Hiking: Mount Cordeaux

Posted on October 9, 2022  •  2 minutes  • 401 words  • Other languages:  Deutsch

The Main Range National Park is located southwest of Brisbane and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Gondwana Rainforests. The park contains a semi-circular mountain range called the Scenic Rim. The mountains were formed from the remains of the caldera of a volcano that was active over 24 million years ago. But even today, the curvature of the mountain range and the steeply rising slopes reveal its volcanic origin.

The Main Range National Park features several designated hiking trails. One particularly beautiful trail leads up to Mount Cordeaux.

Getting There

From Brisbane the only way to travel there is by car. The starting point of the hiking trail is the Crest Carpark. It is only 110km away from Brisbane, making the hike is perfect for a day trip. Since it is a very popular destination, it is worth to start early. Therefore, we left on a beautiful Sunday morning at about 7:00 am. Driving there was super easy: west of Brisbane we drove onto the Cunningham Highway. The highway leads to a mountain pass over the Scenic Rim. The Crest Carpark is located at the highest point of this pass.

The Trail

Next to the parking lot is a board with a map on which several hiking trails are marked. The board also marks the length of each trail: The hike to Mount Cordeaux and back is only 6.8km long.

The trail leads directly into the forest and up to the mountain with a moderate incline. At a bend in the path is a beautiful viewpoint. Through the canopy of the rainforest we have a stunning view into the valley.

With increasing altitude, the subtropical rainforest becomes denser and greener. The shapes, colors, sounds and the incomprehensible abundance of life are absolutely impressive. The path here becomes narrower and steeper. In some places we have to climb over the huge trunks of fallen trees.

The View from the Summit

On the last stretch of the trail, the vegetation changes abruptly. Giant trees are replaced by the funny looking tufts of grass trees .

The trail ends at 1130m altitude on a natural plateau slightly below the summit. From here we have a beautiful view of the valley and the slopes of the Scenic Rim. We take a break to rest and enjoy the view. Then we make our way back down to the valley, well rested and in good spirits.