The Whitsundays Great Walk through the Conway State Forest is one of the most popular adventures of the Whitsundays islands. Generally a 30 kilometer hike; this walk can be tailored to suit all abilities and fitness levels. You can opt for a short walk, a full day hike, an overnight trek or an extended walk, whatever suits your hiking fancy.

If you decide to take the entire Great Walk, it will take you a full three days. You will begin your walk at Brandy Creek. Here you will have two choices of routes to take. You could decide to stick to the main track and follow the old logging road all the way through the rich and spectacular rain forest. Your other option is to take the Kingfisher Circuit. This route will add at least 45 minutes to your journey, and you will eventually meet up with the main track later on. It is a little bit more challenging a route, and you will find yourself maneuvering a steep staircase, but for the adventurous trekker, this is definitely an interesting alternative. For the less adventurous, you can feel free to take the Circuit and call it a day. You will end up back at the carport, ready to return to your comfortable accommodations. Should you choose to carry on, more exciting rainforest adventures await you.

When you reach Wompoo Walk Junction, you again have a choice; continue along the main route or take a left and journey on to a seasonal creek. You can count on adding at least an hour to your day's walk if you pick this option, but again the rewards are well worth the diversion. You may choose at this point to end your journey, or to carry on to Repulse Creek Camp.

There are several spots where you can make camp on your first night of the Great Walk, depending on how far you wish to travel before you settle in. There are rainforest campsites at the Repulse Creek Camp and some other warmer options just a bit further on. There are also bush camps a few kilometers beyond that so you can feel free to keep going as far as your body will allow you.

Day two of the Great Walk provides you with a variety of terrains to explore. You will begin the day with an easy walk through a drier part of the forest. The terrain is gentle and the climate is nice and cool, thanks to the shady cover of the rainforest. As you approach the ridge that will take you to the summit of Mt. Hayward, the path becomes steeper and more challenging. The spectacular view at the summit is well worth the extra effort it will take to reach it, however and you will enjoy the mountain breezes as you stop to take a breather while you admire the scenery. Not far from this point you will reach Bloodwood Camp. You will probably not spend too much of the evening enjoying the breathtaking view as you still have one more day of walking ahead.

The next morning brings a steep downhill descent through a variety of forest landscapes, with more opportunities to extend your journey with alternative routes. Your final destination is the unique and lovely Airlie Beach, with its gum trees and cycads. Congratulations! Once you reach this point, you will have completed the Whitsundays Great Walk. It would now be a good idea to find a cold beverage and relax on the Beach!