This hidden gem is one of the most famous spots to visit in Noosa.
During my road trip to the Central Coast in Queensland, there was one place in Noosa that I'd been hanging out for. Last year when we were in Noosa we tried to go out and see the Fairy Pools, but we weren't able to get there because of the weather. So this time, I was determined to get my Insta-worthy photo!
The Noosa Fairy Pools are a huge tourist attraction and get extremely busy, so you need to plan ahead. To get the place to yourselves, avoid the middle of the day, public and school holidays, as well as weekends. These are all times when the crowds will be at their peak.
There's a boardwalk that you can take from right in the heart of Noosa that pretty much starts from Hastings St, however we were running low on time, so we drove out to the Noosa National Park car park and found a spot up the hill slightly to leave our van.
You'll be taking the Coastal Track, and at the very beginning you'll see a kiosk selling ice creams and drinks, as well as the information boards (see below).
From here it is a very easy walk to get to the Fairy Pools, but keep in mind that these pools aren't an official tourist spot - technically you have to break a few rules to get there. For this walk I would recommend you wear runners, although it's a fairly easy walk so you could wear thongs if you really wanted to (but beware you may blow a plug with the sandy/rocky paths).
To get to the pools, you walk along the Coastal Track past Tea Tree Bay and Granite Bay. All up the walk is just over 2 km and takes around 30-40 minutes, although there are a lot of places you'll want to stop at along the way because they're so beautiful. At the far end of Granite Bay, once you've passed Picnic Cove, there's a park bench under a tree as the track turns right around a large bend. There's a fence that's supposed to stop you from going down to the pools, but a little further along you'll see that there's a worn track leading around it and down to the pools. From here you need to climb, scramble and crawl down the rocks to the Fairy Pools.
Two things you need to keep in mind when visiting the pools - tide and crowds. The best time of day to visit is at low tide (or at least when the tide is going out), and the earlier in the day the better. This place is getting more and more famous on Instagram which means it is a hub for tourists, meaning it gets really busy. When we visited it was mid afternoon on the receding tide, and there were about 20 other people (unfortunately we had no other time to go so we were stuck with the busy period).
Now for the all important photos... As I said, it was quite busy when we were there, and unfortunately Emma took a tumble on the rocks so she decided to wait for me back up at the top. That meant I didn't have anyone to take my photos for me. There was also the problem of trying to get photos that make it look like you're the only person there when in fact there are 30 other people wanting the exact same thing. Luckily, because most people are after the same thing - great photos - if you work together you can all get what you want. Basically we all agreed to keep out of the way one at a time (including taking photos of each other) so we could all get our photos one at a time - worked a treat.
Another piece of advice? Be very careful when getting into these pools. It was incredibly steep getting in and the rocks were so slippery it was actually pretty dangerous. And trust me when I tell you, it's way easier getting in than it is getting out! The pool in the photo above is the biggest one, but there are a couple of smaller ones you can try as well.
So there you have it, the Noosa Fairy Pools and how to find them. Hopefully you have as much fun as I did and be sure to stop along the way to enjoy the beautiful surroundings and the incredible views.
Until next time,
Nat x