Bunya Mountains
The Bunya Mountains is a mountain range located in the South Burnett region of Queensland, Australia. The mountains are home to a number of accommodation options, including eco-resorts, cabins, and campgrounds.
Many travelers who have visited the Bunya Mountains have had positive experiences. Reviewers on popular travel websites have praised the mountains for their natural beauty, with many noting the stunning views from the mountain tops. Some reviewers have also commented on the range of activities available in the region, including bushwalking, birdwatching, and picnicking.
The Bunya Mountains appear to be a popular destination for travelers looking to experience the natural beauty of Queensland. The mountains offer a range of accommodation options and activities for visitors to enjoy, and are a good option for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of city life
The Bunya Mountains is a beautiful, peaceful, natural spot and the only place where the Bunya Tree naturally grows.
We visited this spot to try out our camping set up for our Australian road trip and to take it all in.
Here we’ll cover:
Things to do in the Bunya Mountains
Accommodation options including camping and chalets
Birds and other wildlife in the area (including ticks)
Cafés, shops and restaurants on the mountain
Bunya Mountain Accom..
For our selection of some of the best places to stay in the Bunya Mountains, we have chosen those places (mostly cabins and cottages) located on top of the mountain close to the primeval rainforest. There are a number of places to stay here. We stayed at the Dandabah campground, which is the main campground as part of the national park. There are also chalets, other national park campgrounds and room options like the local tavern.
Whitewood Cottage Bunya Mountains
Whitewood Cottage, Tolmie Street, Mowbullan QLD, Australia
Bunya Mountains Hotel
Bunya Mountains Tavern, Dandabah Village, Bunya Avenue, Bunya Mountains QLD, Australia
Bunya Mountains Cabins
Rice's Log Cabins, Bunya Mountains Road, Bunya Mountains QLD, Australia
Godshill Bunya Mountains Accommodation
Godshill, 29 Lillypilly Pl, Bunya Mountains QLD, Australia
Things to do in the Bunya Mountains
Bunya is basically about hiking through various trails, bird-watching, waterfalls and relaxation. It’s a very relaxing atmosphere and there’s not a lot competing for your attention.
The mountains are home to a diverse array of plant and animal life, and offer many activities for visitors to enjoy. Here are some things you can do in the Bunya Mountains:
Go bushwalking: The Bunya Mountains is home to a number of bushwalking trails, which offer the opportunity to explore the mountains’ natural beauty on foot.
Go birdwatching: The Bunya Mountains is home to a range of bird species, including parrots, cockatoos, and eagles. Go birdwatching to see these and other species up close.
Take a scenic drive: The Bunya Mountains is home to a number of scenic drives, which offer the opportunity to take in the mountain’s natural beauty from the comfort of your car.
Visit the Bunya Mountains National Park Visitor Center: The visitor center offers information about the park’s history, culture, and environment, as well as exhibits on the park’s plant and animal life.
Go picnicking: The Bunya Mountains is home to a number of picnicking areas, which offer the opportunity to enjoy a picnic in the mountain’s beautiful surroundings.
Go fishing: The Bunya Mountains is home to a number of rivers and creeks, which are popular spots for fishing.
Take a guided tour: Several companies offer guided tours of the Bunya Mountains, which provide an opportunity to learn about the mountain’s history, culture, and environment from knowledgeable local guides.
Overall, the Bunya Mountains offer a range of activities for visitors to enjoy, from bushwalking and birdwatching to picnicking and fishing. The mountain’s location in the South Burnett region also makes it a convenient base for exploring the surrounding region.
There are quite a number of long walks and only a couple short ones. We often saw other campers heading off in the morning (sometimes with their lunch) and coming back hours later or even late afternoon. There are a number of trails that you drive to and then go for your hike as well as a main one with a few waterfalls leaving from the Dandabah area.
Children may find most of the walks long and for us with a toddler, we did only 2 of the walks, and I’ve included some footage and pictures of our trip here..
Camping in the Bunya Mountains
The mountains offer a range of camping options for visitors, including both powered and non-powered sites. Some of the popular camping options in the Bunya Mountains include:
Bunya Mountains Tourist Village: This tourist village is located in the heart of the Bunya Mountains and offers a range of camping options, including powered and non-powered sites. The village also features amenities such as hot showers and a laundromat.
Dandabah Camping Ground: This camping ground is located in the Bunya Mountains National Park and offers a range of camping options, including powered and non-powered sites. The camping ground is surrounded by the park’s natural beauty and is a short walk from the Dandabah day-use area.
The Dandabah Campground is part of the national park and nice and cheap! At the time of writing, it cost $5.90 per person over 5 years old. It’s a large grassy spot and there is a sloping area, so if you’re camping in a busy time, try and get there early to avoid this spot. I was actually surprised at the size as I expected it to be a bit bigger.
There are lots of wallabies around, as well as scrub turkeys and a variety of birds. The view above is toward the back of the camping area, and the other side faces the parking lot and road (which is not very busy at all). Hot showers are only in this campground, and they are better than some caravan parks I’ve stayed at! Happy surprise.
Remember to bring your own water.
Currawinya National Park: This national park is located near the Bunya Mountains and offers a range of camping options, including powered and non-powered sites. The park is home to a number of plant and animal species, and offers a range of activities such as bushwalking and birdwatching.
Overall, the Bunya Mountains offer a range of camping options for visitors, including both powered and non-powered sites. These camping options provide the opportunity to experience the mountain’s natural beauty in a more rustic and immersive way.
Other campgrounds
Burtons Well Campground
There are two other campgrounds. Westcott is close to an important grassy site and offers toilets only. Burtons Well is on the north end of the park and has toilets and 2 cold showers, as well as fire pits.
Chalets
A popular time for visitors is winter and if you visit then, it will be too cold to camp. There are a variety of chalets on offer and they are quite nice. Some are cute and quaint, others are log cabins overlooking a great valley view, some are right in the Dandabah area close to the coffee shop and restaurant. It all depends what you’re looking for.
Bunya Wildlife
I was quite surprised at the tameness, variety, and nearness of the wildlife in the Bunya Mountains. If you’d like to see parrots and wallabies close up, this is a great spot to visit.
There were wallabies all around, and an amazing thing was the number of joeys in pouches while we visited (November). They get quite close to the tents in the campgrounds and are all around the grassy area.
The birds are fed in a licensed area which has led them to being quite tame, and they’ll come quite close. There is quite a variety of parrots, crows, bowerbirds, wrens, and more.
The birds presented a bit of a challenge when cooking and eating outside. They’re sneaky! To avoid the birds, we needed to keep a close eye on all food we were preparing and eat inside our tent (which we’ve never done before). They are cute and funny, but we don’t want to feed them. They did land on Ricky and started eating the pear he was eating.
Also, beware of the scrub turkeys in the background below. They’ll go after any plastic bag or scrap of food.
Cafe, restaurant and shop
The Dandabah area is the only spot you can buy something. There’s a shop, a restaurant (Elz) and a Poppies Café. Prices were reasonable at all spots. The only place we visited was Poppies to try a bunya nut – carrot cake. We’re still trying to figure out what Bunya nut tastes like, but the cake was good.
We had a nice time in the Bunya Mountains and would recommend a visit. It’s a bit out of the way but that makes it all the more peaceful. It’s also quite a bit cooler than the surrounding area, so keep that in mind when you’re packing.
For more on this area and to book a campsite, visit the Bunya National Park website.
Weather in the Bunya Mountains/Climate
Locals will tell you the temperatures drop by about 10 degrees Celsius from what you would find on the plains below and in Brisbane, then bring a sweater. Expect freezing temperatures mid-winter, but the good part is the mercury rarely rises above 30 Celsius in summer.
Bunya Mountains Walking Tracks
Walking the trails of the Bunya Mountains National Park is likely to form a great part of your trip. While the three hours from Brisbane and half that again from Toowoomba.
Ticks
The ticks are a problem here if you are visiting in the warmer months. It’s a constant watching out for them, checking all the places they could possibly get, and basically being paranoid.
We encountered a tick the first night crawling along our daughter’s neck – hadn’t bitten yet. I had one tick bite the first full day we were there and found a number of them on me after our walks in the bush.
So be prepared with the right clothing (including hats as they jump off leaves) and insect repellent. Bring tweezers, wart-off (freezes them, fall off) or Vaseline (to cover them, so they can’t breathe and let go).
