Lake Macdonald, Cooroy: Botanic Gardens, Paddling and Trails

Lake Macdonald is a lake near Cooroy in the Noosa hinterland, with free botanic gardens on its shore, a boat ramp, bird hides and the start of the Noosa Trail Network. It is also part of South East Queensland’s drinking water supply, which shapes what you can and cannot do on it.

Most visitors come for the gardens and the playground next door, then walk a short section of trail or launch a kayak. Swimming is not allowed.

Noosa Botanic Gardens

The Noosa Botanic Gardens are on Lake Macdonald Drive, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and entry is free. Drinking water, toilets, picnic tables and shelters are available, and there is an accessible toilet within the gardens. Graded pathways give accessible routes, and bench seats are spread through the grounds.

There are lawns on the water’s edge, an amphitheatre overlooking the lake and a bush chapel surrounded by cottage flowers. Council lists natural features that invite children to touch and smell plants, and children are welcome to explore as long as they are supervised and do not damage plants or facilities.

There are no barbecues inside the gardens. Two electric barbecues are in the adjoining foreshore park beside the boat ramp. Next door, Lake Macdonald Park has a playground, a dinosaur dig and a permaculture area.

Paddling, boating and fishing

Seqwater’s guide allows paddle craft, sail craft and electric-powered watercraft on Lake Macdonald; check Seqwater’s current rules, because the guide dates from 2023 and the dam works have changed access. Motorised boating, water skiing, jet skiing, wakeboarding and tubing are not allowed, and neither is swimming. The designated launch points are:

• Lake Macdonald Park on Lake Macdonald Drive. Launching vessels from its boat ramp currently needs a 4×4 (see the notice above).
• Mary River Cod Park off Collwood Road, with a boat ramp, pontoon, wash-down facility, picnic table and toilets. Seqwater currently lists it as closed because of the dam works.
• Jabiru Park off Grange Road, for paddle craft only, with a bird hide for watching wildlife. Vehicle access is currently restricted; the day use area stays open to pedestrians and paddle craft launching.

Do not launch, retrieve or beach on land around the lake outside these signed areas, because most of the surrounding land is private. Boating rules are set by Maritime Safety Queensland, and Seqwater’s recreation pages list current closures.

You can fish from a vessel or from the shoreline of the designated recreation areas. A fishing permit is required at Lake Macdonald under the Stocked Impoundment Permit Scheme, which you buy through the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. Take rubbish, especially fishing line and hooks, away with you.

Walks and the Noosa Trail Network

Lake Macdonald is one of the starting points for the Noosa Trail Network, which caters for walkers, runners, horse riders and mountain bike riders. Kookaburra Park, on Collwood Road, has a public toilet and is an entry to the network.

• Kookaburra Park to Mary River Cod Park: about 1 km one way, an easy walk of roughly an hour return, according to the trail guide. The Botanic Gardens are close by. With Mary River Cod Park closed, check Seqwater’s notices before you plan this walk.
• Lake Macdonald to Middle Lookout: 10 km one way. The trail guide says to start at Kookaburra Park and pass Mary River Cod Park, then continue through Ringtail State Forest to Twin Hill Views Lookout and Middle Lookout. Arrange a pick-up at the far end. Seqwater currently says Noosa Trail parking is not available at Kookaburra Park, so park at Lake Macdonald Park; pedestrians can walk between the two.

Horses are not allowed in the lake, because it is the water supply for residents in the area.

Camping

There is a campground near the lake run by private operators, and Seqwater asks you to contact it directly for enquiries and bookings. The Noosa Trail Network guide lists Camp Cooroora for camping at Lake Macdonald.

Dogs

Dogs are welcome in the Noosa Botanic Gardens on a leash, as long as they do not disturb other visitors, and litter bags are available. Seqwater asks visitors to leave pets at home or keep them within designated areas on its land.

Planning your visit

• How long: an hour for the gardens and playground; half a day with a paddle or the Kookaburra Park walk.
• What to bring: water, a hat, a picnic and a fishing permit if you plan to fish.
• Algae: Seqwater publishes blue-green algae levels on its website, so check before you paddle or fish.
• Closures: the dam works affect access, so check Seqwater’s recreation and safety notices before you leave.

Getting there and parking

The Noosa Botanic Gardens are on Lake Macdonald Drive, about 131 km from Brisbane CBD, roughly 110 minutes by car without traffic. Bus and car parks are at the entry and exit off Lake Macdonald Drive, and vehicles cannot drive into the gardens.

Trains from Brisbane stop at Cooroy, but the lake is outside town, and the council pages do not say how to get from the station to the gardens, so plan to drive.

Nearby

• Cooroy – the Hinterland Adventure Playground, galleries and cafes.
• Pomona – the Majestic Theatre and the Mount Cooroora climb.
• Lake Weyba – a shallow wetland lake for paddlers and birdwatchers.
• Lake Cootharaba – sailing, camping and paddling on Noosa’s big lake.
• Noosa River – foreshore parks and the ferry.
• More lakes and rivers and more Noosa places

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• Minyama (Sunshine Coast)
• Wappa Dam (Kiamba)
• Ewen Maddock Dam (Landsborough)

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