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An hour’s drive North of Gatton campus lies the Ravensbourne National Park.
Over the Easter Holidays, I took a trip up to visit and would like to encourage you to head North and enjoy the nearby forest.
Ravensbourne is the casual hiker’s dream location. Its many towering trees provide ample housing for a large variety of birds. The trickling streams that snake through the forest attract mammals to the banks.
Ravensbourne’s forest is part of the Great Dividing Range, which is a range of mountains that stretches from Far North Queensland down to Victoria. In Cairns and further North, the Great Dividing Range holds the oldest rainforest in the world, the Daintree Rainforest.
Ravensbourne, therefore, sits within an intersection of forest between rainforest and bush.
During my time walking through the forest, I encountered many birds, of which I decided to photograph. Queensland Parks states that there have been over 113 species of birds recorded in the park.
One of the most impressive sights of the trip was encountering a giant Sydney blue gum, which has been standing for over 100 years.
The walks are not necessarily difficult, and if you are a seasoned hiker, then you will have no problem traversing the trails.
Do note, however, that from the beginning of the main walk, it slopes down. The first half of your walk will be breezy; however, as you return, your trip will be uphill.
During the main walk, there is a distinct difference between the rainforest sections of the track, through which you will make your way, and then the rainforest will give way to the bush.
There is a beautiful sandstone overhang also known as “the caves” that I would highly recommend taking the side track. You can crouch your way into the mouth of the overhang and peering down into the caves you can see the tunnel disappear off into the darkness. However, the caves are not nearly large enough to explore.
Finally, the Gus Beutel Lookout is a fantastic location adjacent to the walks which provides a wonderful view over the Darling Downs. It’s a perfect location for a picnic with friends.
If you decide to spend one of your weekend days out at Ravensbourne, please find an itinerary below that sets out and returned to Gatton.
| Time | Activity |
| 9:00 AM | Depart Gatton with a water bottle and a packed lunch. |
| 10:15 AM | Arrive Ravensbourne Blackbean day-use area car park. Gear up: water, hat, snacks. |
| 10:30 AM | Start Rainforest & Palm Creek Circuit (6 km, moderate). |
| 12:00 PM | Reach the sandstone overhang rest, photos, and morning snack. |
| 12:45 PM | Complete the Rainforest and Palm circuit and return to the car park. Refill water. |
| 1:00 PM | Drive (5 min) to Gus Beutel Lookout car park. |
| 1:05 PM | Arrive at the lookout and enjoy a picnic lunch with views. |
| 1:45 PM | Leisure time: birdwatch, photos, short rainforest boardwalk. |
| 2:15 PM | Pack up and depart Ravensbourne for Gatton. |
| 4:30 PM | Arrive back at Gatton; day trip concludes. |
Written by Samuel Wong
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