Combined club camping /walking weekend at Goomburra

Last weekend we tried a new approach to enjoying the camaraderie of fellow bushwalkers. Members of the Gold Coast, Redlands and Queensland bushwalking clubs were invited to meet up at Goomburra, a campground in the Man Range National Park.

On the Saturday we were lucky enough to have overcast conditions as we set out through rainforest to Sylvesters Lookout. Then it was a relatively well-defined off-track walk through rainforest, then open eucalypt forest to a great lookout above Laidley Falls where we were facing Boars Head and Mt Castle. A short but steep scramble took us below the cliffline where we walked to the former Hole-in-the-Wall, now the Slot-in-the-Wall, where there were stunning views along the Main Range Ramparts.

After a dip in the creek for most people, we all enjoyed a happy-hour where we got to know each other a lot better as we discussed all thing ‘bushwalking’.

Sundays walk was much more relaxed as we combined the Cascades and Ridge trails to form a circuit with another diverse mix of vegetation from rainforest to open sclerophyll forest. A great swimming hole was the icing on the cake for some.

Except for Lyn and John, Goomburra was a new experience for everyone. It was an excellent weekend and one we would like to repeat in the not too distant future.