Walking is the only way you’ll visit this area – there are no roads, and I recall it as my first experience, in my early teens, of looking out across a landscape that is probably much the same as the Aboriginals viewed long before the coming of white explorers.

Last month Darren and I walked from Binna Burra to the circuit(altogether the walk is more of a “figure 9” than a circuit, coming back along the stem on the return journey) with two keen bird photographers from USA and two students from Griffith University.

This is a great walk for variety of habitat.  It could be done in three hours on energetic walking, but then you would miss so much of what makes it special.

The routes starts in the warm subtropical rainforests of the Border Track from Binna Burra  but you see changes in the forest as you gradually (very gently) climb upwards (e.g. more treeferns), then start heading down again.

There is one little gully apparently kept just a bit cooler than the surrounding area by the water running through and the local wind pattern, so I was surprised when I first saw  Antarctic beech trees growing here – they are more typical of the cool, high-altitude rainforest

As the rock type changes from basalt to rhyolite you find yourself walking through open forest.

A little further you can either follow the sign that points towards Dave’s Creek or (as we often prefer) head to the left to do the circuit in the opposite direction.

Suddenly you come across Surprise Rock looming up from the forest – a good spot to sit for a mid-morning snack

The view from here is great, and that day we had some very active spinebills nearby feeding on banksia flowers

One part of the cliff gives a new meaning to “rockface” and seems awed by the view

Another 20 minutes’ walk brings you suddenly to a very resistant type of rhyolite which supports only mallee heath.

This day it was alive with spinebills and Lewin’s honeyeaters feasting on banksia nectar

There’s a bit of relentless uphill walking on the return journey, but not really steep, and it’s pleasant to sit for a while and take a break while surrounded by forest.  And certainly worth it to experience the variety of habitat and scenery on this route.