Queensland (Central East Coast)

Quiet visitors may glimpse unusual animals such as the Eungella honeyeater and the elusive platypus.

At the end of the bitumen, 80km west of Mackay, magical rainforest, mountains and rivers would make EUNGELLA NATIONAL PARK (pronounced “young-g’lla) worth the journey even if you weren’t almost guaranteed to see platypuses. There are two separate sections: lowland swimming holes at Finch Hatton Gorge and highland forest at Broken River. 

Finch Hatton’s rainforest is authentically tropical, while Broken River’s plants are more closely allied with subtropical forests; isolation has produced several unique species, including the Mackay tulip oak, the Eungella honeyeater and the much-discussed but probably extinct gastric brooding frog, known for incubating its young in its stomach.

Day-trips to both sections of the park can be arranged from Mackay: Reeforest Tours (tel 07/4952 2677; $59), and Jungle Johno (tel 07/4959 1822; $55) both run excellent tours, with Johno’s personalized, laid-back style and inventive “bush-tucker” yarns appealing particularly to young travellers. Otherwise, rent a car from Mackay, head south down the Nebo Road (Bruce Highway) to the city limits and follow the signs.

Finch Hatton Gorge

This is the most authentic rainforest experience you can have anywhere in Queensland: you’ll see an astonishing array of bird- and animal-life (including the elusive platypus), sit by a fire under the stars, shower in the rainforest amidst fairy-like fireflies, and be lulled to sleep by a gurgling creek. Both tour operators can leave you at the bush camp, and collect you when you’re ready to leave.

About another kilometre further there is a small tearoom, and then the road ends at a picnic area, with walking tracks leading off into the forest. The gorge winds down the side of Mount Dalrymple as a rocky creek pocked with swimming holes and overshadowed by a hot jungle of palms, vines and creepers – the sort of scenery Hollywood dreams about. Araluen Falls (1.5km from the picnic area), a beautiful, if icy, swimming hole and cascade, is the perfect place to spend a summer’s day; further up (3km from picnic area) is an even more attractive version at the Wheel of Fire Falls.

Engella Township

Take an immediate left at the top of the slope and stop for a drink at Eungella Chalet, which has comfortable chalets and a swimming pool. It has taken advantage of its 705-metre altitude and installed a hang-glider ramp next to the pool that’s used for the sporadically staged North Queensland Hang-gliding Championships (ask locally for dates). The general store, post office and other buildings, which lie scattered around the top of the road, form the rest of EUNGELLA township (the Hideaway Café, with its surprisingly international menu and superb apple strudel, is the best place for lunch), while 5km further, through patches of forest and dairy pasture, is Broken River. 

Accommodation here is at the Broken River Mountain Retreat which has four-person cabins with fireplaces. Pick up free maps at the ranger’s office (daily 8–9am, 11.30am–12.30pm & 3.30–4.30pm; tel 07/4958 4552). Next door is a kiosk open daily for meals and minimal supplies. Be prepared for rain – Eungella translates as “Land of Cloud”.

Crowded during holidays and weekends, at other times the forest is truly memorable, its quiet, cool interior a naturalist’s paradise. The swimming hole downstream from the kiosk is good for a dip during the day and, in winter, becomes a picturesque stage for platypus watching; the best vantage points are upstream from the road bridge on the purpose-built platform, or from the bridge itself. Normally fairly timid creatures, here they’ve become quite tolerant of people, and you’re most likely to see them at dawn or dusk. Wander around the picnic area after dark with a torch to see other wildlife: feathertail gliders, bettong, possums, grey kangaroos and owlet nightjars. Down by the river you’re more likely to come across frogs, cane toads and platypuses in the evening, while squirrel gliders are sometimes seen in the huge gum trees up along the main road, and pythons use the warm verges to energize before a night’s hunting.

The real star of Broken River, though, is the forest itself, where ancient trees with buttressed roots and immensely high canopies conceal a floor of rich rotting timber, ferns, palms and vines. It can be difficult to see animals in the undergrowth but the sun-splashed paths along riverbanks attract reptiles, especially goannas and snakes. Among the best walks is the 8km round trip through the forest to the Eungella Chalet, and there’s a good half-hour circuit from the picnic grounds to Crystal Cascades.

Maps