Booloumba Day Use Area to Wongai Walkers Camp, Conondale Range Great Walk, Conondale National Park - December 2021

Artists Cascades, Conondale National Park.

My Covid 2021 road trip eventually saw me arrive at the outlaws place up in Bargara (near Bundaberg) late on Christmas Day. I was a few hours later than planned, however after a 2000 kilometre road trip that involved co-ordinating negative covid tests, border permits, political and chief medical officer whims, then I'd say running half a day late wasn't a bad result really! No sooner than I'd arrived though it was time to leave again as I was booked in to do the Conondale Ranges Great Walk starting on Boxing Day. So once again I was back in the ute early on Boxing Day making the three and a half hour drive down to the start of the great walk at the Booloumba Day Use Area in the Conondale National Park... arriving late morning after a fairly uneventful drive, well except for the three deep water crossings I had to negotiate just before the car park.

I got off to a fairly late start this morning.

This was about the only time all my gear was dry and clean for the next 3 days.

Looks easy enough to me.

The main reason that I'd decided to do the Conondale Ranges Great Walk (CRGW) was that it was a circuit walk and five minutes after setting off I swung left and avoided my return route that was coming in from the right. The CRGW now started a long climb up beside the cascading Booloumba Creek and initially at least the walking was pretty easy as I made my way upstream through the stunning rainforest. After successfully resisting the temptation to drop down to Booloumba Creek for a swim in a couple of spots I arrived at the turn off to an old gold mine. Now I could of kept on tracking up the great walk here however as I had a fair bit of time up my sleeve today I decided that the short loop walk out to the old gold mine would be worth a look. After climbing for ten minutes - and negotiating a substantial fallen tree I arrived at the old mine site. The old mine dates back to the early 1900's and is gated off now days, apparently the shaft goes around 60 metres into the hillside and it's now home to colonies of Common Bentwing and Eastern Horseshoe Bats - although I wasn't going to confirm that.

The Conondale Range Great Walk.

The CRGW stays reasonably close to Booloumba Creek so swimming is an option in a few spots.

Nice easy walking along the CRGW.

Booloumba Creek - the rain has arrived.

I did a short loop up to check out an old gold mine that featured a short off piste rainforest scrub bash to negotiate this huge fallen tree. 

Gold Mine, Conondale National Park.

After another ten minutes my gold mine loop dropped me back down onto the CRGW and I resumed my journey up the valley beside Booloumba Creek. The great walk now climbed a little more seriously as I headed for the Artists Cascades, although for the most part the gradient was pretty gentle. I was starting to get a few showers of rain passing through now which was a little annoying as I was way to hot to walk in any kind of water proof gear, although I'd bought my 6 Moons Design Trekking umbrella with me on this walk so I was more or less able to stay dry as I climbed. Arriving at the Artists Cascades it was time for a break and a swim and of course this was the exact time that the rain got a bit heavier! There were a few options above and below the falls here to swim, I chose the plunge pool option and was able to wash the accumulated sweat and grime off me as I enjoyed a back pummelling massage from the waterfall at the same time...sweet!

Rainforest walking, Conondale National Park.

Conondale Range National Park.

Conondale Range National Park.

The Strangler Cairn - I'm guessing that the national park people are hoping that the strangler fig will drop its roots around the cairn eventually?

Before arriving at the Artists Cascades the CRGW climbed a little more seriously...

... although switchbacks made progress a little easier.

Approaching the Artists Cascades I was a fair way up the side of the valley.

The Artists Cascades.

The Artists Cascades. 

I was only a few hours into the CRGW however already things were starting to get a bit damp no matter how hard I tried to keep everything dry, although walking in a Queensland rainforest in the wet summer season I had to expect that really. The CRGW climbed very steeply away from the Artists Cascades via firstly some steep rock steps before I tackled a series of steep switchbacks. By the time my track levelled off a bit I was a shattered man, the early start, humidity and heat had caught up with me I think. It seemed to take me a long time to shuffle my way west to Booloumba Falls this afternoon, mainly because I was stopping every ten minutes or so to get my energy back. Arriving at Booloumba Falls I decided to give another swim a miss as there were a few car based visitors there and by now I was fixated on getting to camp and crawling into my dry tent.

Cooling off at the Artists Cascades.

The climb away from the Artists Cascades was steep...

... and got steeper.

I was now high above the creek.

Crossing side gullies provided a bit of interest.

The CRGW approaching Booloumba Falls.

Shortly after leaving Booloumba Falls the CRGW crossed over the Booloumba Falls access road and then disappeared back into the rainforest. I was now heading south towards the Wongai Walkers Camp, the track thankfully more or less level now, only really dropping and climbing a couple of times as I crossed some gullies. Arriving at the deserted Wongai Walkers Camp I soon found myself a fairly level site and didn't muck around getting the tent up. I was fed and in the tent well before dark tonight although with the rain now almost constant that wasn't too much of a hardship. My evening was spent listening to my small radio while watching the leeches climb over the outside of my tent, although sleep came very early.

Booloumba Falls.

The great walk follows the Booloumba Falls tourist track for awhile...

... before branching off left towards Wongai Walkers Camp.

The Dirt.

According to my GPS I walked around 15.7 kilometres and climbed about 690 metres on what I'd call a medium grade days walking. The track today was all fairly clear and well defined, the only bit that required a little concentration was around the rocks near the Artists Cascade. Water was available from Booloumba Creek in numerous spots and swimming was also a possibility in a lot of places. Wongai Walkers Camp has all the usual Great Walks features, ie a table, a clear flattish spot for the tent, a water tank and a long drop. I used the QLD Government Conondale Range Great Walk 1:25,000 topo along with my Alltrails Ap and my GPS topos today. The camp needs to be pre booked with the QLD Parks people.

Relevant Posts.

Fraser Island Great Walk, 2010.

Forest Lakes Hiking Trail, 2002.

Wongai Walkers Camp.

I'm about to settle in for a damp night at Wongai Walkers Camp.