The Lamington National Park Environment – Binna Burra Caves Walk
When: Saturday 10 June 2023
Where: This event commences at 9:15 am at the Binna Burra Teahouse. On getting together, we will arrange a car shuffle, leaving walkers at the Teahouse, taking cars down to the Information Centre and bringing drivers back up in one car before we start. By 10 am, we will commence walking down the Caves Track to the Information Centre. We will drive back to the teahouse for lunch before all returning to the Information Centre for a good look around. Departure will be at leisure from the Information Centre.
We will look at some carpooling from Canungra if that suits people and some may like to stay overnight at Binna Burra before or after the event.
The Event: The Caves Walk in the Binna Burra section of the Lamington National Park is usually done as a circuit from the Lodge and Teahouse area, walking down the track to the Information Centre and then walking back up the steep road to the Lodge site and Teahouse. We will only walk the first half.
Our walk is about 3.5 km and is predominantly downhill, with the start at about 770 m elevation and the finish at about 660 m. Nevertheless, there are some short uphill sections. We will be walking on a formed track with the National Parks information on this grade of track saying ‘May have short steep hill sections, a rough surface and many steps. Reasonable level of fitness and some bushwalking experience recommended.’ There are a number of steps, mostly going down, but no long stepped sections. The steps are unlikely to have handrails. The two hours allowed should mean we have plenty of time.
The walk offers great views across and up and down the Coomera River valley to the cliffs on the western side. The geology and vegetation are interesting. We will start on the Hobwee Basalt before descending into the Binna Burra Rhyolite. We should see rhyolite lavas and ash-fall tuffs, predominantly rhyolitic. Also, we will pass through a deposit of perlite, a glassy mineral that forms when rhyolitic lavas cool quickly.
We will be accompanied on our walk by Barry Davies, President of the Lamington Natural History Association and of Gondwana Guides (some may know Barry from his time as Activities Coordinator at the Lodge in the 1980s).
The Information Center has a substantial collection of material on the history and natural resources of the Lamington National Park, particularly the Binna Burra section and will be manned by Lamington Natural History Association Members.
Numbers: 15 walkers. Note this is a more challenging walk than Tullawallal because of grades and steps.
Times: Some members may like to arrange accommodation at Binna Burra
- Gather at tea-house 9:15 (Non-drivers will have plenty of time for coffee, drivers may have time for a quick cup)
- Car Shuffle to Information Centre
- Walkers depart tea-house by 10 am
- Arrive Information Center noon to 12:15 pm
- Lunch at Teahouse about 12:45 pm at own cost
- About 2:00 pm, Drive back to Information Centre for guided visit
Cost: Member $10, Non-Member $20. This includes a donation to the Natural History Association but does not include morning tea or Lunch.
If this event gets fully booked, please join the waitlist. If there is enough interest the event can be repeated in the future.
Bob Reid Coordinator
