The Bunya Mountains are the remains of an ancient volcano that rose out of the surrounding plains. Today they form the northern edge of the Darling Downs and are home to a relict rain forest that escaped the logging of the 19th century. Now protected by Queensland's second oldest national park (established in 1908), these slopes have the world's largest population of bunya pines, a species of Araucaria that can reach 45m in height and produces cones that can weigh over 6kg (take a very strong umbrella if walking beneath a tree during the cone-drop season).

I opened the door and stepped outside - is this really Queensland? The sun was shining, but a glacial wind chilled my bones and I retreated back inside. Thus, the fair Nello and I headed off for our first foray into the Bunya Mountains wearing beanies and jackets, barely a day after we finished our walk in the Carnarvon Gorge in shorts and shirts.

It was but a short distance from our accommodation to the start of the eastern walks in the Bunya National Park and we left the open green clearing to quickly disappear into the dim light and quiet of the dense Bunya rain forest, surrounded by tall trees, vines and lianas, ferns and, of course the majestic trunks of the bunya pine. At least here we were protected from the wind, though the temperature remained distinctly cool.

We were following the broad and smooth track of the Barker Creek Circuit, but not for long - at a junction we diverted to the Scenic Circuit, which took us downwards alongside a small creek to reach the Festoon Falls, now a dry season trickle over the dark grey rock. The track continued, following a contour across the steep slope beneath the dark canopy of rainforest giants and big bunyas, with their scaly smooth bark and the distinctive radiating silhouette of their canopy. Through the tree trunks we could glimpse a deep and lush green valley, thickly interspersed with bunya and hoop pine.

All of a sudden, the light brightened as we reached the edge of the rain forest and found ourselves in the grassy clearing of Pine Gorge Lookout, where we were greeted by a broad panorama from the textured green-shaded mosaic of forested slopes in the gorge to the distant lowlands in the east.

Rejoining the Barker Circuit for the last time, we followed it around past the clearing above the not so Big Falls. Looking across to the forest slopes beyond, the umbrella-like profiles of the 60m bunya pines reached high above the rest of the rain forest canopy - impressive.

Then it was back into the deep green of the rain forest to follow a creek up its valley to Little Falls, more attractive than its bigger namesake with its pretty forest glen plunge pool, and up to the taller Paradise Falls, still a trickle, but soothing as it tinkled over a vine-covered rock face.

A couple of switchbacks brought us to the the top of the gully and the start of a more gentle and direct route back to the trail head. Here the forest seemed more open, sunlight occasionally penetrating and dappling the ferny floor.

The majestic bunyas became less dominant and other rain forest giants became the stars - those such as the red and white cedars with enormous buttress-roots and the knotted aerial roots and pseudo-trunk of the strangler figs, who start their life clinging to a host tree for support, only to eventually engulf it and become forest giants themselves.

 

Eventually we descended past yet more majestic bunyas to emerge onto the green grass clearing (and icy wind) at the trail head. I had enjoyed the ramble beneath the forest, but it is very difficult to adequately describe or even to photograph. The three-dimensional character, varied architecture and mystical atmosphere of rain forest can only be discovered by visiting it for oneself and the Bunya Mountains are a great place to start.

It was another sub-zero night in the Bunya Mountains, so we were in no hurry to start our planned walk - besides it was going to be a relatively short stroll to explore a different side of the Bunya Mountains, the drier western side to be exact. So, it was 11am by the time we set off, as a band of billowing grey-edged cloud rolled in.

A jumble of rain forest vines

We drove the short distance to the Westcott Picnic Area and left our car to walk quickly up the narrow asphalt road that cut through the sub-tropical rain forest to reach the next picnic area - Cherry Plain. Here we left the road to follow the winding foot track back along the western perimeter of the Bunyas.

Heading almost due west at first, we descended out of the rain forest and into a drier eucalypt forest, more open but with some elements of rain forest understorey. At a junction, we continued straight on to the Cherry Plain Lookout - following the edge of a deep valley cutting into the main range. Through the trees, we could catch glimpses of the cliffs below and the plains beyond, which was about all you could say for the "lookout" itself, a somewhat overgrown bend in the track.

Prickly pear invader

Never mind, we continued on through the forest, now drier and more open with little hint that it adjoined thick rain forest. It also lacked the silence of the dark rain forest, as the wind rustled the leaves of the more open trees and a more abundant bird life twittered in bush and canopy.

It was great to hear the occasional call of the whipbird that seemed to accompany us for most of the walk - so symbolic of the Australian bush.

Prickly pears, invaders from the plains, were becoming more common as we turned off the track to head out to Bottle Tree Bluff, as was trackside rooting by feral pigs. I had hoped to see a bottle tree up close at the bluff, which wasn't the case, but this was the spot for views out over the western lowlands - it was impressive to see how the Bunya Mountains rise steeply out of the flat country around them. Nonetheless, in the absence of bottle trees, we decided to rename this lookout "Pig and Pear Point".

Leaving Pig and Pear Point, we retraced our steps to the junction and began the long meandering walk along the western slopes of the mountains. The track had picked a contour and followed it religiously in past gullies and out past more rocky bluffs, beneath a forest of varying composition, sometimes rain forest, sometimes eucalyptus, often with bits of both.

The walking was pleasant enough, with the occasional glimpse of the plains beyond, until it reached Koondaii Lookout, where a grand vista opened out beyond the bluff walls of the mountains to the fading plains beyond - a good spot for a late lunch.

All that was left now was a zig-zagging climb back up into the rain forest to reach Westcott picnic area and our car. Our brief exploration of this side of the mountains was over and it was fascinating to see how dramatically aspect can affect the vegetation.

We returned to our accommodation on the wetter eastern side at Dandabah for one last short walk in the dark shade of the giant bunya pines - the weekend crowds had already packed up and were heading back to Brisbane and we could walk alone in the half-light solitude of the rain forest. After all, this was the reason for coming here and this was the memory that I wanted to take away.