As I head along the dirt track that links Lake Baroon to Kondalilla Falls my footsteps feel as heavy as my heart. The soaring canopy feels claustrophobic; the sky broods, threatening the kind of rain that assaults you with its ferocity. Bring it on, I think as I take my first steps along the 12-kilometre trail in the footsteps of Caroline Bakker from Offbeat Eco Tours. A former IT professional and a professional boxer, Caroline strides calmly, like she could walk forever.
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For her this is a walk in the park – and a magical one that also happens to be in her backyard. For the rest of us, recreational walkers at best, it's going to be a long, hot day with temperatures hovering in the early 30s and the humidity ranging between uncomfortable and hell.
We're on the little-known Hinterland Great Walk, a 58km trail that traverses the Blackall Range in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. Offbeat Eco Tours has partnered with Narrows Escape Rainforest to offer a new three-day luxe trekking package which includes the guided walk to Kondalilla Falls one day and explores the Conondale Great Walk near Kenilworth. The second, half-day walk starts with a 4WD river crossing, then an easy walk to view the remarkable $700,000 Andy Goldsworthy Strangler Cairn artwork. On the return journey we spot a shy wallaby and goannas crashing through the bush.
The first walk – the Baroon to Kondalilla Falls walk – is more challenging but we only have light day packs as Caroline and partner Nathan Buchanan carry the brunt of the load. The trail starts easily along a boardwalk.The sub-tropical rainforest crosses from dry forest to rainforest and back again – like someone has flipped the switch on an air-conditioning gauge. The park is home to the lofty bunya pine, which drops cones weighing up to 10 kilograms, containing large nuts on which the local Gubbi Gubbi people once fed.
The next part of the walk is the most challenging, taking in the rainforests of the deeper valleys, but it's the coolest and greenest too. The track leads down a steep slope to the banks of Obi Obi Creek, which beckons us with its distant gurgle on this sultry humid day. Along the way we see enormous strangler figs, majestic palms, soaring flooded gums and the notorious wait-a-while (or lawyer vine).. We see a large lace monitor lizard climb a gum tree; hear the screech of the catbird, and the melancholy call of the wompoo fruit dove.
At Flat Rock, we stop for a well-earned rest and feast on homemade apple and cinnamon damper, locally made sesame bars and ice-cold fruit juice. I scramble down the rocks and wade into the cool, shallow waters fully clothed. Already it feels like the rain forest has a healing effect, grounding me in the here and now amongst ancient trees and the deafening cacophony of cicadas.
We push on, the promise of a swim beneath Kondalilla Falls motivating us. We see green tree snakes slither up trees. After walking for more than five hours we haven't passed a single soul going in the other direction.
To the sound of the whip bird and the threatening grumble of thunder, we ascend to Kondalilla Falls, an oasis on this oppressively muggy day.Teenage girls leap from the rocks above the falls into the ice-cold swimming hole. I too.
With damp clothes, wet hair and smiles we head to a protected picnic shelter where a table has been laid with a white tablecloth and glasses of sparkling wine await. As we tuck into marinated chicken, fresh baked bread and dips infused with bush tucker herbs and spices, the skies open, lightening strikes around us and thunder makes us jump. Raising our glasses, we laugh at the storm. Hippocrates once said; "walking is man's best medicine", and with my thoughts now calm and collected , I couldn't agree more.
TRIP NOTES
MORE INFORMATION
GETTING THERE
Narrows Escape Rainforest Retreat is 35 minutes from Sunshine Coast Airport (at Marcoola, north of Maroochydore) at 78 Narrows Road, Montville in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. Virgin and Jetstar fly to Sunshine Coast Airport.
WALKING AND STAYING THERE
Narrows Escape Rainforest Retreat offers a three-day, two-night luxe trekking package from $1500 per couple. It includes luxury rainforest pavilion accommodation and breakfast, dinner at a local restaurant on the first night, five-hour guided walk with OffBeat Eco Tours from Lake Baroon to Kondalilla Falls, gourmet picnic lunch en route, sparkling wine and a private barbecue dinner at Narrows Escape. On day three participants explore the Conondale Great Walk, learn about local Indigenous history and enjoy a bush-tucker inspired morning tea. An optional champagne sunset tour of the stunning new Maleny Botanic Gardens, with transfers, private aviary tour, champagne and (local) cheese platter, plus picnic blanket to watch the sunset over the Glasshouse Mountains is $245 per couple. See narrowsescape.com.au.
The writer was a guest of Sunshine Coast Destination Ltd.
