I returned again to Mapleton Falls National Park yesterday, and pieced its geography together a bit better in my mind.
I find I'm liking this area more and more, and I've been discovering new potential for a few more good-sized bushwalking circuits to be navigated.
Here are some of the day's scenic highlights.
Sunday's walk with the bushwalkers was another excellent off-track up-the-creek adventure.
We were near Mapleton and the Mapleton National Park, and did a loop, starting at the currently very dry Gheerulla Falls.
We made our way to the top of this, then onward and upward, negotiating a few more falls and canyons and things, before heading out along an easy fire trail.
Out again with the Sunshine Coast Bushwalking Club on Sunday, and walk leader Jon treated us to another of his classic off-track experiences.
We went to Bellthorpe National Park near Woodford, and explored Stony Creek. In fact we soon diverged from Stony Creek proper, and went up a previously unnamed tributary, which I dubbed 'Stonier Creek'. The stones were boulders, and a few hours of boulder-hopping was the prescription. That and near-vertical bush-bashing around impassable but very scenic waterfalls.
I learnt to keep my eyes open for stinging trees, aka gympie-gympie, or Queensland Stinger (Dendrocnide moroides), the leaves of which I'm assured have a very painful sting, which can affect you for up to 6 months! We encountered several, but avoided contact.
Lake Doonella's Wetlands Reserve is up there near Noosa. It seems to also be known as the Noosa Open Space on some maps. It's between Tewantin National Park and Lake Doonella,and it's a scenic and interesting place to explore.
I blame the alleged Steiner School education of the author for the quality of the poetry. But I guess it's the thought that counts.
Like the top of Mt Cooroora, near Pomona, for example. This Wedge-Tailed Eagle was very at home surveying his kingdom.
I was having a well-deserved sit-down, recovering from the exertions of climbing the steep and somewhat challenging track.
Not gloriously easy to get to - it's quite a drive from here - but there's a nice selection of glorious little rainforest walks to wander round.
And a cafe that's very popular with the bikies
I did an early morning exploration yesterday, starting and finishing at the eastern end of Claymore Rd.
It was very waterlogged when I first ventured in a few months back, but it's largely dried out now.
Right: Christmas Bells (Blandfordia grandiflora)
The walking's easy
Below: I think these banksias are Banksia serrata, aka Red Honeysuckle, aka Old Man Banksia.
Up towards Noosa there's a Lake called Weyba. It's a bit elusive, as in you don't tend to see it from any of the main roads, or even from the less main roads.
But as I confirmed the other day, it's definitely there, and there are a few ways in, mainly involving a little walk through bits of the Noosa National Park.
It was Mt Ngungun again yesterday, this time with the Sunshine Coast Bushwalkers.
It's probably the Glass House's most popular peak, and not a real big walk. I'd joined because of the promised exploratory off-track route, up the 'North Face', rather than the usual south side 'tourist route'.
Unfortunately the leader changed her mind, and the tourist route it was, after all.
All was not lost though. After a short break we spent half an hour or so exploring the upper reaches of the 'North Face'.
And next time I've a feeling we'll actually do it properly. From the bottom upward, is the safety advice I've read.
Here's our view of the tourists congregated around the top. No doubt in awe of our rather minor off-track adventure.
Back to the Conondale National Park today. This time with the Sunshine Coast Bushwalkers.
It was a good, honest, up and down walk, up to top of Mt Allan and back.
A highlight of the trip is of course an obligatory trip to the top of the fire observation tower, despite the apparent wishes of the relevant authorities and their insurance companies.
We're back down by noon, and across Booloumba Creek via the big stepping stones.
I was out with the Sunshine Coast bushwalkers again yesterday, and it was another of bushwalker Jon's Mt Archer adventures, where we bush-bash and rock-hop up a creek bed for a few hours, and then come back down via a perilously steep fire trail.
I reported on a previous such trip a few months ago, here: June adventure
It was an excellent day out again, with some thrills and spills too. Most notably, bushwalker Peter got struck by a rather large rock dislodged by the person in front of me. I jumped out of the way and yelled 'ROCK!', as you do, but he wasn't able to escape it. Bushwalker Neralie, who's meritoriously kept her first aid certificates up to date, performed wonders on him.
I've explored bits of the Sunshine Coast Great! Walk before. Track closures due to flood damage prevented me doing the first section properly though: Baroon Pocket Dam to Kondalilla Falls.
Yesterday I took advantage of the good weather and the patched up track, and off I went.
It's a bit under 20km to do the return walk, including the loop around Kondalilla Falls, and there are a few hundred metres of ascents and descents. I was keen to check that my joints and muscles were still up to it, what with some recent 'mobility issues' dating back I think to my Covid episode of a few months ago. (I'd hate to end up like the Queen, at least not just yet.)
Here's the destroyed bridge near the start, officially by-passed now with a sandbag walkway.
The pool at the bottom of Kondalilla Falls
This gallivanting goanna caused a bit of a stir at the picnic area at the top of the falls.
Some particularly colourful fungus
