The catchment starts in the Como Escarpment near Mount Elliott in the coastal Great Sandy National Park and meanders south through a lakes district around Tewantin.

Substantial residential development has encroached into areas previously occupied by the changing river path.

[5] Several kilometres of beach to the north of the mouth were a popular destination for four-wheel driving, until Sunshine Coast Regional Council placed restrictions on them in May 2007.

A final scientific report into the cause of the spawning was delayed in 2010 because of the potential to prejudice ongoing civil court proceedings involving the hatchery and a nearby macadamia nut farm.

The beach was wide and usable and it recovered quickly from the occasional extreme storm events such as cyclones.