It’s news that Explorers all over the Sunshine State have eagerly been waiting for. From Saturday May 2nd, lockdown restrictions in Queensland will begin to ease. That means it’s hiking time!

 

Earlier this week QLD Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced that with the flattening of the curve in Queensland, some of the social distancing restrictions will be eased. From midnight on Friday, Queenslanders will be allowed two additional guests at a time within their homes. Outside the home, the two-person rule still applies. 

You’ll no longer be restricted to your local area either. The new rules allow people to go for drives within a 50km radius of their house (how long’s it been since you’ve been that far from home?), take a picnic with their family or housemates and go for a hike! That’s right, a bunch of Queensland’s national parks will be open again from Saturday! 

Not everywhere will be open, so we’ve done some digging to find out exactly where in nature you can escape to from Saturday (given it’s within 50km of your home). 

Queensland National Parks Reopening

Mt Barney NP – walking trails

Moogerah Peaks NP – walking trails

Hinchinbrook Island NP – day visitors only

Beerwah State Forest – Glass House Mountain lookout only

Crows Nest NP – day use area only (rockpools closed)

Danbulla NP and State Forest – Lake Tinaroo day use area only

Ex-HMAS Brisbane Conservation Park – open

Glass House Mountains NP – multiple day use areas and tracks

Great Sandy Marine Park – Ex-HMAS Tobruk (restricted vessel access to Fraser Island)

Kondalilla NP – day use area and access track only (rockpools closed)

Main Range NP – The Crest day use area and Queen Mary Falls only

Mapleton Falls NP – lookout and related areas only

Mount Coolum NP – Mt Coolum summit walk only

Noosa NP – Jourama Falls day use area only (Big and Little Crystal Creek closed)

Springbrook NP – Natural Bridge only 

Tamborine NP – Witches Falls (Cedar Creek falls closed)

Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre – day use area

Wooroonooran NP – Behana Gorge, Goldsborough Valley section and Mt Bartle Frere only (Josephine Falls closed)

Keep in mind that camping is still prohibited at this stage. The full list of closed areas is available on the Queensland Parks website.  

Get out there and soak up that nature goodness! But be sure to keep your distance – guarantee that literally, every man and his dog will be champing at the bit to get as far away from their house as possible this weekend. Keep safe out there. 

 

Feature photo by @_danno_29