Conway National Park

Australia: The Land Where Time Began

Conway National Park

What's special?

Forested hills along the Conway Range fringe the scenic Whitsunday Passage in Conway National Park. Conway is very similar to the offshore islands because the sea level rose thousands of years ago, drowning the coastal ranges and creating the 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. The park is home to two of Australia’s mound-building birds, the Australian brush-turkey and the orange-footed scrubfowl.

For thousands of years, the Ngaro and Gia people roamed these forests, harvesting the riches of the forests and the adjoining sea country. Today, the adjacent waters are protected in marine parks.

Exploring Conway

Get away from it all in this peaceful park with its beautiful forests, panoramic lookouts and secluded beaches. Beware of marine stingers October to May. Wear insect repellent.

Stop for a picnic and short walk at the picnic area on the Shute Harbour Road. Toilets, a shelter shed and electric barbecues are provided.

Bush camp beside a secluded, pebbly beach overlooking Daydream (West Molle) Island. This is a walk-in camping area only. Sites are limited. Tank water, a shelter shed, a pit toilet and bush campsites are provided. Take a fuel stove and drinking water. The supply is limited and seasonal. Boil the water for five minutes before drinking.

Walk uphill to the Mt Rooper Lookout for a spectacular view over Hamilton, Dent, Long and Henning Islands. Walk 700m up a ridge from Coral Beach for a view over the Molle Islands. Find out why this area is so important to the local Ngaro people on the Coral Beach track.

Go birdwatching. See emerald doves, sulphur-crested cockatoos and brush-turkeys.

Walking

Tracks take you through the main vegetation types to lookouts with magnificent views over the Whitsundays. Wear insect repellent, a hat and sunscreen. Take drinking water and avoid walking in summer and the middle of the day.