Goomburra Hiking & Camping

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The Goomburra Section of the Main Range National Park tends to be a less visited area, but one with a lot of attractions. Because of the time it takes to get there, it is best visited on a camping trip, but can also be visited as a day trip from Brisbane for hikes, falls, swims, lookouts and lush rainforest.



Goomburra

It is essentially the back section of the Main Range National Park and lies over the mountain over Cunningham's Gap. While it is not that far from Brisbane, you have to first drive past it then turn off the highway and drive back towards the Goomburra section. This, and the fact there is not that much else in the area, means it is a less visited than other areas of the national park.



As you approach the section, you will see farms and bushland, but once in the national park, it quickly becomes a rainforest. So you camp under gumtrees while walking through a denser forest.



Camping

Within in the national park, there are two main camping areas, with the Manna Gum Camping area being the most popular and being closest to the start of the Cascades Circuit. Near it is the Poplar Flat Camping Area, which is a similar campground and is more likely to be used when the main campground is filled up.



Both campgrounds feature wide open and grassy campgrounds where you can camp beside your car or park a caravan or campervan. Other than the toilets, the main facility provided is wood fire barbecues for which you should bring your own wood.



If you want something more than just a place to pitch your tent, then there are a number of commercial campgrounds near the national park. These include Goomburra Valley Campground which has powered and unpowered sites and a games room, Gordon Country, with camping, glamping and cabins, and an onsite shop, as well as Janowen Hills 4WD Park, which has camping and cabins, as well as an area for four-wheel driving.



Hikes

If you are looking for a little walk, then the 1.2 km Dalrymple Circuit is worth doing and is great for kids. The circuit follows the creek and there are lots of information signs, as well as bridges and boardwalks to make the walk easily accessible for young and old.



Most people will do the Dalrymple Circuit as part of the longer Cascades Circuit , which is 6.5 kms, and can be made longer by diverting onto the Ridge Circuit. Given that part of the Cascades Circuit that you skip, when taking the alternative route, is just a boring access track, this is recommended. Just the Cascades Circuit takes about 3 hours, because of the large number of creek crossings (I stopped counting at 20) and lots of things to photograph. Plus, you can find a spot to swim as well if you want to linger longer.



If you just want a short walk to a lookout, then you have Sylvesters Lookout at 940 metres return, and Mount Castle Lookout at 960 metres return. They are both well worth a little stroll, but I think if you had to choose, then the views of Mount Castle are the most interesting.



For the best waterfall in the area is Araucaria Falls, which is accessed by a 3.6 km track. There is also a nice swimming hole at the bottom of the falls.

Another walk is the Winder Track. This 12 km return walk takes you to a piece of old forestry equipment, called a winder, sitting in the forest which is slowly taking it over, I guess in revenge for the part if plaid in logging. This is a nice walk but not overly exciting.

The last hike, and probably the least, is the North Branch Track, which is a 7 km return walk that really is just a nice walk, but with nothing special about it. Most people skip this walk or leave it as an option after doing all the other walks in the area.

Nearby

There is not a lot near to Goomburra. The main places for shops and restaurants will be either Aratula or Warwick. There is a truck stop between Goomburra and Aratula but then you might as well continue on to Aratula, where you have more choices, including the famous Aratula Hotel . The other hikes in the area are at Cunningham's Gap .



Overall

Goomburra is often a neglected spot to visit, especially for day trips, but is very popular among campers during school holidays and long weekends. There are enough walks in the area to have something to do for three days, or longer if you just want to laze around the campsite for much of the time.

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