Poona

Poona National Park protects a significant area of freshwater wetlands, lakes, and coastal heath on the shores of the Great Sandy Strait near Maryborough, southeast Queensland. The park's wetlands and the adjoining Great Sandy Strait provide important habitat for migratory shorebirds, waterbirds, and the aquatic communities of the Ramsar-listed wetlands. Poona forms part of the broader Great Sandy region conservation complex, complementing the adjacent Great Sandy National Park and Fraser Island.

The freshwater lakes and wetlands of Poona are significant for waterbirds, including pelicans, ibis, spoonbills, and numerous duck species. The Great Sandy Strait foreshore provides feeding habitat for migratory shorebirds from the northern hemisphere. Dugongs graze in the seagrass beds of the Strait, and dolphins are frequently observed. Koalas inhabit the paperbark and eucalypt communities adjacent to the wetlands. The area is part of the World Heritage-recognised wetland system of the Great Sandy region.

The park's vegetation includes freshwater wetlands dominated by bulrushes, sedges, and aquatic plants, ringed by paperbark (Melaleuca quinquenervia) woodland. Wallum banksia heath occurs on the sandy areas adjacent to the wetlands, supporting the characteristic low, shrubby vegetation of the Cooloola sand mass. The wetland communities provide habitat for waterbirds, and the vegetation transitions seamlessly between aquatic, paperbark, and heath communities. The wallum banksia heath is a threatened ecological community.

Poona National Park lies on the Cooloola Sand Mass, a massive accumulation of coastal dune sands deposited over hundreds of thousands of years by wind and wave action. The freshwater lakes are perched water tables, sitting on impermeable coffee rock layers that prevent the fresh water from percolating to the underlying marine groundwater. The entire sand mass, including Fraser Island to the north, represents the world's most extensive continuous dune system.

The Wide Bay coast has a warm subtropical climate with mild winters and warm, humid summers. Annual rainfall averages 1,300–1,500 millimetres. The coastal position moderates temperatures. Summer is the peak season for thunderstorms and heavy rainfall. The wetlands are most productive and attractive in the cooler months from April to October, when waterbird numbers are high and conditions pleasant for walking and birdwatching.

The Great Sandy Strait area is part of the traditional country of the Butchulla people, the Traditional Custodians of Fraser Island (K'gari) and the adjacent mainland coast. The wetlands and coastal resources of this area were significant to Aboriginal communities for food and cultural practice. European settlement brought fishing, farming, and timber-getting to the area, and the Maryborough district became one of Queensland's earliest and most important centres of European colonisation.

Poona National Park was established to protect the wetland and coastal heath habitats of the Great Sandy region, complementing the conservation values of the adjacent Great Sandy National Park. The park's wetlands contribute to the ecological integrity of the Great Sandy Strait's Ramsar-listed wetlands. Management focuses on maintaining the natural hydrological processes that sustain the freshwater lakes and wetlands.

The park is ideal for birdwatching, particularly around the freshwater lakes where waterbirds can be observed at close range. Walking tracks through the paperbark wetland and heath provide access to the natural values. The Great Sandy Strait foreshore is accessible for shorebird watching at low tide. The peaceful and relatively undeveloped character of the park provides a contrast to the busier Fraser Island tourism corridor across the Strait.

Poona National Park has basic visitor facilities with limited parking and walking tracks. No camping is available. The park is accessible from Maryborough via local roads. The nearest services are in Maryborough and Tin Can Bay. A 2WD vehicle is suitable in dry conditions. Day use only. The park is approximately 2 hours from Brisbane.

Maintaining the hydrological integrity of the freshwater lakes and wetlands is the primary conservation challenge. Surrounding land uses can affect water quality and quantity entering the park. Managing the interface with the adjacent agricultural and residential areas requires attention to weed invasion, particularly water hyacinth in the wetland. Protecting migratory shorebird habitat in the Great Sandy Strait requires management of recreational disturbance to the foreshore. The wallum banksia heath is nationally threatened and requires fire management to maintain appropriate structure.