Glenugie Peak

Glenugie Peak, or Mount Elaine as it was once known is a remarkable little hill that hides away in Glenugie State Forest. Even though the Pacific Highway passes right by it, few people capture a glimpse of the 320m high rocky peak. But hiding out of site is not the only secret that Mount Elaine exhibits.

It’s the only home to the Glenugie Karaka, a leafy shrub with red berries – that is now listed as a vulnerable species.

There’s a stand of huge Yellow Box trees – which are not normally found this close to the coast. Their next closest habitat is 150km west. How they got here is a mystery and has puzzled botanists.

Growing on the hill is the corky prickle vine, which apart from the vines on this hill is only found in the subtropics north of Lismore.

Phonolite - the type of basalt that forms the mountain is not usual for this area either. The basalt here contains very little quartz therefore very little silica. This rock has not been found anywhere else nearby and even on an Australian scale is rare.

The mountain is accessible from the north or south. Since the Pacific Highway upgrade, the southern entrance is much easier. Turn off at Franklins road and park at the parking coordinates. 4WD with high clearance (and a confident driver) could proceed further – even climb to the summit, but there are mudpits, washouts and some diff crunching stony tracks to contend with.

Walking the trail is quite easy, but it will get the heart pumping. As you skirt round the western side of the hill, you’ll see a rocky trail leading upwards. At the top is what remains of an old fire tower, a trig point and some flat ground perfect for a picnic. Takes about an hour to climb up.

The views are slowly being blocked by vegetation, but a walk out onto the rocky outcrop west from the tower delivers a 180 degree panorama over the Clarence Valley and you’ll see some amazing rock formations up here too.

The cache is a small clip lock container, loaded with swag. A novelty coin is in there as a FTF prize.