Rainforest retreat - DANDABAH in Bunya Mtns NP

The Bunya Mountains National Park is about 3 hours drive South West of Gympie.  The Bunyas

are an isolated section of the Great Dividing Range. 

Recently Dave and I spent the weekend in this very peaceful and beautiful part of the world.

Previously we had visited for the day to glimpse the place. On this occasion it was a wonderful break

to stay for two nights to really enjoy the serenity and beauty of nature.



For those who don't know the spot, it's promoted as being a getaway place, a tranquil place for

naturalists and  an experience 'being at one with nature.'



The Bunya Mountains rise abruptly from the surrounding plains to an average elevation of 975 m

reaching over 1100 m above sea level at Mt Mowbullan.  So even though it was the height of

Summer, it was 5-7 degrees cooler than down on the plains.  The place to be when the Summers in

 Queensland are becoming extremely humid.  A nice cool spot in Summer and apparently bloody cold

in Winter.



The place we rested up … all self-contained … but an excellent licensed restaurant down the road.

Our studio nestled in the woods

Some of the wildlife ….

the bush turkey, bold as brass and pretty sneaky!

Wallabies,  and this was a minute fraction of the number that freely roam

Sooty Owl

Photo was taken by looking up a hollowish tree trunk … a bit of imagination is required

The Bunya Pine tree

The Bunya trees grow to over 40 m tall with a diameter of 2 m and apparently once dominated Australia's forests.  The CONES are pineapple shape and can hold up to approximately 80 highly nutritious nuts (but fairly bland taste-wise in my opinion).  The cones weigh up to 8 kg so beware walking under the trees during Summer.

 With approximately 22,000 hectares Bunya Mountains NP,  consists of tall, moist, rainforest, natural grasslands, eucalypt forests and woodlands.

While on one of the many walking tracks we came across a diversity of vegetation, an abundance of birdlife and wildlife, spectacular views, lookouts … unfortunately none of the waterfalls were flowing.

An amazing sample of twisted vines

A bird's nest fern in the canopy

A Bunya trunk in amongst the forest

path runs through the giant strangler fig

giant buttresses dot the bushland

We took a leisurely stroll, and it was wonderful to stand quietly in the rainforest.  It was a very peaceful place.