Cilento Park in Nambour is a park with a playground and a bushland conservation reserve with a walking track to a waterfall. The park has lots of open grassy space and a playground with swings, things to climb, and a slippery dip.
There are picnic tables, one of them covered, a free BBQ available for use and a nearby water tap at hand. A toilet block is located near the playground. It has barred doors that were open when we were there but may be closed during the night.
A sign near the entrance says the area was occupied by the 7th Battery 2/4th field artillery during the years of conflict, erected for the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II.
The Cilento Bushland Conservatoin Reserve was donated by Sir Ralph and Dame Phyllis Cilento in 1952, both medical practitioners in the area. Their daughter, Diane Cilento, was an Australian theatre and film actress in the 1950s and 1960s. The Cilentos were both prominent Sunshine Coast medical practitioners from old Mooloolaba families. They were also parents to Diane Cilento, an Australian theatre and film actress in the 1950’s and 1960’s and Sean Connery’s first wife.
Walking Track Circuit
There is a short walking track circuit, about 1km, accessed from either side of the park that leads to a waterfall and swimming hole at the bottom. On our first visit, we didn’t know this walking track was here. We revisited again in 2020, and if going to a playground park isn’t what you are looking for, the walk to a waterfall may be.
Following the trail clockwise, the walk starts at the bottom-left side of Cilento Park, starting off with an easy and clear trail. This leads to a rock slab that is the top of the waterfall. The water has cut a groove through the rock, emerging from the lush forest upstream onto the bare rock. You can have a look around and even look down into the gully and the bottom of the waterfall. There is no fencing so be careful approaching the sides.
The continuing path is not obvious from here, requiring us to look for it. Basically, the path continues on the other side of the rock slab, crossing the creek’s groove. The trail then appeared and was clear to follow from there-on.
The trail continues over the other side of the rock feature and the trail becomes a simpler dirt path and follows along the other side of the gully. After following along the gully next to some fencing, the path becomes steps leading down into the gully and the base of the waterfall.
We don’t know what it is like to swim in the waterhole, as it was the middle of May and quite cold. The waterfall was a sprinkling of water, rather than a fall, but it was lovely and serene.
Returning to the trail, the walk continues with steps to climb back out of the gully and return to the park near the playground, at the bottom-right corner of the park area.