On average, it was a 90-minute walk through a rainforest followed by a steep ascent to reach the top of Mt Cooroy then return to the base, and on Sunday most of the 2000 or so attendees at the Cooroy Mountain Spring Festival opted to make the journey.
Beautiful weather and two previous years of closure due to Covid enticed a larger than normal crowd to the one-day-of-the-year public open day to the mountain that combines with a fundraiser organised by Noosa Rotary.
Walkers and those who remained at the base of the mountain were rewarded with an array of foods including billy tea and damper, entertainment, the option of a helicopter ride and information from local services.
Noosa Rotary president Carol Johnston said money raised on the day would go toward worthy causes with Sunshine Butterflies the major beneficiary and Rotary-run youth programs likely to benefit.