After settling into to our room I left Reg admiring the view from our balcony and started out on the Boarder Track to meet my friends. It is mostly very quiet in the bush alone, but some sounds sift through the layers - a whisper of wind, a rustling of leaves, the crystal clear whip of the whipbird cracking open the air. After an hour there was still no sign of my friends and afternoon tea at the Lodge was a treat too tempting to miss so I returned alone, trusting they would arrive before nightfall. |
Binna Burra is another amazing place of beauty close to our home that begs to be explored. Set in the mountains surrounded by Lamington National Park, its extensive walking trails wind through a tranquil wilderness that need more than one day to do them justice., so we took a winter break and stayed a few days. My walking buddies (two of whom are in training to do the Camino Trail in Spain) drove to O'Rielly's and walked the 23 kilometre Boarder Track to Binna Burra on day 1. Reg and I skipped this bit and drove straight to Binna Burra. (Well, not exactly straight. The road winds though the mountains as it rises 800 feet above sea level.) We passed through the wonderfully named Wonglepong and Biddaddaba (I kid you not), stopped to enjoy a coffee under the warm winter sky at a cafe in Canungra, then continued on and upward through Beechmont, passing spectacular views until finally we snaked up the last section of a single lane road to arrive at Binna Burra Lodge. They did eventually stumble in, just in time for a spectacular sunset followed by wine and cheese in front of a warm fireplace, then dinner and bed. (N.B. The long distance hikers have expressed unhappiness with the verb 'stumble' and would prefer that I replace it with 'saunter' or 'sprint'. So be it. They deserve kudos for their trek and can describe how they arrived using whatever word they choose.. They did, however, stumble to bed after a few wines the next night.) Day 2 began with a glorious sunrise and a yoga session with a breathtaking view - a combination guaranteed to calm any jaded nerves that may have lingered from the drive up. Fueled up on a hearty breakfast, the Camino Trail trainees tackled another long hike while Helen, Jenny and I explored some shorter trails. We completed the Bellbird Circuit easily, but still felt we had earned a break for morning tea. Next we headed off on the Possum Trail and completed a circuit on a narrow, mountain-hugging track around the Lodge. After lunch we took a guided walk offered by the Lodge. The Caves Circuit provided a wonderful display of volcanic rock which was built up by the Mt Warning volcano. Mt Warning now is the remnant core of this once massive volcano, and the dramatic landscape of radiating ridges and cliff-lined valleys resulted from 20 million years of its erosion. We passed through eucalypt forest and rainforest gullies before reaching the Kweebani Caves where we stopped for afternoon tea. These caves were created by wind and erosion and were used for shelter and cooking by the aborigines. After passing through the caves the track then climbed through rainforest back to the summit of Mt Roberts. As we neared the summit, the sun, about to set, blazed through the thick bush, setting it aglow in a magical light. With the sun set, we headed to the library for more wine and cheese in front of a roaring fire that chased the night chilled air. It is hard to believe we are only an hour from home. We weren't terribly impressed with last night's meal. It was quite basic and served cold. And the dining room was full of noisy children (Curse school holidays - that time I once adored.) So this night we pooled our snack supplies and dined like kings alone in the library with the fireplace to ourselves. Day 3 dawned majestically again. A cocktail of sunrise and yoga cleared my head, and after a leisurely morning we headed for home. A day visit to Binna Burra would be fine, but staying a few nights is well worth it. We stayed in motel style rooms, but there are camping facilities for those so inclined, or more luxurious fully contained units for those who want to splash out. Although the food was disappointing, everything else was faultless. Many activities were on offer such as archery, abseiling, flying fox, night camp fire, night walks, guided day walks that are immensely informative, and a well-stocked library to name a few. You have got to love Binna Burra.
2 Comments
Helen
7/7/2014 08:08:50 am
Laurel your creative talents continue to amaze me. Beautiful recount of our fabulous 3 days.
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Margot
7/7/2014 11:04:05 am
You've captured the visit really well except for the pain. Oh that's right, you were able to do pain avoidance. I think your pademelon is a scrub turkey.
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