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Discover Eungella National Park

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by Cris (subscribe)

Cris is an Organiser of the Group Hiking South East Qld and More on Meetup. Visit the website at https://www.meetup.com/HikingInSEQLDandMore/ is free to join all the activities posted on the hiking group.

Published September 29th 2021

A forest for precious and unique flora and fauna

Eungella National Park is a unique area with incredible biodiversity offering many activities, including walking, hiking, camping and wildlife spotting.

Eungella National Park is about 12 hours drive and about 1,000 km from Brisbane. From Mackay, drive about 87 km west along the Mackay-Eungella Road to Eungella township, at the top of the range.

The road from Mackay to Eungella is a scenic and interesting drive, passing through the town of Marian, Mirani, Pinnacle and Finch Hatton. Eungella National Park is in the mountains and the Mackay-Eungella Road starts to climb on the ridge not far after the locality named Netherdale.

Eungella National Park, Eungella, Pine Grove, Cedar Grove Track, Pine Grove Circuit, Sky Window Circuit, Clarke Range Track, Granite Bend Circuit, Rainforest Discovery Circuit, Crediton Creek Track, Wishing Pool Circuit, Fern Flat camping ground, Broken River camping ground, Broken River visitor area, Crediton State Forest, Mackay-Eungella Road, Eungella Chalet, Platypus Lodge Restaurant, Finch Hatton, Mirian, Mirani, Pinnacle, Eungella Memorial Hall, Araluen Cascades, Wheel of Fire, cliffs, Slippery Rocks, Platypus, Noisy Pitta, Eungella dayfrog, Mackay tulip oak, Eungella spiny cray, Eungella honeyeater, coffee, food,

Wheel of Fire Trail, Eungella National Park. Photo by Author.

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The park has an incredible variety of vegetation and it is possible to spot wildlife, including platypuses in the creek, birds and reptiles. Some species are found only in Eungella National Park. For about 30,000 years, Eungella's rainforest has been isolated from corridors of dry open forest. Species that need humidity have been unable to cross the dry corridors and have evolved into distinctive unique forms. Many animals live on tall trees, in creeks and hollow logs.

Swimming hole at the end of the Wheel of Fire Trail, Eungella National Park. Photo by Author.

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Eungella National Park protects diverse flora and fauna including Eungella dayfrog, Mackay tulip oak, Eungella Spiny cray and Eungella honeyeater. Eungella National Park is in the mountains with an average temperature from 10 degrees to 20 degrees in winter, the dry season. Much of the rainfall is between December and March. In summer, the temperature ranges from 20 degrees to 30 degrees. The best season for walking is from April to September.

Araluan Cascades, Eungella National Park. Photo by Author.

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Aspect of the Cedar Grove Track, Eungella National Park. Photo by Author.

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For thousands of years, the Birri Gubba people have been treading softly in Eungella calling the place Land of the clouds. The Indigenous people have been sourcing food, water and stones for crafting tools. Eungella has a strong cultural connection with Aboriginal people.

Eungella National Park, Eungella, Platypus, Bandicoot, Possum, Turtle, Pine Grove, Cedar Grove Track, Pine Grove Circuit, Sky Window Circuit, Clarke Range Track, Granite Bend Circuit, Rainforest Discovery Circuit, Crediton Creek Track, Wishing Pool Circuit, Fern Flat camping ground, Broken River camping ground, Broken River visitor area, Crediton State Forest, Mackay-Eungella Road, Eungella Chalet, Platypus Lodge Restaurant, Finch Hatton, Mirian, Mirani, Pinnacle, Eungella Memorial Hall, Araluen Cascades, Wheel of Fire, cliffs, Slippery Rocks, Platypus, Noisy Pitta, Eungella dayfrog, Mackay tulip oak, Eungella spiny cray, Eungella honeyeater, coffee, food, Brush Turkey, Bush Turkey, Snakes,

Creek along the Wheel of fire track. Photo by Author.

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Today, Eungella National Park is what remains of what was once an extensive area of rainforest. Eungella is a very important forest, a living witness of past climate and changes over the many millennia. The changes take time, but Eungella is an ancient ecosystem that continues to evolve.

Granite Bend Circuit, trail in the Eungella forest. Photo by Author.

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National Parks like Eungella are not only important because of touristic activities, economic value or aesthetic reasons. Wilderness is necessary for the life of the planet. All living organisms are interconnected and Eungella is part of a global ecosystem.

The naturalist John Muir appreciated the benefits of visiting natural sites like Eungella since 1901. In 1941, a small team of people recognised the importance of the forest and secured 48,000 ha of Eungella National Park, while the surrounding forest was developed for farming.