Maleny is on the southern escarpment of Queensland's beautiful Blackall Range with stunning views south to the Glasshouse Mountains and Sunshine Coast Hinterland. Climbing up the air is cooler, the trees taller, the meadows greener. The hills dip and roll and the cows are living their best life. It's a personal favourite spot. A place that is always pleasant no matter the season and often spectacular. On the road up from Montville, at this time of year, you cannot fail to stop and draw breath at the beauty of flowering tibouchinas.
Flowering Tibouchinas
Flowering Tibouchinas
Stop for a wine tasting or a paddle to set the day up at
The Barrel - Cloud Retreats. Followed by a long and lazy but delicious lunch at the
Tamarind Restaurant.
The restaurant is set in beautiful gardens with verandas and big open windows. The food on offer is delicious Asian cuisine with Thailand at its heart.
If you need to work some of the lunch off, a stroll down to
Gardner's Falls where you will find shallow pools, good for kids and a little further down the path, some small falls and a large and deep pool for swimming, which is popular as well as cool.
Gardner's Falls
If you are brave enough - and I took up the challenge to do this next time I visit - you can swing into the big pool on a rope. The more supple and young do somersaults and loops on the rope. My preferred version would be to let go and hope for the best.
Diving in - note person mid air
There are some walks along the river as well and if you tarry a while, you can look for platypuses in
Obi - Obi Creek. Look for the many bubbles and disturbed water and concentrate on the spot. They come up to say hi and swim around and then dive down before you know it. While waiting, however, you might see a kingfisher, many brush turkeys and hundreds of bats as well as water dragons.
As these amazing animals are crepuscular, you need to go either at dawn or at dusk - so as you might be there a while it might be best to make a weekend of your time in Maleny. The Tamarind offers accommodation but there are many hotels, farmhouses and guest cottages to choose from.
Should you have any reserves of energy, then a walk in the
Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve is a must-see. It is a flat 3 kms walk but full of very mature and wonderful rainforest trees with pademelons dashing in and out and bird calls inviting you to go further.
Some of the trees are hundreds of years old and their heights and branches extend many feet in the air. The trunks are full of elk horns and stag horns and it is truly magical particularly when the sun streams through the trees. Here is a list of the
walks you can do.
A ghost tree in amongst others
There is a discovery centre full of interesting boards and information as well as a coffee shop with a good view over the Glass House Mountains.
Oh, and did I mention that there are
wonderful botanical gardens and an aviary which is worth a visit, if only for the views over the Glass House Mountains - let alone their rich fauna and flora! Did I suggest overnighting? Well, perhaps a few more days would ensure you saw some of these wonderful sights.
The Glass house mountains
Feathered Friends
It is truly a magical kind of place.
