Where are the most/best day walks in Queensland?

[volli]

Hi all,

I've been doing a lot of bushwalking in Tassie - Mt Wellington & the Tasman Peninsula - over the past 5 weeks. It's been fantastic, however I'm beginning to feel that I need to feel & see a bit more sunshine. I've never walked in Queensland, but imagine it's a good time of year to walk there, with less humidity, etc. I've probably been a bit spoilt just recently, being based in Hobart or Port Arthur, & having access to many brilliant day walks less than half an hour's drive away. I need to stick to day walks as I have dodgy knees (one in particular) & cannot carry the weight of an overnight pack (though they are getting much better with all the walking, & I hope to be able to go overnight one day).

I prefer walks of 3-5 hours duration: any shorter & the blood barely gets going; I prefer not too much longer as I prefer not to drive at twilight (in order to not hit animals) & wish to leave time for contingencies, etc. A bit shorter or longer is fine. I can do most walks graded as medium in Tyrone Thomas's books, but not all. I can do short scrambles but not long ones or very steep ones (left knee does not bend fully). I prefer wildnerness tracks, with a minimum of fire trails. I don't mind the need for a bit of track clearing as I walk, or if the track peters out & it's necessary to use a compass/topographical map (this definately adds to the fun). But I cannot do off-track due to my knee.

Is there a good town to base myself in? I'd love to stay for one or two weeks, walking five or six days out of seven. What's the leech/ticks sitch? I have experience with leeches but not ticks. Thanks in advance.

[ofuros]

Hi dodgy knee's, aka volli.......
This should be your first port of call, concerning walks in N.P's in Queensland.
http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/parks/index.php
A little homework required on your part.
Lots of walks to choose from...sandy coastal, dry forests to deep dark rain forests.
Waterfalls, caves, plane wrecks & look-outs with great panorama's are a few of the features I like to walk too.
If your on the track early enough you'll hear/see wallaby's scattering into the bush.....sluggish pythons sleeping
on the track or maybe a koala will catch your eye in the branches high above.
I'm sure you'll find something to fill your needs.
Others I'm sure will chime in & give you more detailed ideas.

Last edited by ofuros on Tue 10 Jul, 2012 10:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[volli]

Hi ofuros,

thanks for that info; that's one comprehensive website! Out of 297 parks I "narrowed" it down by "hiking" which left 75 parks to research. Yikes! A little homework, or a lot? ..... I didn't know that plane wrecks could be a feature of walks! I've been pretty happy with coming across surprise tall 3-masted (old-fashioned) ships anchored in harbours, not one, but two. This was on the walk from Fortescue Bay to Bivouac Bay (Tassie). I did see 4 wallabies on a track in about eight minutes on the Cape Surville track (Tassie again).

Where would there be caves in Queensland? I'd love to walk to/through some; have not done/seen this yet. I like walking through various terrain, although I can reach my limit with dark/dank gullies with ferns - can get a bit chilly, gloomy & I worry about leeches.

A key thing is that I like a nice place to return to at night (civilization). This may not sound very hard core, but the way in which I push myself with my knee problem when I'm walking all on my lonesome by myself, that part is hard core!

[facebox]

I'd suggest Beaudesert (60kms south of Brisbane). From there its less then an hour to Mt Barney NP, Main Range NP, Lamington NP, Springbrook (if you drive fast!) Border Ranges NP (NSW) which gives great varition - check then out on the derm website. http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/parks/list.php?region=68. Also not far from the Gold Coast or North NSW for some R&R.

PM me if you come brisbane way, I or a couple of mates are all ways happy to show southerns about our great state.

[ofuros]

Volli, another option.....
The gold coast hinterland has a myriad of tracks to choose from, you could base yourself on the gold coast or at
O'reilly's or Binna Burra Lodge & explore the tracks locally or if you feel like a challenge....
walk between the two on the Border track.
Both have varied accommadation levels from luxury to campsites.
Track map here....http://www.oreillys.com.au/lamington-na ... ushwalking
Google is your friend.

[shardie]

me....I would be quick to point out either Mt Maroon or Mt Greville if you can find your way up a hill.
If you are wanting a little more guidance from a well trodden path,you will easily be spoilt for choice from tracks around Cunningham's Gap, O'Rreilly's, Binna Burra or Springbrook. We are a little blessed here in the SE corner of Qld.

[Strider]

On the dodgy knees topic, mine also aren't the best. I have been walking with one pole for the past 12 months and it has helped enormously. Total convert!

Apparently two poles are even better, so I've got a pair on their way from the US

[kbm63]

Definitely agree basing yourself near Lamington National park for a good variety of well graded track walks, (Binna Burra probably has a greater variety of walks) or Boonah/Beaudesert to tackle some of the great isolated peaks like Mt Barney, Maroon, Greville and access to the main range. Hitting animals at dusk while still a problem is not as bad as in Tassie - and our winter days are a bit longer....and warmer. Really depends what you are looking for ...rainforest, views, history....

[dannnnn]

+1 on lamington. almost all the walks are "flat" so it is easy on the knees. a lot of the walks are 18-25km, but as others said you could easily stay at binna burra lodge or at a b&b nearby so you don't have to worry so much about travel.

[iandsmith]

I wouldn't say no to Lamington, especially since I'll be there myself in a few days but, I have just returned from Carnarvon NP and I think it would be remiss of me not to mention this fabulous place with so many things to see. I'll be uploading a report in a few days time.
Cheers, Ian