Fairy Pools Noosa: Everything You Need to Know

Cruising through Noosa National Park on our way to the Fairy Pools…

What Are the Fairy Pools Noosa?

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Fairy pools are just a cute name for natural tidal rock pools. After millions of years, the basalt rocks along the coast of Noosa National Park have been shaped in such a way that you’d swear an Instagram hipster designed the whole thing. The high tide fills two sunken areas of the rocky coast and low tide separates them from the ocean, revealing their fairy awesomeness.

Fairy Pools Noosa… this way.

Directions: How to Get There

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The fairy pools are hidden along the coast of the Noosa National Park. The easiest way to find them is to walk along the coast track from Noosa Main Beach. Here’s the step-by-step:

> Dig out your day pack and fill it with some water and travel snacks for the road. You can also add in a towel and change of dry clothes.

> Park your car in the car park, known on Google Maps as the Noosa National Park Carpark, 60-62 Park Rd, Noosa Heads QLD 4567.

> Pop on some joggers if you have them. Thongs (flip-flops) will work but you’ll be at risk of plugger blow-outs with the mix of sandy and rocky terrain. It might also be a good time to do the sunsmart thing with a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen if you’re heading out during the really sunny hours.

> Walk along the Coast Track past Tea Tree Bay and Granite Bay. The walk is just over 2 km and takes around 30-40 minutes depending on how many breathers beaches you stop to enjoy…

> At the far end of Granite Bay, as you pass Picnic Cove you will see a park bench under a tree as the track turns right around a large bend. This is where you leave the track and scramble down the rocks.

> Choose your fairy pool and enjoy.

Fairy Pools Noosa: How to get there.

Fairy Pools Noosa: How to find them once you get there.

The Alternative Route

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If you’re looking for a little more misadventure, you can also walk through the Noosa National Park from the Sunshine Beach side. This seemed like a great idea to us the first time. Mostly because we had incorrectly located the fairy pools on a map. More Mother Nature time, right? It turns out, this way is not quicker and involves a lot more hills, more uneven tracks, a little bit of guesswork and nudity. Nudity?

Yep, Alexandria Bay has been an unofficial nudist beach for decades and is one of the ‘attractions’ along the way. Butt (yep, I did it) on the plus side, you might just spot a koala and get a healthy dose of forest bathing in along the way. So, it’s not all bad… This way is a bit over 3 km and will take around an hour each way. You can enter the National Park via Sunshine Beach itself or McAnally Drive, Sunshine Beach..

If you’re totally unimpressed with my DIY maps, here’s a more detailed official map of the Noosa National Park.

When to Go

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This really depends on what it is you’re going for. If you think you can rock-up (did it again, sorry) on a weekend around mid-morning in summertime and enjoy exclusive rights to these magical swimming holes, think again. You’ll likely be disappointed when you realise the whole of Brisbane plus a handful of German backpackers had the same idea.

The early bird gets the worm. And by worm, I mean fairy pools all to themselves. After our first failed attempt, we arrived at around 6 a.m. on a Wednesday morning in December. And, as we hoped, the rest of the world, what with their lazy holiday sleep-ins and/or proper 9-to-5 jobs were nowhere to be seen. I’m sure you could chance it at other times but the earlier the better. Plus you avoid the sweltering midday heat, as the track and fairy pools are mostly unprotected from the harsh Queensland sun.

When the cat’s away, the fairies will play. If you can, avoid weekends, school and public holidays… Midweek is obviously the best option if you can manage a sick-day holiday.

Swing low (tide), sweet chariot. The smaller pool (on the left as you look from the path) only becomes a separate rock pool at low tide. But the larger pool might still be usable at higher tides if the swell isn’t too big. Otherwise, waves will constantly be crashing over the rocks and killing your serene fairy vibe. My personal recommendation is low / dropping tide so that the pools are cut off from the ocean but nicely filled, calm and peaceful.

The reward: Fairy Pools Noosa at low tide all to yourself. This is the small pool.

That’s it. Now all you need to do is kick back with a cold drink, enjoy the waterfront views and tiny fish nibbling at your toes. Kinda like a Balinese fish foot spa pedicure but with baby clown fish and a better viewIf you’re totally unimpressed with my DIY maps, here’s a more detailed official map of the Noosa National Park.

Have you visited the Fairy Pools Noosa? Let us know what you thought in the comments!