Lamington National Park experience

[tasadam]

I found this write up of a journey through this park recently, thought it good enough to share here.
http://www.redbubble.com/people/johnsar ... k-the-hike

Cheers
Adam.

[the_camera_poser]

I love Lamington! Awesome place!

[Pandah]

I love Lamington, It's where i have been spending almost all of my time on the weekends for the past month. Thanks for this I'd like to read someone elses POV about the park!

[under10kg]

Yes I do a bit of walking at Laminton.
I really like the off track walk of bina burra to green mounain direct (the border track).
You need to know how to navigate, maps and compass although there are markers on most of the track. I did it solo and really enjoyed it.
Great walk with magic waterfalls I camped at green mountain and walked back the border track with my 4 kg pack.

[isoma]

Agree with above. Lamington is a great place for bushwalkers. Many kilometres of graded tracks for beginners and plenty of off track walks, including the Middle Ridge traverse/Fountain Falls walk that it sounds like under10kg has done. For more off track walks, away from the maintained system of walks at Binna Burra or Green Mountains, I would suggest the southern areas of Lamington around Christmas and Running Creeks.

[turtle]

From the Beaudesert side of Lamington you can walk up Christmas Creek to the Stinson plane wreck. I did it probably 20 years ago and all that was left of the plane was a few tangled bits of frame. However it was a lovely walk. Take the Rathdowney road from beaudesert, turn left at laravale and then follow the signs to the children's camp. Next to the children's camp is a nice park for camping. The walk follows Christmas creek for a while then turns right up into the mountain.

We were taken up by a local. He said it wouldn't take long. Next thing he is packing enough food for a month, ropes, torches and the like. It is a full days walk and do take plenty of back up gear as well as maps/gps. There were some cliff faces that on a nasty day may have needed a rope to be on the safe side and there is no clear track or at least back then there wasn't.

[under10kg]

There is a pretty clear track up to the plane site these days. I would not take a rope but some might want to lift packs at one spot. One can continue onto green mountain. Some take 3 days to do this track. This can be done as a very very long day walk for the very fit starting before light. One would start at green mountain to go down at the end of the walk.

[Chrisbulldog]

With regard to the Border track , and i preface this by adding that i have been to the O'Rielly's end ; is there any transport options at either end? When travelling in a car last year , i noticed a small bus which looked like a shuttle one. Hope to do it in the future , just seems the logistics of getting in and out is the main concern .Be grateful for any thoughts . Cheers Chris.

[iandsmith]

I've probably uploaded some of these elsewhere but can't see them in the Queensland section. So, here are some I took while hiking with a fellow Bushwalk Tasmania member.
It was the first time I'd ever been there and was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. The first time I did the loop with the photos here, i.e. the Coomera Falls Loop.
Next time I went to O'Reilly's and went down to Elebana Falls. Unfortunately I didn't have time to go further but did get some good shots.
Can't wait to visit my son at Surfers again so I'll have an excuse to repeat the doses!
Cheers all.

[tas-man]

Lamington National Park was where I "grew up" into bushwalking and I remember many special experiences and places, but one that will always be top of my list is Black Canyon, my first walk in Lamington in 1968. We got to the base of Thunder and Lightning Falls at the end of Black Canyon, just as the midday sun broke briefly into the green darkness - a magical atmosphere! I tried to get back there several times in later years, but time always seemed to run out, so have never got back to the end of Black Canyon again. Here is a photo from a second trip in 1972 with me on left, my sister, brother and friends, standing in the Albert River Left Branch just above Red rock Cutting, were the Shooting Creek meets the river. Perhaps I will get back one day, but the images of the sunlight breaking onto the falls for a few minutes is a permanent part of my memories.

[tas-man]

I've still got my O'Reilly's Tourist Map which was all I used for many years for exploring that part of Lamington. Looks positively ancient against Google Earth!

[tas-man]

While looking for something else in my map cabinet, I came across a very old photocopy of an article about Lamington National Park that was published in "The Worker" on 3rd October 1918, three years after it was established by a Queensland Labour Government. My recollection is that the original was found in a house being demolished in Toowong in 1969, where it was part of a cache of old newspapers used as underlay under linoleum floor covering in the kitchen. It was saved as I had just developed an interest in bushwalking. The original was very fragile, so I had it photocopied on one of the new fangled Xerox copiers of the period. The article is of interest in its style of descriptive writing and well as the predictions made for the potential value to society of having this area preserved for the enjoyment of future generations.

[Pteropus]

Lamington National Park was where I "grew up" into bushwalking and I remember many special experiences and places, but one that will always be top of my list is Black Canyon, my first walk in Lamington in 1968. We got to the base of Thunder and Lightning Falls at the end of Black Canyon, just as the midday sun broke briefly into the green darkness - a magical atmosphere! I tried to get back there several times in later years, but time always seemed to run out, so have never got back to the end of Black Canyon again. Here is a photo from a second trip in 1972 with me on left, my sister, brother and friends, standing in the Albert River Left Branch just above Red rock Cutting, were the Shooting Creek meets the river. Perhaps I will get back one day, but the images of the sunlight breaking onto the falls for a few minutes is a permanent part of my memories.

tas-man, this photo might bring back some memories for you

Sunlight at Lighting and Thunder Falls, Black Canyon - 5-11-2011

013 Lightning and Thunder Falls, Black Canyon.JPG (348.82 KiB) Viewed 86992 times

Four of us hiked to Black Canyon yesterday. Left Green Mountain camp ground at 6:30 am and arived back at camp at 7:00 pm. Was one of the most amazing hikes I have ever been on! Have all sorts of aches and pains now...but was more than worth it!

[cams]

Beautiful photo Pteropus. Did you follow a similar route as shown on tas-man's map above? This is definitely a walk I've planned to do for a while. Maybe make an overnighter out of it by camping in the Lost World Saddle.

[Pteropus]

Hi cams, yes we took that same route. I can PM some details if you like. I have not done the Lost World yet so can only tell you about Black Canyon. I would have loved to spend a whole day down there taking photos, however there is nowhere to set up a tent...which made me think of all the talk of hammocks on the forum and how perfect it would be to hang out down there

[tas-man]

tas-man, this photo might bring back some memories for you

Four of us hiked to Black Canyon yesterday. Left Green Mountain camp ground at 6:30 am and arived back at camp at 7:00 pm. Was one of the most amazing hikes I have ever been on! Have all sorts of aches and pains now...but was more than worth it!

WOW! Thanks Pteropus for sharing this photo on the forum - it does rekindle memories and makes me want to have another go at getting there sometime I am back in Brisbane. I might have a slide of the same spot, that if I can find it will scan and post for a comparison to 42 years ago. Can you give a bit more detail about the route you followed and the condition of the river? On my last attempt I was concerned to see the intrusion of weed species in the river bed.

[tas-man]

I found my slide box with my slides of Black Canyon, but the one of the falls is not with the others, so will keep looking. Here are the ones I found that are very contrasty due to the Kodak Instamatic camera I had borrowed for the trip, only having one daylight exposure setting, but it was called "Black Canyon" for a reason!

Me sitting on a rock in the Albert River Left Branch, Black Canyon.

My mate Gordon, leaping across the river, and he did make it!

I am on the left sunbaking on the rocks after a shower under the falls. The pool in front of me would be the same as in the foreground of Pteropus' photo.

Black Canyon on the return journey down the Albert River L Branch.

[tas-man]

I found the missing slides so here are two more including the falls themselves.

Thunder and Lightning Falls at the end of Black Canyon.

One of the larger pools to be skirted in Black Canyon.

[Pteropus]

Hi cams, tas-man, et al

The route my friends and I took was pretty much the same as on tas-mans map. I have a 10 year old Hema map of Lamington, a more recent Hema map and the Sunmap Tyalgum topo sheet and while all three maps show the creek marked “Shooting Creek” on tas-mans map, it is no longer named on my maps. Silver Falls is still named. My 10 year old Hema map actually has the route marked with “approx. Position” (and many of the off track routes are marked thus on the same map).

We left the Albert River Circuit next to one of the gullies that flow into the creek. My mate Mat has done this trip before and knew exactly where to leave the track. We followed some flagging tape down to a rock cairn above the cliff line, then down the cliff to the Albert River. As i think this area could be considered a “sensitive area with no tracks” I won’t post any grid references, but if you want to pm me I can give the coordinates of where to leave the track, the cairn and Junction of the river. Though, from the topo it is pretty obvious if you keep the gully on your right when heading on down. Getting to the cairn was quite easy, and getting down the cliff was not too bad, but there was some areas that were very slippery, despite the ground being quite dry, and there were some technical rock scrambles that took our little group some time to get down. Obviously extreme care needs to be taken on the steeper section, and I wouldn’t like to do it in the wet.

The rock hop up the river was a general Lamington rock hop. Lots of slippery and unstable rocks to beware of. There was one deep pool (the one in tas-mans last photo) that we needed to skirt around with a rock scramble using a climbing rope, but apart from that it was pretty straight forward to the head to the canyon. It took us two hours to get up the canyon but we were taking it easy as two of our group were on their first rock hop. The pool at the head of the canyon was VERY cold, as my friends Mat and Jane went for a swim and screamed from the shock! It was mostly overcast anyhow, and they knew it was going to be cold, so I am not sure what compelled them into the pool!! On a slightly negative note, we found a plastic lolly packet, but I am sure it washed down from the main track system above, as I doubt very much, or at least hope, that people who make the effort to hike into such a remote and special place would be quite sensitive to keeping the park pristine (though you would hope most people entering the park had that attitude).

The trip out of the canyon was straight forward (though I did manage to slip on one rock and fall on my bum) and we decided that as long as we were back on the marked track system before last light we would be fine. Which we were. We got back to camp, had wonderful hot showers, had a big hot meal, drank port and went to sleep! I have been dreaming of going back since I got back. Somehow my office is totally uninspiring compared to the rainforest....

tas-man, I did not see a lot of evidence of weeds, but perhaps there was some mist weed (Ageratina riparia), though I did not really notice. I have seen it elsewhere in the park. There were however, some very pretty orchids (I think they were ravine orchids - Sarcochilus fitzgeraldii) along the way. We also saw top knot pigeons.


I have posted some more photos. tas-man, the photo that looks back down the canyon with my mate Mat taking a photo in the foreground shows the rock you were sunbathing on, which i have circled.

Enjoy!
Andrew

Walking companions, Black Canyon, Albert River, Lamington NP (me on the right)

007 at the bottom of Silver Falls.JPG (532.75 KiB) Viewed 86876 times

Lightning and Thunder Falls, Black Canyon

Me

023 Lightning and Thunder Falls, Black Canyon.JPG (451.77 KiB) Viewed 86876 times

Taking photos down river. The circle marks the rock tas-man basked on all those years ago

Rock/wall of faces

026 Rock of faces, Black Canyon.JPG (406.45 KiB) Viewed 86876 times

[Pteropus]

possibly the vulnerable ravine orchid - Sarcochilus fitzgeraldii

028 Orchid.JPG (485.35 KiB) Viewed 86875 times

[tas-man]

Hi cams, tas-man, et al
<SNIP> I have been dreaming of going back since I got back. Somehow my office is totally uninspiring compared to the rainforest....

Yes its a magic place and made all the more so by the effort and timing required to get there, hoping the sun will briefly make an appearance! If you are thinking of going back already, I reckon it will still be calling you in 40 years time like it has done to me I think I was primed for a special experience of this place by a favourite book from my younger years, "The Bunyip Hole" by Patricia Wrightson.

tas-man, I did not see a lot of evidence of weeds, but perhaps there was some mist weed (Ageratina riparia), though I did not really notice. I have seen it elsewhere in the park. There were however, some very pretty orchids (I think they were ravine orchids - Sarcochilus fitzgeraldii) along the way. We also saw top knot pigeons.
I have posted some more photos. tas-man, the photo that looks back down the canyon with my mate Mat taking a photo in the foreground shows the rock you were sunbathing on, which i have circled.

Enjoy!
Andrew

THANK YOU I have truly enjoyed seeing your photos of this trip, especially with the quality of photography now possible with digital allowing immediate feedback to check if the lighting levels are just as you want them. The days of waiting two weeks for slides to get back to you and then finding the the exposures were off, is one aspect of photography I do not miss. My recollection of the descent beside Silver Falls is that although the rock face was very steep, the profusion of tree roots allowed secure climbing. Is there any signs of deterioration due to use of this route over the years?

[Pteropus]

THANK YOU I have truly enjoyed seeing your photos of this trip, especially with the quality of photography now possible with digital allowing immediate feedback to check if the lighting levels are just as you want them.

No worries, it has been a pleasure

My recollection of the descent beside Silver Falls is that although the rock face was very steep, the profusion of tree roots allowed secure climbing. Is there any signs of deterioration due to use of this route over the years?

The rock face is indeed very steep and it is the tree roots and stems that look to be the most affected by use. While it was obvious that people did use them due to the occasional broken root or snapped stem, the condition of the path was not too bad. I don’t think people go that way very often. I do get the impression that heavy rain could cause a land/rock slide though, as occasionally occurs in the region, and make the path unusable.

...I reckon it will still be calling you in 40 years time like it has done to me ...

I am sure it will, though I will be in my 70s by then!! Hopefully it is still as pristine too!

[phan_TOM]

Thanks Pteropus (& tas-man & others) for the great photos and info about Lamington, I am now fully inspired to get out there and have an adventure or two, certainly looks like there is plenty to see and do and at all levels of experience. Its moved right up my list of places to visit and I'm shocked that I live so close, a few hours drive at most, and have never been I just had a look through my map collection and found an old tyalgum 1:25000 which only covers a bit of the park so I jumped online and discovered that there is a new 1:35000 HEMA which covers the whole park (I think) so I bought it. It seems decent enough but, as you would suspect, it only has the 'main' tracks marked on it. Can anyone recommend a good book for walks in lamington to supplement it, I've found references to chapman, rankin and bushpeople, do people rate these and is there any others that you can think of that would be any good?

[phan_TOM]

I'm also wondering about the rules regarding bush camping in the park as the available info from the web seems a bit scratchy. Does anyone have the coords/grid refs of the 10 remote bush camp sites? (unless this deemed to be to sensitive to broadcast then I would be happy to recieve any info via pm). I sent an enquiry to QPWS to see if they have this information but I forgot to ask if there is the possibility of other options as I know that some/most parks let you camp anywhere you want as long as it is (for example) 1km from established camp sites/500m from established walking tracks etc. Does this rule apply here by chance? If anyones stayed at these bush camp sites what are they like, got any photos? If anyones interested I can list the names of the remote camp sites that I found on the QPWS site, they all sound interesting!

[Pteropus]

Hi Tom

One of the best guides is the “Take a walk in south-east Queensland” book by John and Lyn Daly. I also have a book called “A guide to Lamington National Park” edited by Lesley Hutley for Lamington Natural History Association (Envirobook, Trekaway Pty Ltd, NSW), which has track notes and lots of natural and cultural history of the park and surrounds.

The Hema Lamington maps are good, with all the formal tracks marked. The older maps also have the approximate position of some of the informal tracks. I think that parks and wildlife are beginning to let some of the older tracks grow over and not advertising them on new maps, most likely to reduce impact on the environment. However, areas such as Christmas Creek to the Stinson crash site are still marked with track markers on trees.

There are a number of bush camps and I only know a handful, such as the one immediately above the Stinson crash, one near point lookout and a few on the Lost World (which I have never been). I think there is one at Bithongabel Lookout too. I am sure there are a few more that others may know of. I think that bush camping is prohibited over the summer months.

Thats about all the info I can give you and I am sure there are a few here that could give more help.

Cheers
Andrew

[tas-man]

Andrew, would you be able to post a higher resolution version of your photo "024 BlackCanyon.jpg"? I would like to see it in more detail if possible. Also your photo "007 at the bottom of Silver Falls.JPG" is most likely the exact same spot as mine in my first post to this thread, with the positions of people and photographer reversed. Fascinating!

[Pteropus]

pm sent mate

[tas-man]

pm received and responded to

[cams]

There are a number of bush camps and I only know a handful, such as the one immediately above the Stinson crash, one near point lookout and a few on the Lost World (which I have never been). I think there is one at Bithongabel Lookout too. I am sure there are a few more that others may know of. I think that bush camping is prohibited over the summer months.

Adding to Andrew's list there is also Ratatat hut site, Echo Point ( which along with Bithongabel is probably the easiest to get to), Mt. Worrendo/Lost World Saddle, Lost World Peak, Campsite near the creek on the North-Western? side of Lost World, Mt. Throakban.

Does anyone know why they restrict bush camping during these months? Is it threat of lots of rain and leaches?

I think I am definitely going to have to do this walk during summer. Could you please PM me those grid references Andrew? Any estimates on the size of the cliff? Wonder if rapping down might save some time/be fun

[Pteropus]

PM sent cams.