Profile for Kaz Manley - Aussie Bushwalking

This Year

Number of Walks Ticked

34.6km

Total Distance Ticked

All Time

Number of Walks Ticked

157.5km

Total Distance Ticked

Ticks

Name	Date	Difficulty	Distance/Duration
Mount Coryah (Mount Kaputar National Park)	14 Oct, 2024	Medium	4km return 2 hrs
If you only do one walk in Kaputar National Park, do this one! We loved it! There are some aluminium stairs that get the heart rate up, but then you turn left and walk to the summit which has great views. On the way down you walk along a ledge under a cliff lined with grass trees. It was so atmospheric and very moving. There were little caves in the cliff too. Such a pretty loop around the summit. I'm 62 and fairly fit and it wasn't hard. Many of the walks in the park on formed tracks are short, with this being the longest, unless you like walking on fire trails!
Yulludunida Walking Track (Mount Kaputar National Park)	9 Oct, 2024	Hard	4km return 4 hrs
The walk up the stairs to the Dingo fence is not difficult. Just take it slow if you are unfit. I'm 62 and fairly fit and it was easy, even with the significant elevation gain. Steve and I saw goats! The Dingo fence area is stunning, so the stairs are well worth it, even if you decline the scramble to the summit, as I did. My partner Steve found it easy enough, but best not to do it on your own. It took us an hour to get to the fence, with plenty of pauses for me.
Mt Kaputar (Mount Kaputar National Park)	8 Oct, 2024	Easy	3km return 75 mins
This is a splendid 3km return walk from the campground. It is easy going, but with plenty of uphill sections. Lovely boardwalks. I would recommend this 3km return walk. If you are really short of time, you can essentially drive to the Summit and walk up a few stairs to the viewing platform. Its much more exciting to walk from the campground, though I was bummed to cross the road part way up, as I didn't know it existed and it spoiled the adventure a little!
Buderim Forest Park (Sunshine Coast)	23 Sep, 2024	Easy	2km return 90 mins
Steve and I rediscovered this lovely amble again today. It is very pretty with a cute little waterfall. Also a lovely palm forest. Again, we saw little birdlife, though a golden whistler in the sun was a happy exception. We could hear Wompoo Fruit Doves too. During the week and out of school holidays, at 7.30 am this walk was fairly quiet. Luckily, it is a little rough for joggers!
Mt Maroon (Mt Barney National Park)	16 Sep, 2024	Hard	6km return 4 hrs
Steve and I did this on a Monday. We saw five other hiker(s). I did it very slowly and sat down often for rests. I'm 62 and do park run every week, so fairly fit, but not a regular on hard hikes. It was a long slow slog, but the views are extraordinary. We encountered a group of five teenagers with a boom box and the track and summit, but they left the summit after we arrived and were nice enough to take our photo. We were chuffed to do this together! Even though it is an easy walk for Steve.
Mt Ngungun (Glass House Mountains National Park)	9 Sep, 2024	Medium	2.8km return 90 mins
Steve and I did this for the 3rd time on a Monday morning on my way home from Maroochydore. Lovely to smell the forest in the warm still air. We had a magic quiet time on the summit sitting in the shade of a small shrub at the far side. Sadly, a group of school girls chased us down the mountain, upsetting the peace considerably! We then went to the Lookout Café for brunch. A beautiful moving and lovely way to end my stay.
Rainforest Circuit (D'Aguilar National Park)	23 Jul, 2024	Medium	2km 1 hr
I did this with my 86yr old parents. Dad has a walking stick. Very uneven ground for a disabled person, but Dad loved it. 'Highly recommend doing a "grounding" walk like this once in a while. Quite different to being focused on fitness or counting up kilometres. Great for your heart and your soul :)', as another reviewer said! Very easy if not disabled. :)
Rainforest Circuit (Lamington National Park)	15 Jul, 2024	Very Easy	1.2km return 30 mins
I took my 86 yr old parents around this lovely little walk and saw a group of while-tailed black cockatoos feeding at close range. Lovely!
Mt Cordeaux (Main Range National Park)	8 Jul, 2024	Medium	6.8km return 2.5 hrs
I've been up here many times. This was the worst. The good part was no one on the path, up or down; an explicable miracle maybe. I left at 8am, but there were major roadworks and I had to park 3km down the road at the picnic areas and then follow a boring track paralleling the road back to the memorial and the start of the Mt Cordeaux track. The roadworks cover about 6km and look like they will continue for most of a year. Beware as this diversion adds 7km to the walk. I didn't see anyone until I was back on this extension track at 10:30am - then I passed 7 groups going up in pouring rain, which had started when I reached the summit. It was also a white-out up there. I had wanted to do the Bare Rock ridge extension, but the weather was too horrible. Solo trip. Should have gone to my gym class instead.
Mt Ngungun (Glass House Mountains National Park)	19 Jun, 2024	Medium	2.8km return 90 mins
Lovely morning with Steve. Such a pretty little walk with a great summit! On the way down, we saw a man running full pelt, like a Cheetah! He was so fast over the rocks that he defied belief! We had the summit to ourselves in strong wind on a sunny morning. A miracle, as this track is very popular. Breaky at the Summit Cafe was great. Lovely ambience there overlooking parkland, with native birds around. Friendly owner. I had magic vege fritters and lovely chutney. I found out it was master foods tomato chutney and she gave me the fritter recipe. Special morning.
Rainforest Circuit (Lamington National Park)	13 Oct, 2023	Very Easy	1.2km return 30 mins
I did this with my parents who are 86. They loved it. They were visiting from Southern Victoria. In the past, I've done Daves Creek with them up here. Dad also did some of the Caves Circuit - peering over the fence to the Coomera Gorge.
Mt Greville (Moogerah Peaks National Park)	11 Oct, 2023	Hard	6km return 3 hrs
I did this with Judy. We went up Palm Gorge and down the Ridge Track.
Daves Creek Circuit (Lamington National Park)	12 Sep, 2023	Hard	12km return 4 hrs
I did this with Steve. It is my favourite walk at Lamington - along with Caves Circuit. I like ridge top walks, rather than creek walks. I would have done this track a dozen times over nearly 20 years. This was Steve's first time. We were passed by a nude man and were stalked by a Dingo. I've walked hundreds of hours around Binna Burra and never had those experiences before. Best to walk with a pole for protection now. How sad! DON'T feed the Dingos. They are potentially dangerous. The walk has a great variety of vegetation types, including heathland on the escarpment. Great views. Have lunch on top of Surprise Rock. There is a concealed climb to the top when you first encounter it. This was our third trip to Binna Burra in the last two months, plus I took Mum and Dad on a day trip. Steve and I stayed in the Safari Tents. They are great! Our favourite is Tent 91. It is a standard size tent and we got it on sale for $70 per night. It has its own private fireplace!
Coomera Circuit (Lamington National Park)	11 Sep, 2023	Medium	17.4km 6 hrs
Steve and I stayed in Standard Tent 91 which was on sale for $70pn. We liked it because it has its own fireplace! We did the Coomera Circuit when there had been not much rain for weeks. Consequently, there were no leeches. Yippee! There was still plenty of water though on all the falls. It was a very pretty walk, but I still prefer the ridge tracks. We didn't see any Lamington Crayfish, although we looked hard for them. It was probably too dry.
Buderim Forest Park (Sunshine Coast)	12 Jul, 2023	Easy	2km return 90 mins
Steve and I did the boardwalk section of this track (about 800metres) with my 86 year old parents when they visited Maroochydore from Pt Lonsdale. Steve and I have done the full wee walk the week before, passing the waterfall and moving along the creek to the boardwalk, where he saw a noisy pitta! Sadly we saw no birds this time and my parents were very disappointed.
Mt Cooroora (Sunshine Coast)	26 Jun, 2023	Hard	2.6km return 2.5 hrs
I did this with Judy and Jane when we were staying at Boreen Point. We are between 50 and 65, and fit enough, even so, it was a bit of a struggle. Also, I was scared of exposure risk a few times. But there was a chain to help. It was a very busy walk, with lots of people training on the mountain. How they could run, I don't know! We were very chuffed to reach the top! It is a very hot climb as there is no vegetation, just a jagged and forbidding rock face! Leave early!
Sandy Creek Circuit (Tamborine National Park)	19 Jun, 2023	Easy	2.5km return 1 hr
Steve and I had a lovely time staying at the modest and lovely motel next to St. Bernards Hotel. On this circuit we saw Alberts Lyre Birds. Very exciting.
Ships Stern Circuit (Lamington National Park)	5 Jun, 2023	Medium	21km 7 hrs
This is a long, but easy walk with stunning views. Mostly through rainforest. The summit plateau is awesome. I did this with Steve. He had a lot of trouble with his leg, and ended up dragging it back. It was very painful for him. I was a bit scared. It took us 9 hrs on account of his injury. We enjoyed the first half, with the lookouts, very much. We are fit 55-60. Didn't see anyone on a Tuesday outside school holidays.
Caves Track (Lamington National Park)	4 Jun, 2023	Medium	5.2km return 90 mins
Steve and I did this on a Sunday late afternoon near sunset. The sun can shine beautifully on the cave arch at this time. We didn't see anyone else. This is a lovely little easy track. No rainforest, but lovely gum trees and views over the Coomera Gorge. Magic!
Mt Coochin (East and West Peaks) (Glass House Mountains National Park)	29 May, 2023	Medium	2.8km return 2 hrs
I've done this twice with Steve. During the week outside school holidays and early in the morning, we saw no-one else. Another time is was early on Sunday, and we saw quite a few other walkers. Someone describes it as a scramble. Having just done Mt Greville, this one is a walk in the park! Like Greville, there is no exposure risk. It is a two peak climb, with a saddle between. The views are lovely. It is hard to spot the informal carpark. It looks like someone's driveway. There isn't much room for cars. Instead of retracing your steps, you can descend the 2nd peak towards the fire trail and walk back to your car.