Walks, Cunningham's Gap Section of Main Range National Park, QLD.

Mt Cordeaux Lookout, southern side. Cunninghams Highway and Mt Mitchell.

We parked in the Crest Car Park on the Cunningham Highway, Cunninghams Gap to go walking. Several walks leave from this car park.

National Parks QLD Map.

Box Forest Track: 5 km return, Class 3:
We have done this walk a few times before. Sometimes leaving from the Crest Car Park and other times from West Gap Creek Picnic Area further west up the Cunningham's Highway. It is a lovely green rainforest walk but, as it parallels the Cunningham Highway, traffic noise is audible throughout.

This trip we decided to combine the Rainforest Circuit, Mount Cordeaux Track, Bare Rock and Morgans Walk. All up about 13 kilometers, Class 4.

Rainforest Circuit: 1.6 km, Class 3:
This is a great short walk with a formed lookout and flora information signs. We saw several battered looking female Wonder Brown butterflies fluttering about in the dark damp rainforest environment.

Fassifern Valley Lookout

Rainforest Circuit 

Wonder Brown Heteronympha mirifica

Mount Cordeaux Track, 6.8 km, Class 4. Danger, Sheer cliffs:

It is quite a long slog to zig-zag up the side of Mount Cordeaux to get to the lookouts but it is a pleasant rainforest walk none the less and the views from the top are well worth the effort. As we climbed up, we were able to gauge our progress by looking down on the Cunningham's Highway and across to Mt Mitchell.

Cunninghams HWY and Mt Mitchell.

Finally, we saw a side track sign that indicated it was 65 meters to Mt Cordeaux. About half-way up there is a formed lookout with more views out over Mt Mitchell and at the top there is an unprotected rocky platform with great views over Lake Moogerah and the Fassifern Valley. The side-track finishes here and doesn't quite go to the summit. Next to the lookout there was a giant hole in the rock. I have not know if the hole is a man-made or geological formation but it certainly would have been helpful to have an information sign at the lookout.

Formed Lookout at Mount Cordeaux

Mystery hole at Mt Cordeaux Lookout.

Mount Cordeaux, southern side.

View of Fassifern Valley from Mt Cordeaux, northern side.

We retrace our steps to the main path and continue towards Bare Rock. It's not really clear where the Mt Cordeaux Track finishes and the Bare Rock Track takes over but even if you do not intend continuing all the way to Bare Rock I would encourage you to continue a little bit longer because the next section is truly awesome, although a head for heights and caution is required. The path traverses the flanks of Mt Cordeaux via a magnificent path through overhanging giant spear lilies and a sheer cliff drop-off on one side. After proceeding almost bent double under the spear lilies we arrived at the other side of Mt Cordeaux where there are more unformed lookouts with sheer drop-offs and magnificent views. 

Mt Cordeaux northern side.

View from northern side of Mt Cordeaux.

Bare Rock Track: 12.4 Km, Class 4, (includes Mount Cordeaux Walk):
Continuing along the path to Bare Rock we found plenty of fungus along the way and particularly liked the large arrangement on a fallen tree trunk as well as some large, tall, classically shaped ones beside the path.

Fungus on a fallen tree.

Super-sized Fungus.

We also noticed some Passalid Beetles on a fallen tree. These beetles, with various common names such as Bess Beetles and Patent Leather Beetles, live in small colonies and are rotting log specialists. I have only ever seen completely black ones before but this one appears to have black and white spotting on the head area.

Bess/Patent Leather Beetle 

Having previously ascended to Mt Cordeaux, most of the Bare Rock track is fairly flat but I had read, in the national parks brochure, that to get to Bare Rock, rock scrambling was required so I wasn't sure how difficult that would be. It turned out to be just a few meters of ascending rough track and I had no problem at all getting to the natural rock platform that is Bare Rock. 

The "rock scramble" up to Bare Rock.

This is a great location for a picnic, providing you are prepared to lug food and drink six kilometers up mountainsides to get it here. The views are once again extensive and magnificent and well worth the effort. 

Perfect picnic spot at Bare Rock.

View from Bare Rock.

Morgans Walk: extra 600m when added to Bare Rock Walk, Class 4:
After exploring and soaking in the view at Bare Rock, we retraced our steps 680 meters back to the turn-off to Morgans Walk. We found it a pleasant enough diversion of 700 meters return but the views at the end are limited and don't compare to Bare Rock or Mt Cordeaux.

View from Morgans Walk.

On our return to the car park we had to wait some time to leave because the way out was blocked by a vehicle towing a caravan. These unfortunate people drove into the car park assuming they would be able to exit out the other side. Unfortunately, the car park only has the one entry and exit point so they had to turn the vehicle and caravan around in a very tight space. Luckily, the car park wasn't completely full and with much maneuvering and some heaving on the fence they eventually managed to turn around.

Caravan in the Crest Car Park.

After the walk we headed off to the nearest National Park campground, nineteen kilometers away at Spicers Gap, Main Range National Park. This is a tents only campground but Manna Gum Campground and Poplar Flat Campground in the Goomburra section of Main Range National Park, 55 kilometers away, are also good and take all rig types.

Wildlife seen while walking, April 2019: Red-legged Pademelon, Passalid (Bess) Beetle, Wonder Brown Butterfly Heteronympha mirifica. Birds: Grey Goshawk, Australian King Parrot, Albert's Lyrebird, Green Catbird, Satin Bowerbird, Grey Fantail, Rufous Fantail, Lewin's Honeyeater, Scarlet Honeyeater, White-browed Scrubwren, Brown Gerygone, Brown Cuckoo-Dove, Pied Currawong, Bell Miner, Eastern Yellow Robin, Pale Yellow Robin.