blackdown tableland national park

We have been visiting Blackdown for over 35 years, since it was primarily a forestry reserve. Thankfully it's now all national park and preserved for everyone. The Munall Campground is in the middle of heavily treed bushland, amongst granite outcrops and along side a creek that flows during the wet season. A stunning location in itself and we have often simply stayed at camp for a weekend to unwind and relax. There are many walks ranging from a half and hour to full day. Cultural walks and of course many with stunning escarpment views, the hinterland, water falls and bushland. Plenty of things to do, walking, swimming, 4x4ing, bird watching, photography, etc. Culturally there are two periods, that of the original visitors, the Ghungalu people, who still have a close relationship with this area. Then European visitors, both cattle and timber getting. The vegetation is nutrient deficient so you won't see large mammals like kangaroos. However there is abundant wildlife especially at night and some species endemic only to that area. As mentioned by others be careful of the birds and large goannas, they can be a nuisance when you are preparing food. There are some long walks to stunning escarpments and the biggest single drop waterfall in the area, but you need to ask for directions and be self sufficient. Easy to spend a week and still not see all the place has to offer. Access is pretty easy now the road is sealed up the mountain, but be careful of pea gravel on dirt roads. No trouble taking a camper trailer and have seen small vans up there, but I wouldn't take anything large as the climb is very long and steep. There are flush toilets, BBQ's and seats at Horseshoe lookout. The camp ground has composting toilets and a limited number of camp sites so best to book well in advance at peak times. Once you visit you will be hooked and want to return.

We stayed in the Munall Campground, booking was really easy online. We went Aust Day weekend 2015. Sites are well set out and tidy and all have a fire pit for cooking (must bring your own wood). There wasnt enough water to swim in any of the water holes as they were all still stagnant it was mostly just trickling down the streams, the main waterfall (Gudda Gumoo) had a small flow going over it and could swim at the bottom of it. Walking trails are all quite short around 2k and don’t take long to do. If Plan your trip so you are there when there is plenty of water out there so you are able to swim everywhere you go as there are some really beautiful swim holes. BEWARE of the currawangs!!! They are always out looking for a meal and will stalk your camp, they hop about just from kicking distance, they appear every time you pull food out and will jump from your camp table to your chair to your fire every time you move! The kookaburras weren’t as ballsy but came in for a look a few times. We also had a goanna walk into the camp and into our fire pit as we sat 2m from it I stood up and walked up to it and it wasn’t phased even when I stamped my foot, I chased it out and it just moseyed on to the next camp! Never leave any food/rubbish/valuables out when you are gone or even when you are they because the wild life will have a field day. Take precautions and your fine. One last tip, make sure you do the Mook Mook track to the lookout for a sunrise while you are there, we did and it was incredible, well worth the early morning.

This place is amazing! Great for a weekend away with family and friends. The track to the campsite is corrugated and steep in some areas, but well worth the drive. Such a peaceful place to relax, with some 4WD adventure, bush hiking and the beautiful 'Rainbow Falls' being a definite highlight.

We spent four nights here. The park and camping grounds (basic facilities) is one of the best we have experienced. A creek, with swimming holes, runs through the camping grounds. Open fire a bonus. In our opinion sites 9 to 16 are the better camp sites. Road up to the Tableland is not suited for caravans.The sculpted sandstone will take your breath away. All the walks (Mook Mook,Gudda Gumoo and Goon Goon Dina) all have their own beauty. Goon Goon Dina however was partially closed due to damage from wild fires. We also walked to Charlevue lookout via the loop road which was a challange but well worth it for the view.Watch out for the Kookaburras & Currawongs. They will take food off your plate. Hide your rubbish under a bucket if you leave your camp site otherwise you will find it everywhere when you return.WHY THE TERRIBLE RATING?Booking system - there is a phone at the entrance to the park where you can make a booking. It would be OK to use this during the off season. You have to make advanced bookings for the holiday periods. We stayed late September/ early October (holiday period). Unfortunately a booked & paid for site did not guarantee our spot. The system fell down badly and if you can imagine us arriving after a 9 1/2 hour journey, late in the afternoon, to find three other people camped in our spot - not happy. Unfortunately there were also two other groups (booked & paid for) who also met the same fate. We were advised later by the Principal Ranger (Capricorn) that the Blackdown Ranger in charge was on leave at this time. The ranger who was patrolling overlooked the need to take the camping bookings print out or to check camping tags on site. If you find yourself in the same situation, make the 8 kilometre trip back to the ranger's station (at the entrance to the park) and get him to sort it out. If you are still not happy there is a complaint process through the National Parks.

Google Maps took us a shorter route, down Blackwater-Rolleston road which ended up being completely unpaved, remote & somewhat dangerous with all the emus + 'roos running in front of our vehicle. Yet, we made it =] It's amazing to drive in from the north, as you see the plateau rising ahead/above you. In June I was in a tank top & shorts, but by the time we made it to the top (in Blackdown Tablelands National Park) the sun was setting and it was FREEZING! Went in June so temperatures got to freezing at night which made tent camping somewhat miserable. Booked the tent campsite in advance since it was the start of school holidays, but there were quite a few vacant sites. After the weekend the park really cleared out. Each site had a fire ring & wasn't spacious after you parked your vehicle + put up a tent, but there was some free space. We stayed 3 days & I think this was just right, as it gave us enough time to do all of the hikes.I LOVED seeing the aboriginal art and be on the lookout for remnants of the park's cattle-rearing past. Rainbow Waters wasn't gushing but it was as pretty as most of these photos I've seen. The wattle was in full bloom. Hiked Muuk Muuk (I don't think that's the correct spelling) which offered some rewarding views & it was so lovely to look out/over the valley. If you've got the time it's worth a stop but you could also go to similar places around Oz probably.Read more about it at http://gorocketdog.blogspot.com

Lovely place with great walks, some still closed or partly open after a fire, but still plenty to keep us busy for 2 days. The 4wd track had a very steep descent after the Charlevue lookout with big rocks and holes so take care. Must book in camping before arriving with National Parks but noticed a phone on information board to rangers station that said it could be used for bookings.Caravan and tent sites are pretty private from each other and each with own fire ring. Must bring own fire wood. Tent sites had posts preventing driving your vehicle up to the tent site. It was not a great distance but if you tent like us, we have a drawer system and leave everything in vehicle, so a minor inconvenience (recommend booking a caravan site so vehicle right next to tent). Toilet facilities were the average compost toilets, but the water part of the system was out of water so starting to get a bit smelly.Rainbow Falls a must to see and swim in. Absolutely beautiful and clear. Only downside were the birds that hung around as soon as food came out. Assume they have been feed by campers over time as they had no fear and would perch on back of chair while you ate. A bit unnerving and did not make for a relaxing mealtime (yes, we did lose a sandwich) A mesh enclosure for meals recommended otherwise you might be like us and end up eating in vehicle.

The Blackdown table lands is a magic hidden wonderland just a small drive from the main campsite you can do a bush walk that lead you to a beautiful gorge sandstone cliffs water seepage through the cliffs creates majestic waterfalls, above some of the waterfalls you will discover lava tubes some connecting under water.

So ancient is this landscape it's eerie and has amazing views at the top. Good signage for some history of the area. Great camping area, great place to escape society, a hidden gem. Rare animals & flora abound here. I feel like I'm being watched somehow, maybe from the traditional owners of years gone by. One should be very respectful here.

Blackdown Tablelands is a beautiful place to spend a day or more. Camped at the Munall campground, which has about 16 individual and fairly private campsites, each with their own fire ring/grate. Camp is quite close to the creek, which has some good swimming spots. Campsites need to be booked for a small fee, which can be done at the park gate. There are some short walks nearby, Rainbow Falls are highly recommended!

This place is beautiful, so quiet! Lots of flora and fauna especially cause the drought has broken and the Rainbow falls are flowing.

Beautiful national park with fairly easy access. No caravans though as it is a steep road into the camping area. Camper trailers are allowed. The camping here is lovely. Large areas with quite a bit of privacy. You need to take your own water supply and showers as only composting toilets are provided. There are a few walks close to the camping area and they only require a mod. fitness level. Some parts of this national park look like a movie set, it looks so perfect. Throughout the park is also information on the Ghungalu people and you will be fortunate enough to see their artwork on the rocks. This national park is well worth a day trip or an extended stay. It is easy to fill in three or four days here.

I regularly visit the national park as I live in Blackwater. It is at it's most spectacular when there has been a bit of rain around so the waterfalls are all running. The national park is in between Duaringa and Dingo - closer to Dingo side than Duaringa. It is beautiful, has lots of different walks/hikes, picnic areas with bbqs and camping area. Breathtaking waterfalls and mountain views, with red/orange rocks and rainforest plants. The walk down to Rainbow falls is about 45min walk one-way, but well worth it, there are a lot of stairs when you are just about at the falls, and it has a fantastic swimming spot in hot weather. It is a beautiful place and makes a fantastic day out.

Blackdown Tableland is a sandstone plateau rising above the plains west of Rockhampton. It supports diverse native plant communities including heathlands, dry eucalypt forests and moist pockets of ferns, mosses and orchids. The picnic area is well laid out and has a nice short walk to the lookout. The various designated walks are well laid out and the camping area looks serene and peaceful. There are unusual large rock pools near the camping area that are a must see. These are a couple of kilometers further along past the picnic area.

We stayed 2 nights at the Munall Campground, which is located at the top of the Blackdown Range in the middle of the Blackdown National Park. Now, I have lived in Rockhampton all my life and made many trips west and I was completely unaware of the spectacle that this place provides. The turnoff to the park is approximately 160km west of Rockhampton or about 14km past Dingo. There is then about 15k of sealed road which gets quite narrow and wnding towards the top of the range. I have an 2.2 tonne 18ft Outback Expanda Caravan and I would NOT tow this here. We saw a couple of 14ft Jayco Swans, Kimberley Karavans and the like, however any larger and I think you would run into trouble. As you reach the top of the range you will see the ranger station and information shelter on the left and the spectacular Horse Shoe Lookout to the right. This is a must see location and is the last place you will have normal mobile phone reception. There are picnic tables and toilets at the carpark here and the lookout is about a 100m walk - be sure and take the camera!. This is where the sealed road ends - the gravel road contines about 8k along some quite steep and winding roads before arriving at Mimosa Creek and the entrance to Munall Campground. This camping area is quite spacious and has toilet facilities, however there is no water provided so you must bring enough for all showering, drinking and cleaning (you will also need to bring you own paper). We can recommend sites 9, 10, 11 and 12 as large and comfortable sites. The "pot holes" swimming area is only about 100m from the campground and only just past the parking area at the entrance to the Mimosa Creek bushwalk. This is a must do, some of these pot holes are 2m+ deep and link together so you can swim between them. The 2.5k walking loop to the aboriginal art also originates from the campground and starts beside the toilet block near site 11 and 12. The main attraction, Rainbow Falls are as spectacular as you will see anywhere. They are not the highest falls I have ever seen but they are certainly the biggest and the best in this area. The Rainbow falls carpark is located 8km from the Campground and gives way to a 2.5k walk downhill. This walk then gets very steep, in the form of 240 concrete and steel steps (similar to those in a highrise building fire escape). As you descend the stairs, the sound of the waterfall is amazing and as you round the final rockface the entire gorge reveals itself and all the beauty it has to offer. This is a place you will never forget. The hike back to the carpark is significant if you are not fit, however it is well worth the trip. There is also a scenic 4x4 loop, the turnoff to this is about 4k from Munall along the road to Rainbow Falls. This loop is about a 32k round trip from the campground. This is worth doing if you have a 4x4, the highlight of which is the Charlevue lookout. This is only a novice 4x4 track, with one steep hill and a few ruts. If you have a modified 4x4 and are looking for a challenge, this is not for you. Having said that, soft roaders, 4x4s with very low clearance or inexperienced drivers may find the hill interesting. Non modded 4x4 Hilux's, Cruisers etc should nave no problem. I would comfortably bring a normal family or small sedan as far as the Horseshoe lookout, however not past that - having said this, I must add that I am very particular about my cars. If you don't mind the dirt and can handle a few underbody scrapes you would get to the campground and perhaps Rainbow Falls, we saw a few up there but they had worried looks on their faces and were driving very slowly. Bottom line, there is no luxury here this is true camping, bring your walking shoes, togs, towel, a Mountain Bike if you have one, Camera and a sense of adventure. You will have a great time, recommend to all. PS - Watch out for the Pea Gravel, it can be very slippery!

Blackdown Tablands dominates the horizon on the drive to Blackwater, its about a 2hr drive from Rocky and involves a trip into a different climate and almost like a trip into a different world... has to be experienced to be appreciated.