Tuesday 10^th January 2017

Our room at Binna Burra Mountain Lodge was set in the mountainside and cool, if a little dark.  The main lodge had a comfy lounge with open fireplace which would be very cozy in wintertime, but definitely not needed now!

Our front door was in the shade in this covered walkway.                             The main lodge.

After an excellent breakfast looking out over the mountains, we set off on the caves circuit walk. 

Self-guided walk leaflet in hand and ready to go.                                                              We stopped to let this chap – a Marsh snake, mildly venomous – pass by.

The track skirted along the edge of the hillside with sometimes sheer drops below the narrow path.  Across the Coomera Valley we could see the forested hillsides of the Darlington Range, but could not see down to the bottom of the valley where the Coomera River flows.  The water flowing beneath us could at some point soon be passing along under Scott-Free as she waited patiently in her berth for our return.

Wonderful examples of staghorn ferns.

We passed not a soul on the way to the cave, and when we arrived, stopped to take a breather and enjoy the silent calm.  When we continued along the way, we passed a sign telling us not to stop in the cave area in case of rock falls.  We hadn’t seen one coming the other way or we might not have enjoyed the silence quite so much!

Kweebani Cave – not a cave but a rock shelter. Burnt wood and bones found here suggest it was used for cooking by the Wangerriburra people.

“Kweebani” means “I cook”.

We walked as far as the creek, which turned out to be a dry pile of boulders with a tiny dribble of water running down one side, and at this point decided to go back the way we had come rather than complete the circuit which ran for 2km along the tarmac road by the lodge.

The creek – a rockfall, not a waterfall.  The boulders move further

down the gully with each flooding rain.

Back at the car by late morning, we drove the short distance to Lamington Teahouse to enjoy an iced coffee while enjoying the view, after which we strolled around the short rainforest walk that started from their car park.

The view from Lamington Teahouse.                                                                      Just love those socks!

Lots of strangler figs had done away with their host trees.                           Steve is 6’ tall, giving perspective to these tall trees.

Then it was time to leave the Binna Burra section of Lamington National Park and head back down the mountain.  Our stay tonight was to be at O’Reilly’s in the Green Mountain section of the park, which was a 2-hour drive down one ridge, then turn left and drive up the next ridge.

On our way we stopped at Rosin’s Lookout where we could see across to Sprinbrook NP.  This hillside is used by the local hang-gliding club, and while we lingered over the view, a chap was making ready for a flight.  We watched as he took off from the hillside and soared into the air.

The view from Rosins Lookout over to Springbrook NP.                                  A hang-glider gets himself ready for take-off.

Off he goes...up, up and away...                                                                                              ...soaring high

What a wonderful feeling that must be!