Welcome to Yugambeh country

After three years of regular visits geocaching, hiking, camping, watching and simply enjoying the rainforest here at Binna Burra and nearby at Green Mountains, Numinbah Valley and all in-between, I find I am ever more appreciative of those that have pioneered this before me. So, I say a big thankyou - to those that came before, those with the vision a hundred years ago to preserve this pristine area, to create this and many other National Parks so that future generations will have somewhere to explore and see. And to those that placed geocaches all around to encourage people like me to get off my backside, away from the computer and go see nature at her home.

This is not a hard walk, especially if you come in from Lower Binna Burra carpark - it is about 1.5kms on a pretty good track, but has a steep set of stairs to navigate down ... and back up again. If you want the other geocache on this track I can recommend that you start at the Lodge carpark up above, and finish at the lower carpark then walk back up the road (or maybe do a car shuffle - that walk is about 5kms all up. Getting to here from the lower carpark is the Terrain Rating I've given this cache, add a star if starting up above.

The Tweed Volcano - the core being Mount Warning - produced three main layers of rock: Beechmont basalt first, followed by Binna Burra rhyolite and then Hobwee basalt. This track begins on Hobwee basalt and descends through layers of rock made of volcanic ash and rubble to the top of the Binna Burra rhyolite flow before climbing back up further along. The underlying rock partly determines the vegetation you will encounter. The first kilometre of track alternates between exposed 'headlands' of dry eucalypt forest and protected gullies where rainforest plant species thrive because of water seepage.

The outlook before you features some of Lamington’s renowned vegetation communities. Flowing through the valley below is the Coomera River, flanked by the Darlington Range. The Range provides shelter from the western sun to an extensive area of rainforest dominated by hoop pine. Rainforest communities also occur in gullies and near the river. In early winter, white cedars stand out as their leaves turn bright yellow before dropping. In spring, new pink to red leaves of the red cedars colour the canopy, followed by the scarlet displays of flame tree’s flowers. Directly below, on this side of the river, and on the ridges to the right is a mosaic of open forest communities. Around this site, the open forest grows on very shallow soils that overlay deep layers of hard volcanic rock.

There is a seat here. If you would like to post a photo of you, your partner, a TB or just your GPSr on the seat, please do.

Just past Post Number 7 - at the posted co-ordinates - is the Kweebani Tunnel. It is cut through some volcanic breccia which formed by the consolidation of particles and blocks likely from an explosive volcanic eruption. As you emerge from the tunnel pause to examine what is around you. The coarse Breccia has resulted from the cementing together of large fragments flung form the volcano – rubble. Above it is a paler rock known as ‘tuff’, finer material. Here you will also find extensive Perlite which is easily weathered into a fine powder. And all this is sitting on top of a thick band of rhyolite forming the precipice below. Note that the stairs below are of concrete, unlike most others on the track. Perlite is a soft rock type and would wear away far too quickly.

In front of you, and above, are some striking colourations. What colours do you see?

and what do you think caused that?

Continue on along the track. You will pass (at Post Number 8) the striking Kweebani – not a cave, but a rock shelter once used by the Wangerriburra people for cooking – roasted wongari (wallaby), yowgurra (goanna), yagoi (bandicoot) or pingin (freshwater turtle). Yugambeh families lived carefully off the land taking only the food and material needed for their lifestyles. They read the landscape for signs of seasonal changes and knew the best times and places for hunting game or gathering plant foods.

Keep walking. Around the ‘corner’ and along just a bit to the last waypoint. Post Number 9. As you cross this creek note that it is a ‘rockfall’, not a waterfall. These boulders have moved further down the gully with each flooding rain. The rocks are basalt, but there is something noteworthy about them. Take a good look at the stones and small boulders on and around the path at this crossing.

Please note: No need to take more than a step off the pathway here - no need to climb up the rockfall. The rangers have asked that you do not block the pathway whilst stopped to answer questions - this can be a very busy pathway at times and consideration for other pathway walkers would be appreciated.

Take a closeup look at one of the rocks. What striking feature do you notice on its surface?

What do you think caused that?

That’s it. We are done. Please email or 'message' your answers to me. You can now go back the way you came. Or go on.

Educational content supplied by the ‘Friends of Parks’ program, a joint initiative of Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) and the Lamington Natural History Association.