Trekking through the majestic rainforest under ancient Bunya Pines
Our first stop on the drive west was a planned visit to
Goomeri Bakery. This was a highlight of our last trip through the QLD
Hinterland – so we had high expectations. It appeared so did everyone else
passing through as the queue for the bakery was out the door! The Lamb Pie was
a winner, as was Cathy’s chosen dessert of Passionfruit Meringue, but Sippy’s
choice of Chocolate, Cherry Pie fell far short unfortunately, with most of it
left uneaten. Sippy didn’t take up his wife’s suggestion of the Strawberry
Cheesecake (which looked delicious). Bad luck Sippy.
After heading through Maidenwell we were greeted with a sign
on the side of the road saying 'narrow, winding road ahead unsuitable for
caravans'. After a quick chat with some locals, they assured us we would be fine
and so on we ploughed. The road into Bunya Mountain was extremely pretty and
extremely steep in some spots (after all we were heading up a mountain). The
car was certainly put under a bit of pressure, but Sippy seemed okay and
dropped to first gear for a few of the inclines – and we made it! The views on
the way up were very impressive.
After setting up in Dandabah Campground in the National Park,
we grabbed a trail map and prepared for the next two days of hiking.
Day one we hiked 15kms on the Barker Creek Circuit,
including the Barker Creek and Big Falls Lookout. We also added on the
Westcliff Lookout walk on our return. Trekking through the rainforest under
giant Bunya Pines, Hoop Pines and Strangler Figs was amazing. The green,
coolness of the rainforest was a welcome relief from the 28 degrees as we
admired ferns, fungi and birds, including blue, yellow and orange winged
wrens, along with the odd goanna.
Day two we hiked 12kms to Bottle Tree Bluff. This walk
afforded us views towards Bell, Dalby and the open plains below as we zigzagged
through shady rainforest and open, sunny sections of track. We finished the day
with a 5km walk to Festoon Falls and Pine Gorge Lookout. This was the most
beautiful section of the Bunya Mountains and we were very happy to linger on
the trail and admire the impressive, grand old giants of the forest.
Sippy deserved a beer (or two) upon our return to camp. 32 kms in two days was pretty good going. We shared a few stories of travels ahead with some other campers (some saying the Gibb River Road is just another dirt road and others saying it is a disaster for cars and vans), ate a yummy dinner of red curry chicken and headed to bed.
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