Araluen Falls, Finch Hatton Gorge, Eungella National Park
PARK INFORMATION
NPRSR 13 7468
SIZE
59 865 ha
VISITOR INFORMATION
Marian (07) 4954 4299 | Mackay (07) 4951 4803 | www.mackayregion.com
LOCATION AND ACCESS
83 km west of Mackay via Peak Downs Hwy and Pioneer Valley Rd
CAMPING
One walk-in campsite; permit and fees apply
Situated in the rugged Clarke Range, high above the surrounding plains, this mountainous national park is rent by deep gorges and contains large tracts of both tropical and subtropical rainforest. Isolated from similar forests for at least 30 000 years, this important rainforest refuge supports around 860 plant species and some unique wildlife, including the critically endangered Eungella day frog, the rare Eungella tinkerfrog and the Eungella honeyeater. The park's 225 bird species also include the wompoo pigeon, crimson rosella, emerald dove and regent bowerbird. Some of the park's nocturnal residents are greater and sugar gliders, brushtail possums, ringtail possums and tawny frogmouths. Visit Broken River's platypus viewing deck at sunrise or sunset between May and August and you are likely to see these shy creatures.
Eungella is great for bushwalking and there are over 20 kilometres of bushwalking tracks, offering varying degrees of difficulty and breathtaking views. A good introduction to the rainforest environment is Rainforest Discovery Circuit (780-metre loop, 20 minutes, easy). Sky Window Circuit (250-metre loop, 10 minutes, easy) offers wheelchair access and leads to a lookout, with interpretive signs on Aboriginal heritage along the way.
Near the bridge over Broken River there is an information office, picnic area and kiosk. There is also a picnic area at Finch Hatton Gorge. The sole campsite at Eungella is walk-in only and provides toilets, showers, fireplaces and untreated water; several campsites in other national parks and state forests are nearby. Lying within the park is the Broken River Mountain Resort, which offers cabin-style accommodation.