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Day Trip to Booloumba Falls, Conondale National Park

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Booloumba Falls Conondale National Park

The Booloumba Falls bush walk is ideal for families who love a bit of adventure in the great outdoors.

Along the way you’ll be treated to the beauty of waterfalls, creek cascades, tall eucalyptus forest, rich lush rainforest as well as spectacular boulders, which line the creek and will be a big hit with the kids who will enjoy climbing them!

Pack a picnic lunch and get ready for adventure

Just follow these simple directions: Jump on the Bruce Highway north from Brisbane. Take the Landsborough exit and drive through Maleny. From here you will see signs for Kenilworth. Pass through Conondale and take the turn-off to Booloumba Creek day-use and camping areas about 13km past Conondale.

Be aware that park roads are gravel and may only be suitable for four-wheel-drive vehicles. Road includes several creek crossings so make sure to check the website to ensure this is suitable for your car.

Walking track at Conondale National Park

The walk will take approximately two hours and is best suited to families with children who are willing to walk the distance. There is over 56km of road to cover however the Booloumba Falls walk is 3km return and will take about 2 hours, plus any additional time for a picnic lunch. You’ll love exploring the rock pools and hunting for tadpoles and little fish. As you follow the path you’ll come to the Booloumba Gorge which presents an impressive outlook over The Breadknife rock formation, cascading waters of the creek and the waterfalls at Peters and Booloumba creeks’ junction.

Booloumba Creek  – an excellent place for to spot rare animals

Look out for the cascades tree frog and the red goshawk, these two magnificent creatures are unique to the Conondale and Blackall ranges and are both rare and threatened species. If you see one of these, you’ll be the luckiest trooper of the day! There are over 120 other species of birds and mammals to see along your journey in this beautiful and diverse forest, so be sure to have your camera ready to take some snaps of these special critters.

Booloumba Falls is an area for the whole family

Conondale National Park - Booloumba Creek, Queensland

For thousands of years the area was inhabited by people from the Gubbi Gubbi, Wakka Wakka, Jinibara and Kabi Kabi aboriginal tribes who lived a traditional lifestyle on the land. During this time the groups were able to live a self-sufficient life as there was plenty of natural resources and food for everybody. You will see the Bunya pine growing in the area, the traditional owners of the land used this pine as an important food source.

These trees were so important to the traditional owners of the land, that in 1842 it was declared illegal for European settlers to live or clear land where the Bunya pines grew. However some years later the Queensland government made it possible to settle in the protected reserve and much of the land was cleared to make room for dairy farms and crops. The land was also used to search for gold during the gold rush and much of the forest was cleared by the timber industry.

This region is now looked after by the descendants of the traditional owners who maintain a strong link to the original culture and share stories and knowledge of the land with visitors.

What to bring for your day trip

Its is important to remember that outing with the family out into nature can sometimes require a little extra ‘luggage’, here is a list of essentials to bring.

  • Bug spray for mosquitoes, leeches and ticks
  • Plenty of drinking water as it is not available at the park. Don’t drink the creek water as you could get sick
  • Walking shoes (closed toe are best), a hat, protective clothing and sunscreen
  • Rubbish bags to remove your rubbish and recyclables from the park. Rubbish bins are not provided

Let the adventure live on

If you enjoy the day trip, be sure to tell mum and dad that next time you want to stay overnight and make the next adventure a campaign one. Invite your friends and their families and learn about the natural environment by night.

For more information about camping visit the Department of Environment & Science website.

Want more day trips from Brisbane? Check out these:

We love day tripping out of Brisbane. So much, that we have written a tonne of articles about it!

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Janine Mergler

Janine Mergler is a veteran Queensland teacher, graduating from QUT with a BEd majoring in Social Sciences. After many years in the classroom, Janine moved on to academia. She has proudly trained new generations of teachers in her role as a lecturer at Queensland University of Technology Faculty of Education. She has also worked in the Queensland Government as an education specialist, developing education resources and delivering community awareness programs to help families conserve water. Currently she is the owner and editor of Families Magazine, a publication specifically targeted at parents who value a quality education for children.  Janine leads a team of professionals who write about family lifestyle, early childhood, schools and education information and family-friendly events.

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