Lamington National Park

TheLamington National Parkis anational parkin theMcPherson Rangeon theQueensland/New South Walesborder in Australia. FromSouthporton theGold Coastthe park is 85 kilometres (53 mi) to the southwest andBrisbaneis 110 kilometres (68 mi) north. The 20,600 hectares (51,000 acres) Lamington National Park is known for itsnatural environment, rainforests, birdlife, ancient trees, waterfalls, walking tracks and mountain views. The park protects parts of theEastern Australian temperate forests.
Protected areas to the east inSpringbrook National Parkand south along theTweed Rangein theBorder Ranges National ParkaroundMount Warningin New South Wales conserve similar landscapes. The park is part of the Shield Volcano Group of theWorld Heritage SiteGondwana Rainforests of Australiainscribed in 1986 and added to theAustralian National Heritage Listin 2007.  The park is part of theScenic RimImportant Bird Area, identified as such byBirdLife Internationalbecause of its importance in the conservation of several species ofthreatenedbirds.
In 2009 as part of theQ150celebrations, the Lamington National Park was announced as one of theQ150 Iconsof Queensland for its role as a "Natural attraction".
Most of the park is situated 900 metres (3,000 ft) above sea level only 30 kilometres (19 mi) from thePacific'socean shores. The plateaus and cliffs in Lamington andSpringbrook National Parksare the northern and north western remnants of the huge 23-million-year-oldTweed Volcano, centred aroundMount Warning. Elevation in the south of the park is above 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) in some parts.The land declines to under 700 metres (2,300 ft) in the north. Some of the mountains in the park include Mount Hobwee, Mount Widgee, Mount Toolona, Mount Cominan, Mount Roberts and Mount Bithongabel, containing much of Australia's fewcloud forests.TheNerang River,Albert RiverandCoomera Riverall have their source in Lamington National Park.Eastern parts of the park feature high cliffs which rise above theNuminbah Valley.The park is within theCity of Gold CoastandScenic Rim Regionlocal government areas.Southern Lamingtonand sections ofO'Reilly,Binna BurraandNatural Bridgeare protected with Lamington National Park.
For at least 6,000 years,Aboriginal peoplelived in and visited these mountains.The Wangerriburras and Nerangballum tribes claimed home to the plateau territory.Bushrangers Cave, which is close to Mount Hobwee and is 60 metres (200 ft) long, was once an aboriginal camp.This site shows Aboriginal occupation going back 10,000 years.
CaptainPatrick LoganandAllan Cunninghamwere the first European explorers in the area.  The timber cutters soon followed, including the Lahey family who owned one of Queensland's largesttimber millsat the time.In 1863 a survey of the Queensland/New South Wales border was conducted.  The task was carried out by Francis Edward Roberts and Isaiah Rowland, both surveyors, who had to define the border along the highest points in dense rainforest where there were very few clearlines of sight.
Robert Collinscampaigned heavily for the protection of the area from logging from the 1890s.Collins enteredstate parliamentand saw a bill passed that preserved state forests and national parks but he died before the McPherson Range was protected.Later it was another local,Romeo Laheywho recognised the value of preserving the forests.  He campaigned to make it one of the firstprotected areasin Queensland.The O’Reilly family established a guesthouse near the park in 1926, now namedO'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat. Lahey wanted the O'Reillys to cease land clearing, for their land to be bought and for the O'Reilly family to leave the mountain.Lamington National Park was established in 1915.The park was named afterLord Lamington,Governor of Queenslandfrom 1896 to 1902.
Founding members of theNational Parks Association of QueenslandbuiltBinna Burra Lodgenext to the park in the 1930s. In 1937,Bernard O'Reillybecame a hero when he rescued the survivors from theAirlines of AustraliaStinson Model AairlinerCity of Brisbane, which hadcrashedin the remote Lamington wilderness.In typical Australian bushman fashion he embarked on his rescue mission taking only onions and bread to eat.  Only a small portion of the original wreck remains today, 10 km (6.2 miles) south of the O'Reilly's guesthouse.
In 2019,bushfiresburnt holes in the rainforest canopy. Prolific weed growth occurs in these gaps.Weed eradicationprograms have been funded by the federal government.  TheQueensland Conservation Councilhas commissioned research showing significant funding is required to maintain theGondwana Rainforestsof Main Range.Water bombing planeswere used to subdue fires in the national park.
Rugged mountain scenery,waterfalls, caves,rainforest, wildflowerheaths, tall open forests, creeks, varied wildlife and excellentbushwalkingin Queensland are protected in Lamington National Park.  Lamington is the core of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area along the adjoiningBorder Ranges National Parkin New South Wales.  The park is home to more than 200 rare and threatened plant and animal species.
David Attenboroughvisited and filmed the park while making the 1979 television seriesLife on Earthin which beech trees and bowerbirds were featured.
The national park protects one of the most diverse areas of vegetation in the country.The park's lush rainforests include one of the largest uplandsubtropicalrainforest remnants in the world and the most northernAntarctic beechcooltemperate rainforestsin Australia.The roots of the oldest Antarctic beech trees are over 5,000 years old.Around Mount Widgee numbers of Antarctic beech appear to be increasing.The park protects one of the country's largest remaining forests of hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii) which are found on the drier slopes.
Below 880 metres (2,890 ft) thewhite booyongandblack booyongare commonly found.In higher elevations theyellow carabeen,red carabeen,pigeonberry ash,rosewoodandsoft corkwoodtrees predominate.
Many of Lamington's plants are found nowhere else on earth, such as the Mt MerinoeyebrightandEverlasting Daisywhich aresubalpinerelics from thelast ice age. In 2006 it was realised that an old collection of the easternunderground orchid(Rhizanthella slateri) from Lamington was actually a separate species and has been described as the Lamington underground orchid (Rhizanthella omissa). This orchid, like the two other related species, has nochlorophylland depends entirely upon asymbioticfungus for survival. It is also one of only four flowering plants on Earth to complete its life cycle entirely underground. Sadly, one of Lamington's more than 100 fern species is now presumed extinct;Antrophyum austroqueenslandicumwas known from only a single plant which has since died and no other plants have been found. Lamington is also home to a large number of threatened plant species such as the ravine and blotchedSarchochilusorchids.Strangler figsare also found in Lamington.
The area is one of the most important wildlife refuges in the region.Lamington is home to an incrediblevariety of wildlifeincluding rare and threatened animals such as theCoxen's fig parrot,eastern bristlebird,Albert's lyrebird,Richmond birdwing butterfly. The blueLamington crayfishis found only on the Lamington plateau in pools and streams above an elevation of 450 metres (1,480 ft). In damp conditions, they also move about the forest floor.The vulnerablelarge-eared pied batis found in the park. Other rare species include therainforest cool-skink,elf skinkand numerous frog species including theFleay's barred frog,giant barred frogand thecascade treefrog.Red-necked pademelonscan be seen near the edges of the rainforest andplatypusmay be spotted in the deeper rock pools.Theregent bowerbirdand thecrimson rosellaare often seen in Lamington.
The beetleLamingtonium binnaberrense, the only species in the genusLamingtonium, is found in Lamington National Park.
The Lamington National Park is located on the northern side of theTweed volcano. This largeshield volcanois over 100 kilometres in diameter, and extends fromTamborine Mountainin the north toLismorein the south. The volcanic plug ofMount Warningmarks the centre of the volcano. This volcano was active around 23 million years agowhen this part of Australia was above ahotspotin the mantle. Bothbasalticandrhyoliticlavas were erupted, and erosion of these lavas from rain and running water has formed the many spectacular landforms including cliffs, now observed in the park. Under these layers is a layer oftuffmade from volcanic ash and fine rock which is up to 60 metres (200 ft) thick in some places.The basalts of the Lamington Plateau originate from the Focal Point volcano.Near Binna Burra the maximum thickness of the basalt layer is estimated to be 700 metres (2,300 ft).
The park is claimed to contain more than 500 waterfalls,including popular tourist fallsElabana Fallsand Box Log (Tullerigumai) Falls located in the Green Mountains Section.Yarrabilgong FallsandCoomera Fallsboth flow into Coomera Gorge. Morans Falls is another cascade that is passed on the 6-kilometre (3.7 mi) long Morans Falls Track.Nugurun Falls,Box Log Falls, Upper Ballanjui Falls, Lower Ballanjui Falls, Stairway Falls and Nagarigoon Falls are also located in the national park.
The claim of 500 waterfalls was confirmed by local explorer Dale Mullane in April 2022 when he reached his 500th documented waterfall in the park.
The park is covered by more than 150 km (93 mi) of clearly marked walks that were constructed during theGreat Depressionand designed by Romeo Lahey. Lahey studied dairy cow movements on the surrounding hills, noticing that their paths never had a gradient of greater than 1:10. He laid out the parks tracks in a similar manner so that walkers would not be out of breath.Where steep terrain was unavoidable, steps were used instead of a steep track.
Some are short and others are steep and take up to seven hours to complete. The well maintained and signed Border Track, follows the border between New South Wales and Queensland along the top of theMcPherson Range. This track links Binna Burra Lodge to the O'Reilly's guesthouse at Green Mountains, a distance of some 23 kilometres (14 mi), which can be completed one way in a day or in 7 to 8 hours.
A number of other well marked and varied walks connect with this Border Track creating a network which can be easily negotiated by relatively inexperienced bushwalkers.  These include the Box Forest Circuit, which is 10.9 kilometres (6.8 mi) or 4 hours return from O'Reilly's; Toolona Creek Circuit, which is 17.4 kilometres (10.8 mi) or 6 hours return, and the Albert River Circuit, which is 20.6 kilometres (12.8 mi) or 7 hours return to O'Reilly's—to name some of the best known. While the Border Track remains reasonably level for most of its length, many of the other tracks descend to lower elevations of 750 metres (2,460 ft) or less and provide access to some of the diverse variety of flora, fauna and geography to be found in the park.
Another attraction is the Tree Top Walk, suspended 15 metres (49 ft) above the ground.This walk provides the opportunity to safely walk through thecanopyof the forest along a series of suspension bridges. Climbing a ladder up a strangler fig takes visitors to an observation deck 30 metres (98 ft) above the ground.
For experienced walkers there are also numerous trails traversing the park. These trails do not have clear tracks; in many cases there are only occasional markers in the natural forest and it is inadvisable to use them without the company of an experienced bushwalker who knows the area. The walk to the Stinson wreck is long and steep in places. Map reading and good navigation skills are a necessity and National Park Rangers should be notified before commencing. Camping overnight is not permitted without a permit. There are a number of natural hazards such asleeches,snakesand stinging trees that bushwalkers should be aware of.
In addition to guest houses, there is also a campground available in the Green Mountains section of the park (adjacent to the O'Reilly's guest house), and a privately managed campground adjacent to the Binna Burra section of the park.  Both camping areas have facilities.  Limited bush camping is available between February and November.