Incredibly Beautiful Walks In Blackdown Tableland National Park, QLD

In our overview of Blackdown Tableland National Park, we listed three walks in Blackdown Tableland that you really must do. The scenery is simply stunning. Every walk has its own highlights and each is quite different.

Here they are again:

• The Goon Goon Dina (Lightning Lizard) Walk. This is a loop, starting and finishing at the campground.
• The Mook Mook (Owl) Walk heads east from the campground and ends at a spectacular lookout.
• The Gudda Gumoo (Rainbow Waters) Walk is about 8km South of the campground.This is a more difficult walk, ending at the base of an incredibly beautiful waterfall.

Each walk has numerous interpretive signs along the way. There’s a mix of traditional Ghungalu history and contemporary history of the white settlers. This signage brings the country to life and is exceptionally well done.

Let’s go through the walks in Blackdown Tableland National Park one-by-one.

Goon Goon Dina (Lightning Lizard) Walk

The Goon Goon Dina Walk starts and finishes at the campground. It’s an excellent introduction to the walks in Blackdown Tablelands National Park. This is a perfect way to stretch your weary bones after a long drive.

This walk loops up behind the campground and crosses Mimosa Creek a couple of times.

Along the way you’ll see evidence of stock yards and a stockman’s camp, remnants of failed attempts to graze stock here.

Several signs explain how the Ghungalu people were somewhat more successful in surviving and thriving here. Instead of trying to bend the country to their will, they learnt how to combine their needs with the available resources on Blackdown Tablelands.

For example, native cherries were harvested, reeds and rushes found along watercourses were a source of food and the long, coarse stringybark tree fibres were used to make ropes and nets.

You’ll reach a sandstone outcrop after a while. Actually, it’s more like a huge wall of rock. Nestled under rocky overhangs, you’ll see many hand stencils.

These are thought to have been created by Ghungalu people who visited or lived here many thousands of years ago.

From here, you’re past the halfway mark. The highlight on the return leg is where you cross Mimosa Creek. This is a beautiful spot and well worth sitting there for a while to soak in the atmosphere.

Before you know it, you’ll be back at the campground. Have a rest, light a campfire then get a good night’s sleep in preparation for the other two walks!

Mook Mook (Owl) Walk

You can start the Mook Mook (Owl) Walk from the campground. Or if you’re feeling lazy, drive out of the campground, park in the parking bay at the main access road and start there.

There’s a few highlights on this walk. The first is the spectacular rock formations towering overhead as you drop down into Mimosa Creek. The second is Mimosa Creek itself, with impressive stands of Blackdown fan palms. These palms are unique to here, they’re not found anywhere else.

After a winding walk through the bush, the third highlight is standing on the edge of the escarpment at the end of the track. You’ll feel like you’re on top of the world as you look down an intensely rugged gully that disappears into the distance.

If you’re feeling energetic or brave (or both), get up before dawn and watch the sun rise on the sandstone escarpment. We didn’t do it this time, but will certainly make a point of dragging ourselves out of bed early, next time we’re at Blackdown.

Turn around and re-trace your steps back to the start of the walk.

Gudda Gumoo (Rainbow Waters) Walk

Head South for about 8km from the campground entry, along the main access road.

You’re in for an extraordinary treat.

This walk requires a half-decent level of fitness. You gradually descend as you wind down and around the side of the mountain. Bit by bit you’ll start to glimpse the escarpment through the trees.

Then follow the track along the top of the escarpment. An enormous rock-walled gorge emerges and you’re looking over an incredibly beautiful scene. An interpretive sign explains how Moonda Gudda created this amazing place.

Your senses will be overwhelmed with thick stands of ferns and palms. It’s like you’ve walked out of the bush into a tropical rainforest.

Take the stairs down to the base of the waterfall. On the way down, you’ll see more ancient hand stencils… and some not-so ancient graffiti. Apparently some idiots feel the need to sign their names wherever they go.

As you descend, you’ll feel like you’re being swallowed by a rainforest. Soon you’ll hear the sound of a waterfall and a crystal clear creek emerges below you.

Once at the bottom, a perfect pool of aqua-blue water lies before you. This is the plunge pool created by the waterfall and you can see straight through to the sandy bottom.

This waterfall is truly one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever seen.

When you’re finally able to drag yourself away from this perfect place, ascend the 240 steps and make head back the way you came.

Be careful. There are exposed cliff edges with long falls to the bottom. Use some commonsense and you’ll be fine. And watch out for snakes…

In Summary

The walks in Blackdown Tablelands are quite beautiful, especially the Gudda Gumoo Walk. This would have to rank amongst the most beautiful places we’ve had the privilege of visiting.

Take your time on these walks. Look around and soak in the peace and tranquility. Blackdown Tablelands National Park is an ideal place to unwind.

Blackdown Tableland is on Ghungalu Country.

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Any errors or omissions are mine alone.

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For more great QLD National Parks, go here.

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