Glass House Mountains National Park
- Introduction
- Fact file
- A look at the past
- Aboriginal culture
- Natural features
- Native plants
- Wildlife
- NQIS (07) 3227 8185
- QPWS Beerwah (07) 5494 0150
- ENJOY a picnic at the base of Mount Beerwah or Mount Tibrogargan
- DRIVE to the Glass House Mountains Lookout for panoramic views
Introduction
On the coastal plain north of Brisbane is a collection of dramatic sheer-sided volcanic peaks rising up out of verdant green forests and farmlands. Gradually eroded by wind and water, these weathered formations are the remains of volcanic activity that took place around 20 million years ago. Of the strangely shaped, craggy volcanic peaks that make up the Glass House Mountains, seven are protected in the national park and lie in splendid isolation from each other: Beerwah, Tibrogargan, Ngungun, Coonowrin (or Crookneck), Miketeebumulgrai, Elimbah and Coochin.
Fact file
Access
From Brisbane via Bruce Hwy and Glass House Mountains Rd
Best Season
Autumn to spring
Location
75 km north of Brisbane; 20 km north of Caboolture
Park Information
Permits
Permit required to camp at Coochin Creek, contact 13 1304; permit required to access Mt Coonowrin
Size
920 ha
Where to Stay
Glass House Mountains Holiday Village (07) 5496 9338
Tourist Park (07) 5496 0151
Motel (07) 5496 9900
A look at the past
Captain James Cook gave the peaks their name in 1770 during his voyage along Australia’s east coast, writing in his journal that (from offshore) their ‘singular form of elevation’ resembled the glasshouses of his birthplace in Yorkshire. Sighted just after rain, the water reflected off the peaks to give them a translucent appearance.Since the 1860s this region has suffered heavily from tree-felling. These days commercial pine forests surround many of the park sections, interspersed with pineapple plantations. Four of the peaks, Beerwah, Tibrogargan, Ngungun and Coonowrin, were protected within their own national parks in the 1950s, before the creation of Glass House Mountains National Park in 1994. Mount Coochin was the last peak to be incorporated, in 1995.
Aboriginal culture
The Glass House Mountains are the traditional lands of the Gubbi Gubbi people. They roamed between the seas around Fraser Island, where they feasted on mullet and other seafood, and the mountains of the Blackall Ranges, where they took part in the bunya nut harvest gatherings. Originally numbering around 3000 people, their population had dwindled to 435 in 1872, after the ravages of European settlement. In 1897 only 66 people remained. According to Aboriginal legend, the ancient volcanic peaks are a family of mountain spirits and a Dreamtime story describes their formation and relationship to each other. Throughout the national park there are the scattered remains of stone tools, bora rings, middens and scarred trees.
Natural features
The prominent peaks – eroded remains of ancient volcanoes, called rhyolitic volcanic plugs – now dominate the landscape. Rising from the flat coastal plain, they range in height from 100 to 556 metres.
Native plants
In the various sections of the park the mountains are surrounded by open eucalypt forests of blackbutt and scribbly gum, with banksia, she-oak and grasstree species, while the mountain summits support rare heath vegetation. There are around 26 species of rare and threatened plants. In some places damp gullies provide a habitat for rainforest and piccabeen palms.
Wildlife
The park is a refuge for eastern grey kangaroos, koalas, brushtail possums, short-beaked echidnas and lace monitors. Birdlife includes blue-winged kookaburras, sulphur-crested cockatoos, glossy black-cockatoos (classified as vulnerable in Queensland) rainbow lorikeets, pale-headed rosellas and less common birds such as the peregrine falcon.
Featured Activities in the National Park
Introduction
Get your bearings at the Glass House Mountains Lookout, just outside the park, which offers panoramic views of the mountains, the surrounding plains and the Pacific Ocean to the east. There are picnic areas with tables and toilets at the base of Mount Beerwah and Mount Tibrogargan. There are no facilities and no walking tracks at Coochin Hills, Mount Coonowrin (access by permit only), Mount Miketeebumulgrai, Mount Elimbah and Blue Gum Creek; these areas protect natural features and rare plant species.
Bushwalking
There are a number of walking tracks ranging in degrees of difficulty, most of which lead to lookouts with spectacular views. A good place to start is Mountain View Lookout walk on Mount Tibrogargan (800 metres return, 40 minutes, easy), leaving from the carpark. A more challenging hike to the top of the 364-metre Mount Tibrogargan (3 km return, 3–4 hours, difficult) is a hard, steep climb, often over slippery rock surfaces and loose gravel. Recommended for experienced climbers only, the rewards are worthwhile, with panoramic views to Bribie and Moreton islands. Mount Ngungun track (2.4 km return, 2 hours, easy–medium difficulty) is the easiest walk for families, and leads to the summit of this 253-metre peak. Although generally of easy grade, there are some steep sections. Children should be carefully supervised as the trail passes close to the edge of precipitous cliffs in places. At Mount Beerwah there are three walk options: the Mount Beerwah summit track (2.6 km return, 3–4 hours, diffi cult), which is a precarious ascent up large rock faces and is recommended for experienced climbers only; a 1.4-kilometre-return stroll through open eucalypt forest from the picnic area to the park’s western perimeter (45 minutes, easy); and a track from the picnic area to a cliff-face lookout at the foot of the mountain (700 metres return, 30 minutes, medium difficulty).
Rock-climbing and abseiling
Mount Ngungun (253 metres), Mount Tibrogargan (364 metres) and Mount Beerwah (556 metres) all provide opportunities for these more adventurous activities. Do not climb during or immediately after rain as slippery surfaces become extremely dangerous.
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