Volcanic Escarpments and Forested Slopes of the Blackall Range

Overview

The Blackall Range rises through the Sunshine Coast hinterland west of the coastal plain, with towns including Mapleton, Montville and Flaxton along its crest. About 100 to 105km north of Brisbane, it is a cool, elevated part of south-east Queensland shaped by ancient volcanic activity and known for steep escarpments, deeply cut creeks and pockets of remnant forest.

Across the range, protected areas such as Mapleton National Park, Mapleton Falls National Park and Kondalilla National Park conserve forest communities that once covered much more of this upland country. What gives the range its character is the contrast between open eucalypt forest on the ridges and escarpments, and the wetter rainforest gullies and creek lines tucked below them.

Highlights

The range is best known for its mountain scenery and abrupt fall away to the valleys below. Rocky outcrops, high lookouts, small waterfalls and larger drops over the escarpment give the area a strong sense of relief, especially where creeks plunge from the plateau into rainforest-lined gullies.

Its volcanic origin still shows in the landscape. Around Mapleton Falls, Pencil Creek drops 120m into the valley, and the surrounding rocks include striking hexagonal formations created by volcanic activity about 25 million years ago. Around Kondalilla, Skene Creek falls 90m into a lush valley, while farther north the Mapleton section of the range is marked by creeks, blackbutt forest and broad views from exposed high points.

Best Time to Visit

The Blackall Range can be rewarding at any time of year, but the feel of the place changes with the seasons. Summer and early autumn usually bring fuller creeks and stronger waterfalls, while the cooler months are better for clear air, long views and more comfortable days on the escarpment.

Because this is an elevated part of the hinterland, conditions are often a little cooler than the coast. Misty mornings and fresh winter days suit the rainforest sections particularly well, while warmer months tend to bring the loudest frog activity around creeks and pools.

Plants and Animals

The range supports a mix of riparian rainforest, subtropical rainforest and open eucalypt forest, along with blackbutt forest, scribbly gum forest, piccabeen palm groves, vine forest and shrubby woodland. These remnant forest communities are important because they preserve a broad cross-section of the original vegetation of the Blackall Range.

Wildlife reflects that mix of habitats. Wompoo fruit-doves call from the rainforest canopy, Australian peregrine falcons are associated with the cliffs and falls around Mapleton Falls, and Kondalilla provides refuge for species including the pouched frog and the vulnerable bopple nut. Fungi are also a noticeable part of the forest floor in the wetter sections of the range.

Culture and Heritage

The Blackall Range has a direct Traditional Owner connection with the Jinibara People. Within Sunshine Coast Council’s area, Jinibara traditional country includes the Blackall Ranges, and the Nalbo are identified as the Jinibara clan of the Blackall Range and much of the Glasshouse Mountains. The range also sits within a long cultural landscape of gatherings, movement and exchange, with Baroon Pocket identified as a place where bunya festivals were held.

European settlement on the range followed the clearing of dense vine scrub in the late 1800s, and the upland red volcanic soils shaped the early farming pattern. Bananas, citrus, pineapples and dairying all played a part in the history of towns such as Mapleton, Montville and Flaxton, leaving the range with a landscape where remnant forest and long-settled rural country sit side by side.