Can a sprawling 219,000-hectare national park be considered one of Australia’s best ‘hidden gems’? We think yes, and that’s all part of the magic of Great Sandy National Park. Tucked away in Queensland, this luscious nature oasis rivals the state’s well-trodden Daintree and Whitsunday national parks. And with Lonely Planet naming it as one of the world’s ten most underrated national parks for 2025, we think it’s prime time for a visit.
The opportunities for adventure are endless in Great Sandy National Park – and true to its name, most of them are great and sandy. Stretching along the coast from Noosa North Shore all the way up to Rainbow Beach and K’gari, this park is best tackled in two sections: the Cooloola Recreation Area on the mainland and the northern K’gari section across the water.
Kick off your Great Sandy adventure at Noosa Everglades – the southernmost point of the national park and one of only two everglades on Earth. This breathtaking network of lakes and wetlands is best explored by kayak or paddleboard, where you can soak in the beauty of its mirror-like waters. Continue driving along the coast and you’ll hit Cooloola Beach – one of the national park’s most popular stretches of sand, famed for its scenic walking trails. Our top pick is the 102-kilometre Cooloola Great Walk, which showcases a mosaic of ecosystems, including dense forest, coastal woodland and impressive sand hills.
Drive another 50 kilometres up the coast and you’ll come face-to-face with the most mesmerising Pacific Ocean views at Double Island Point. Accessible only by 4WDs with a permit from Queensland National Parks, this scenic route is your introduction to the thrill of driving on a sand highway. From here, hiking to Rainbow Beach is a must. The sands feature up to 72 different colours, and the colossal cliffs stretch up to 80 metres high – a sight you need to see with your own eyes.
A shallow sand reef separates Rainbow Beach from its famous neighbour, K’gari, which is just a ten-minute barge ride away. Spanning 123 kilometres in length, the World Heritage-listed K’gari isn’t just the largest sand island on Earth, but sparkles with some of the most crystal-clear waters in Oceania. The adventures are endless as you drive along its famous 75 Mile Beach: you can climb ancient sand dunes, swim in crystalline lakes, trek through tropical rainforests and spot humpback whales between July and October.
Been there, done that? You can take your wandering legs to one of the world’s nine other most underrated national parks, as picked by the travel gurus at Lonely Planet.
These are the 10 most underrated national parks in the world:
- Canyonlands National Park, Utah, USA
- Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota, USA
- Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, Canada
- Nuuksio National Park, Espoo, Finland
- Bannau Brycheiniog Brecon Beacons National Park, Powys, Wales
- Parque Nacional De Ordesa y Monte Perdido, Huesca, Spain
- Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, Stann Creek District, Belize
- Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan, India
- Tsavo West National Park, Coast Province, Kenya
- Great Sandy National Park, Queensland, Australia