Currimundi Lake: Calm-Water Swimming, Walks, Parking and Dogs

Currimundi Lake is a calm, sheltered coastal lake on the Sunshine Coast, just behind Currimundi Beach and about 6 km north of central Caloundra. The council says you can swim in it, and parks along the shore have playgrounds, picnic shelters and barbecues, so it works well for families with young kids who would rather skip the surf.

The north side of the lake backs onto Kathleen McArthur Conservation Park, which has a short heath walk with a lookout over the water. It is about 93 km by road from the Brisbane CBD.

Swimming at Currimundi Lake

Council describes the lake as calm, sheltered water, and says plainly that you can swim in it. The same water suits stand-up paddle boards, kayaks and canoes. The lake is a coastal lagoon, so it is a different swim from the open surf beach on the other side of the sand.

The lake opens to the ocean at the creek mouth and closes naturally in dry periods. When the entrance is closed, the water level can rise quickly. When council opens it, usually after upstream flooding, machinery works on the beach and water is released fast, with very strong currents. Council does not announce openings in advance, so if you see machinery on the beach, stay well clear.

Heavy rain can lower water quality for a while because of runoff from upstream waterways and stormwater drains. Council tests the lake regularly, and a closed lake does not automatically mean poor water.

Crummunda Park and Cliff Hargreaves Park

Two council parks give you the easiest access to the water, and both have a playground.

Crummunda Park runs along Coongarra Esplanade in Wurtulla, on the northern shore. It has natural shade, picnic facilities, barbecues, public toilets, beach showers, exercise equipment and a basketball half-court. The playground at the western end, near Mandara Drive, has a play fort with a climbing net, ramp steps and slides, a junior play fort with a hammock, a multi-spinner, a four-way rocker, swings and a flying fox. There are more swings near Bareki Street.

Cliff Hargreaves Park is on Westaway Parade, with a second entrance from Hargreaves Street, and gives access to the lake and the beach. Its play fort has a climbing net, track glider and slide, with interactive panels, swings and rockers. It also has public toilets, beach showers, natural shade, shelters, barbecues, picnic tables and grassed areas.

The Coastal Pathway runs past both parks.

Walks at Kathleen McArthur Conservation Park

Currimundi Lake (Kathleen McArthur) Conservation Park covers about 50 hectares of wallum heath and woodland and is named after a local artist and conservationist. It has two marked walking tracks, and the tracks start at the eastern end of Coongarra Esplanade.

• Heath circuit: 1.4 km return, about 40 minutes. A sealed path leads to a lookout over the lake and creek, then the track continues as sand through woodland.
• Beach access track: 2 km return, about 1 hour. It runs through woodland to the back of the dunes, then climbs past casuarinas and pandanus for views of the beach.

Look for banksias, and for wrens, finches, honeyeaters and noisy friarbirds if you walk quietly. The heath wildflowers are at their best from late winter to early spring.

Walk in daylight hours only. The park is not set up for wheelchairs or prams: the sealed section is short and the rest is sandy track.

Paddling the Currimundi Lake canoe trail

Council’s canoe trail is a sheltered 6 km route around the lake, suitable for beginners and family groups. There are pontoon launch points at Crummunda Park (where Coongarra Esplanade meets Bareki Street) and at Noel Burns Park, at the end of Mulloka Esplanade. Frank McIvor Park, reached via Westaway Parade, also has parking and a canoe launch area. Launch only from the designated canoe facilities, and use only the marked resting stops so the banks are not eroded.

Is Currimundi Lake dog friendly?

Not in the lake. Council says Currimundi Lake is a dog-free zone, and since July 2026 dogs are not allowed to cross the mouth of the lake between beach accesses 253 and 254. The off-leash area on the beach north of the lake, at access 253, is unchanged. Pets are not allowed in Kathleen McArthur Conservation Park either.

Check the signs at the park you visit and the council’s dog rules page, which links to the Currimundi Lake dog access map.

Planning your visit

• How long: one to two hours for a swim and the playground; half a day with a picnic and the heath walk.
• Best time: mornings. Warm weekends and school holidays are the busy times, so arrive early for parking.
• What to bring: sunscreen, a hat, water, towels, and sturdy shoes for the sandy walking tracks.
• Cost: the lake, parks and walks are free.
• Surf beach: if you want waves instead, the ocean beach is next door. Check Beachsafe for Currimundi for conditions and patrol times, and swim between the red and yellow flags.

Getting there and parking

By car, Currimundi Lake is about 93 km from the Brisbane CBD, about 80 minutes without traffic. Allow longer on weekends and school holidays.

For the conservation park and Crummunda Park, travel on Nicklin Way, turn east at Wurtulla into Gayandi Street, then right into Mandara Drive and left into Coongarra Esplanade. Parking runs along the edge of Crummunda Park. For Cliff Hargreaves Park, head for Westaway Parade or Hargreaves Street in Currimundi, where the council canoe trail page also lists parking.

Translink route 600 runs between Caloundra station and Maroochydore station and stops on Nicklin Way at Currimundi and at Ahern Bridge, Wurtulla. The stops are on the main road rather than at the water, so check the route 600 timetable and plan the walk to the park.

Nearby

• Dicky Beach – a patrolled surf beach with a skate park and the SS Dicky shipwreck story, to the south.
• Moffat Beach – beachfront cafes and a headland walk, a little further south.
• Kings Beach, Caloundra – the main Caloundra beach.
• Point Cartwright – a headland and lookout further up the coast.
• Mooloolaba Beach – a bigger beach town with an esplanade.
• Alexandra Headland – another surf beach with a coastal path.
• Things to do on the Sunshine Coast – more ideas for the rest of your trip.
• More water: browse lakes and rivers, swimming spots or the Sunshine Coast page.

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