Ravensbourne: Walking Circuits and Picnics in the Nearby National Park

Ravensbourne National Park offers nearby walking circuits, picnic areas and a lookout. The trails vary in length, difficulty level and estimated time required, so you can choose walks that fit the time you have available.

Walking circuits by length and time required

The Rainforest Circuit is a 1.7 km Grade 3 circuit. Allow about 40 minutes for the return walk. Also Grade 3, the 3.6 km Palm Creek Circuit takes about an hour and 15 minutes for the return walk. The comparison shows different time estimates for two circuits of the same stated difficulty level.

The Palm Creek Circuit crosses Palm Creek. Its steep banks are covered with Piccabeen palms (Archontophoenix cunninghamiana). This trail therefore combines its length with a distinctive landscape feature along the route.

For a shorter walk, there is the 500 m self-guided Cedar Block Circuit. Information signs explain the rainforest and its use by Aboriginal travellers and timber-getters. The Buaraba Creek track, by contrast, is 6.2 km long and rated Grade 4. Allow about two hours for the return walk. It leads from rainforest through eucalypt forest and down to Buaraba Creek. Of the trails described, it is the longest and has the highest stated difficulty level.

Nature, birdwatching and views

At Ravensbourne National Park, you can picnic in the bush, walk through rainforest and watch birds. At least 113 bird species have been recorded there; this is a figure for the park, not a guarantee of sightings on any individual visit. In the west and southwest of the park, Piccabeen palms, vines, ferns and staghorn ferns grow beneath tall Sydney blue gums, tallowwoods and rainforest trees.

From Gus Beutel Lookout, the panoramic view stretches across the Lockyer Valley to the Border Ranges in the south and also takes in the Scenic Rim. A short side track follows a eucalypt forest ridge to a small sandstone overhang. Remains of a yam-digging site can be seen on the higher section of the Rainforest Circuit.

Picnic areas and getting your bearings

The park’s two day-use areas have shelters, picnic tables, pit toilets, water and wood barbecues. Cedar Block day-use area is at the top of the ridge next to Gus Beutel Lookout. Its large, open, gently sloping lawn is suitable for large groups. Blackbean day-use area, by the park entrance, is small and shaded; it is cool there in summer. The areas therefore differ considerably in their described size and shade.

From the park entrance, Cedar Block day-use area and Gus Beutel Lookout are 500 m further along the access road. If you are planning for a group, the open lawn at Cedar Block is a useful guide to its suitability; if you are looking for a shady place to visit in summer, the description of the Blackbean area is relevant.

Getting there and cultural background

To reach the park from Toowoomba or Crows Nest, take the access road east from Hampton towards Esk for 17 km to the park turn-off. From Esk, follow Esk-Hampton Road for 33 km to the same turn-off. Check current road conditions before travelling; current park alerts may also be relevant to your visit.

The history of the area adds another dimension to the visit: Aboriginal people camped in the Ravensbourne area over generations and gathered food. Ravensbourne Park was traditionally a stopping place where Aboriginal people could replenish their bush tucker while travelling to and from the Bunya Mountains nut festivals. This is a historical reference, not a description of a current visitor service.

Discover more destinations: Varsity Lakes, Tamborine, Bellthorpe, Kandanga, Miriam Vale, Kilcoy, Slacks Creek, Colosseum

For the broader travel guide: Queensland.