Mackay Highlands Great Walk (58km)

Mackay Highlands Great Walk is a 58km, grade 5 One Way hike located in Eungella National Park Queensland. The hike should take approximately 3 days to complete.

Summary

Whether you are looking for a family stroll in the rainforest, or a challenging five-day hike, there will be a journey to inspire and delight as part of the Mackay Great Highlands Walk.

Beginning in the cool rainforest of Eungella National Park, the Walk incorporates steep escarpments, verdant rainforest, dense palm groves, towering trees, dramatic gorge views and tranquil back-country farmland.

The journey through the rainforest is a nature lover’s paradise as it supports species from both subtropical and tropical rainforest vegetation. The starting point is at the town of Eungella, where highlights within the first three hours of walking include expensive views across the Pioneer Valley, towering red cedar, Mackay tulip oak, groves of piccabeen and Alexandra palms. Further along, the track will enter mixed eucalypt forests featuring fragrant lemon-scented gums, bloodwoods, ironbarks, banksias and stunning grasstrees.

The challenging walk will take three to five days to complete and finishes at the historic town of Mt Britton, a now abandoned gold-mining area.

About the region

Eungella (/?j????l?/ YUNG-gel-?; meaning “Land of the clouds”) is an Australian township nestled on the edge of the Clarke Range at the end of the Pioneer Valley 80 km west of Mackay, and 858 km northwest of Brisbane. Eungella is noted for the national park which surrounds it. It is considered to be the longest continual stretch of sub-tropical rainforest in Australia. The original inhabitants are the Wirri people. The park is covered by dense rainforest and is known for its platypuses. Also, it has a dam that supplies water for Collinsville, Mackay and Moranbah.

For more information on this hiking trail, please visit Queensland.com