The Glass House Mountains

The Glass House Mountains Jutting into the air like shards of glass, the Glass House Mountains form a distinctive backdrop to the Sunshine Coast. This stunningly volcanic landscape holds a special significance in Indigenous legend and culture, with each of the mountains representing a member of a family, and their spirits dominating the area. Although climbing many of the mountains is only for the experienced, there are a number of easy to moderate tracks in the area accessible to a wider range of walkers. The circuit around Mount Tibrogargan passes through shady forest, and offers the chance to learn about, and view, several of the other mountains. The short hike up Wild Horse Mountain is rewarded with expansive views. For something a bit different, the Soldier’s Walk at Beerburrum explores the history of the town as a settlement area for retired soldiers, while Ewen Maddock Dam is a peaceful haven for bird and nature lovers with a walk that takes in lakes and forest. 141 27 Ewen Maddock 27 Ewen Maddock Dam Walk directions Dam Start at the dam-side 1 car park where there are picnic benches, toilets, The sounds of wind rustling in gum a BBQ and a children’s trees and melodic birdsong follow At a glance play park. There is a notice you on this dam-side walk on the Grade: Moderate board here detailing the 15 kilometres of tracks in the northern fringes of the Glass House Time: 3.5 hrs area. Much of your walk Mountains. The first half of the walk Distance: 8.5 km return follows the Tallowood track tracks the edge of the lake while the Conditions: Shady, path muddy which is listed as number second half goes through a mixture after rain 3. Take the path to the left of Rough, Scribbly and Paperbark of the sign, passing the trees. With a myriad of birds darting around the forest floor, the walk is play park to your right and go down the grassy a treat for bird lovers. There are opportunities for swimming and fishing track. Off to your left is a on the lake and dogs are allowed on a lead. sign for a short walk along the dam wall. Pass to the Finding the track right of this sign and to the left of a picnic shelter. Take the Mooloolah Connection Road (route 24) off Steve Irwin Way (route 6). The car Walk down towards the park is on the left hand side of road at the dam entry. lake, along a short section of concrete path and onto a 100-metre wooden boardwalk jutting out into track. At another bollard, embossed with the number the dam. Join a forest track, turn left onto the track 3. Turn left here and pass passing through trees and signposted for the number several massive fallen trees ferns then continue over 3 route. This is a narrow including one burnt out a couple of little wooden track which heads down from the centre. Meander bridges. towards the lake and beside the lake, keeping rejoins the main track at a the water to your left. At At a wooden bollard bollard. Turn left here. the next junction turn left, marked with the 2 going downhill to the lake, number 3, turn left onto Soon you come to and then right onto the a broader gravel another junction at 3 broad track, keeping the and dirt a bollard again lake to your left. Shortly, at another junction, turn left again. The path 142 143 27 Ewen Maddock Dam 27 Ewen Maddock Dam continues through a Follow the path as it At a marker for track Casuarina forest to a 5 turns sharply to the 6 5, going off to the left, Sunshine Coast environment - useful native trees junction, where you need left, then go downhill and you’ll see horse paddocks Melaleucas are also know as Tea Trees, and their leaves have antiseptic to turn left again onto across a couple of ferned up ahead. Turn left and properties which can help to treat acne and other bacterial skin infections. The a path marked 1. Very gullies before bending left, follow the 5 track through scrunched up leaves release vapour which eases common cold congestion. shortly, emerge from the back towards the lake. ferns and Rough Bark Headaches can be relieved by rubbing the leaves on the forehead. The oil from trees into a wide grassy Pass a bollard, marking trees until you come to a citrus gum, citronella, is used as a mosquito repellant. area with houses set back track 4 going off to the left, signpost for routes 5 and 6. on the right. and continue straight on. Turn left onto the You’ll come to a junction Traverse the man- track marked with with the path ahead (going 7 made causeway across the number 6 which leads 4 uphill) signposted as being the top edge of the lake, out to a viewpoint over closed. Turn left here onto with the water on either the lake. Note, however, a track which could be side of you. As you come that the path can become muddy after rain. You start off the causeway, notice waterlogged and impassible to get glimpses of the lake the Melaleuca trees in the after rain. Retrace your through the trees to the left swampy water at the side steps to the junction and and at a T-junction (track of the path. Melaleucas turn left onto track number closed to right) turn left. withstand having their 5. Ignore a track off to the Continue through Scribbly feet wet by storing air left marked track closed gums, Rough bark trees in a hollow trunk. At a and carry straight on. At a and Melaleucas. The track T-junction with a closed junction of paths beside a bends first left, then right track to the right, turn metal gate, turn right onto and finally left again. left and walk through a Paperbark forest. Ignore the various minor tracks off to the left and stay on the broad track as it moves away from the lake. Out and about - Ewen the track Maddock’s Cottage marked 1 As you drive into the dam car park, look and you’ll come out for the Coach House to the left of the back to the horse track. This Queenslander style cottage is paddocks. From a replica of the original cottage, called this point, retrace your Koongamoon, built by Ewen Maddock, steps by walking on the son of one of the pioneer families in the path straight ahead and area. Several information boards about following it through the the Maddock family, the Cobb and Co coach company and the history of the forest then back along the area adorn the walls of the cottage. A little further down the track, towards the lakeside. car park, the original site of the Maddock cottage is marked with a signpost beneath some trees. 144 145 28 Beerburrum 28 Beerburrum Soldier’s Walk Walk directions Soldier’s Walk Begin outside the gone, they are dead. But building. This was once 1 Beerburrum Railway the trees, they still remain.” the town library but was Station. Walk directly converted to a School of Continue up Anzac Wandering along the quiet streets over Church Street and Arts in 1919. The School Avenue until you and avenues of the pleasant At a glance on to Anzac Avenue. 2 became a social hub for the come to the Old Bakery, This street was originally town, with Saturday night Glass House Mountain township Grade: Easy Time: 1 hr about half way up the road. called Hunter Street, but dances, concerts and movie of Beerburrum, this walk follows Distance: 1.5 km circuit This is the last remaining after lobbying from WW1 screenings. During World commercial building from an historical trail past landmark Conditions: Shady veterans living in the town, War II, soldiers stationed in the original Beerburrum buildings and detailed information Getting there: was changed to Anzac the town regularly put on settlement. The bakery signs about the Soldier’s Settlement Train: Beerburrum Railway Station Avenue. In 1920, returned shows for the locals at the had a large brick oven Car: Street parking on Church soldiers planted the Avenue hall. Continue up Anzac Scheme. The scheme ran after the which once baked 300 Street, Beerburrum of Honour with Camphor Avenue. First World War, attempting, but loaves a day. On the other Laurel, Weeping Fig and ultimately failing, to offer a new life side of Anzac Avenue is At the T-junction, Palm trees. On the central the old School of Arts cross over Beerburrum to returning veterans. A variation takes you to the town cemetery where reservation, notice the 3 Road as well as the grass many of the veterans are buried in unmarked graves. metal sign with information verge on the other side to about the planting of the get to a bitumen path. trees and the epitaph: Turn right on this “They are path and shortly you come to a signpost which talks Walk variation The dirt track running from the back of the car park beside the school (waypoint 3), winds through peaceful Paperbark forest for approximately one kilometre to the old cemetery. A sign at the gate points out that there are approximately 38 unmarked graves here, many for soldiers who had returned injured from the First World War. Inside there are a few gravestones, and trees planted by local school children in remembrance. Retrace your footsteps along the track back to the school and continue the walk as above.

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