apart. It’s around a two-hour drive north from Brisbane to get to either of these two camping grounds and Google Maps does a good job of getting you there.
Just make sure you’ve got a decent amount of fuel when you arrive as there are no fuel stations at Boreen Point.
Harry’s Hut is a little further north in the upper reaches of the Noosa River system and will take around two hours and 40 minutes if driving north from Brisbane.
So, when are you going?
You can visit the Noosa Everglades at any time of year and although winter is considered mild in this part of Queensland, it’s still a bit chilly for swimming unless you’re one of those people that enjoys a cold dunk.
Spring and Autumn are great for warm weather and avoiding the Summer rains but really, any weekend with a sunny forecast is a good time to visit the Noosa Everglades.
