Emerging literature on climate adaptation suggests the need for effective ways of engaging or activating communities and supporting community roles, coupled with whole-of-system approaches to understanding climate change adaptation needs. A study across South East Queensland has developed and tested a participatory approach to elicit community and stakeholder understanding of climate change adaptation needs, and connect diverse community members and local office bearers as a stimulus to potential action. The study was conducted in a series of connected social-ecological systems along a transect from a rural area, through a culturally diverse and low-income peri-urban and urban area, to the coast and islands of ecologically sensitive Moreton Bay. We conducted 'climate roundtables' in three areas along the transect, then a fourth roundtable reviewed, extended and integrated the results across the region. Influence diagrams produced through the process show how each climate variable forecast to affect this region (heat, storm, flood, sea-level rise, fire, drought) impacts the natural environment, infrastructure, economic and social behaviour patterns, and psychosocial responses, and how sets of people, species and ecosystems are affected, and act, differentially. The influence pathways combined with current trends such as the building of new towns reducing wildlife habitat. They provided insight into the ways people think about and deal with these considerations. Participants had an increased awareness of the implications of climate change on their areas of interest and showed an increased capacity to deal with the issues.  They wanted to form networks for action together, and evaluated the  process very positively.