Living an adventurous lifestyle and working full-time can no doubt go hand in hand. But, a stay-at-home-day is calling when you realise that your washing pile is starting to resemble Mt Blanc and your lawn has suddenly morphed into the Amazon jungle. So, after a hard days effort around the house a ‘Sunday Funday’ was in order. After scoping out Google Earth we came across a new place to explore, Lake Cootharaba.

Lake Cootharaba is a pristine untouched lake within the Noosa North Shore and is the gateway to the Noosa Everglades. Although we have a serious craving to explore the mysterious mirrored waters there was just something about Lake Cootharaba itself. Was it the tucked away jetty on the banks of the Great Sandy National Park we spotted on Google Earth? Of course it was!

We recently spent a weekend in Kenilworth kayaking and hiking so it seems that this adventure duo is quickly becoming a trend for us!

THE PADDLE

The 6km (approx.) paddle across to the eastern side of the lake from Boreen Point to the Teewah landing jetty took us 1.5 hours. However, we have by no means set this as a benchmark. The paddle time can blow out and we mean literally. The winds can strengthen and change direction without warning making not only the paddle harder but the water choppy. Therefore, be prepared for what could be an intense paddle and make sure that a dry bag is on board. This is all a part of the adventure though, so do not let is scare you off!

Teewah landing jetty can be hard to find especially if you do not know where you are going but, with these three hot tips you should have no navigational problems. If you do, whip out Google maps because this is how we discovered the beauty after all.

1) Paddle towards the green channel marker then 2) look to the horizon and pinpoint the red channel marker and 3) the jetty is tucked away behind some reeds to the right of the red marker.

THE BUSHWALK

Teewah landing jetty is Lake Cootharaba’s gateway to the Cooloola Great Walk, a 102KM coastal route across the sand mass of Great Sandy National Park. From the jetty, there is a relaxing 6KM return walk that will take you through to Teewah beach and up to Mount Seawah. Although just a little over 100m in elevation, Mt Seawah offers 360-degree views from the Pacific Ocean right round to Lake Cootharaba and the Sunshine Coast hinterland. Soak up the serenity for as long as you desire but, keep in mind that the paddle could end up being a race against the sun or wind back to Boreen Point.