Nuts about the Bunya Mountains….

Our family are back on the road again…

It’s been a beautiful time of refreshment to hang out with those near and dear to us on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast! You know we have done over 40,000kms this year and the Sunny Coast is still one of the most beautiful coastlines in Australia. So now as the coastline disappears in our rear-view mirror we find ourselves heading West! We have this vague sense of direction….and certainly no particular destination in mind just yet…..welcome to my life!!! After waving farewell to my parents we tackled the Mountains behind Maleny…and headed to The Bunya Mountains.

All I can say is WOW! The Bunyas are an absolute must-see!!! We are so bummed that we lived on the Sunny Coast for years….and never once visited the Bunyas! It’s a crime!!! I encourage you to go, see for yourself…..you won’t be disappointed! It’s a glorious place. There are numerous walks, great picnic grounds, lots of birds and red footed Wallabies….the place is green and lush and breathtakingly picturesque…. I can recommend camping at Dandebah Camp Ground, it is by far the best campsite for those with children and people like me who really appreciate hot showers! My tip would be to pack some “wild Bird seed” so that you can feed the kaleidoscope of birdlife that decorate The Bunyas. Now, I am not a big fan of feeding wildlife, it causes problems…and you certainly should not feed wild animals “human food”. I do think that if you have the appropriate type of seed for wild birds, you should feel relatively guilt free, especially since the birds make themselves right at home in your tent, on your tent, on your head, even on your cricket wickets apparently…..

The little shop, down a little beyond the Camp Ground located next to the entrance to the Picnic Grounds & the start of the Bunya Walk provides wild bird feeding twice a day. For the bargain price of $4 you can purchase a tray of wild bird food and then the fun really begins… You will be very popular to King Parrots and Crimson Rosellas and even the exceedingly shy Female Satin Bowerbird. The looks on our children’s faces when the birds ate out of their hands, or perched on their shoulders or landed on their hats….priceless! Their antics made us laugh, their little squabbles and constant flight from hand to head to hand to tray was dizzying!

We did manage to go on a few of the walks, you would be mad not to…there is so much to see… However at this time of year Bush Ticks are out in force so wear insect repellent, long sleeves, long pants and covered footwear! The other particularly nasty resident of The Bunyas is The Giant Stinging Tree….think Stinging Nettles on Steroids! The Stinging Tree and it’s mild cousin the Stinging Nettle are literally everywhere. Be Careful! The after effects are apparently long lasting. Thankfully only Josie bumped into Stinging Nettle and stingose did help relieve the stinging…. I remember falling into a batch of stinging Nettles as a teenager and man it was awful! Not an experience you want to repeat….so I can only imagine how horrible the Giant Stinging Tree would be…even the dead leaves sting! Come prepared

There is so much to see and experience here….definitely a highlight for us as we journey through the width and breadth of this great country! Top Spot!!!