Ravensbourne National Park

Ravensbourne National Park, Wayne Lawler / Auscape International

Introduction

Set on a spur of the Great Dividing Range, Ravensbourne National Park protects one of the few remaining pockets of rainforest that originally covered much of this area. Here the cool, moist conditions beneath the rainforest canopy support palm groves, vines and an abundance of ferns, including staghorn ferns. This contrasts dramatically with the open eucalypt forest found on the park’s eastern side, where blackbutt, Queensland blue gum, she-oak and wattle species predominate. More than 80 bird species have been recorded. The rainforest is home to satin bowerbirds, red-backed fairy-wrens, green catbirds and paradise riflebirds. Look for circular hollows on the rainforest floor, made by the threatened black-breasted button-quail as it spins around while feeding. In the eucalypt forest, you may see red-tailed and glossy black-cockatoos.Until the late 1800s, Aboriginal people regularly passed through this region on their way to the Bunya Mountains for the bunya nut feasts, and yam diggings can still be seen near the park’s western border. Nowadays, travellers come here to picnic, bushwalk and watch the wildlife. To get your bearings, stop at Gus Beutel Lookout for panoramic views of the range towards Toowoomba. A short self-guiding walk (500-metre circuit, 15 minutes) starts in Cedar Block picnic area; from Blackbean picnic area, walks include Rainforest Circuit (1.7 km, 45 minutes), Palm Circuit (3.5 km, 1.5 hours), Caves Track (3.1 km return, 1 hour), and Buaraba Creek Track (6.8 km return, 2 hours). Camping is not allowed here, but there is a campsite at nearby Crows Nest National Park and plenty of other accommodation in the area.

Fact file

Camping

No camping

Location and access

132 km north-west of Brisbane; 33 kmwest of Esk via Esk–Hampton Rd; 49 km east of Toowoomba via New England Hwy and Esk–Hampton Rd

Park Information

• NQIS (07) 3227 8185
• QPWS Crows Nest (07) 4698 1296

Size

440 ha

Where to Stay

Esk (07) 5424 2923

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Explore Australia’s National Parks

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