Coongarra Rock and Caves Cct
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 4.98 mi
- Elevation gain
- 1,680 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Difficult
- Elevation loss
- 1,680 ft
- Max elevation
- 1,899 ft
- TrailRank
-
70
4
- Min elevation
- 1,047 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Moving time
- one hour 50 minutes
- Time
- 4 hours 54 minutes
- Coordinates
- 1319
- Uploaded
- March 13, 2022
- Recorded
- March 2022
near Dundarrah, Queensland (Australia)
Viewed 747 times, downloaded 33 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
Coongarra Rock is a scenic rock formation on western side of Mt Walsh National Park outside Biggenden. The access road (Lords Rd) through the park is gravel and can normally be accessed by high clearance vehicles with care . There are a couple routes to reach the western base, where you ascend to the top of the rock. We took a fire trail 3km before the rock as it also leads to a ridge with a number of amazing caves to explore. Please treat them with respect as they are in a sacred indigenous area. The climb from the base of Coongarra Rock to the top is reasonably steep so take care. From the summit of the rock you get an excellent 360 degree views of the surrounding Mt Walsh National Park. Check out our Facebook hiking site for more information- "Take A Hike- Qld".
Waypoints
Waypoint
1,631 ft
Comments (2)
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There are times when the track is not clearly defined. Ascent of Coongara Rock needs to be done with care, particularly in wet weather. There is some climbing and scrambling at the top. Also if you are travelling counter-clockwise and are visiting the rock first make sure you take trail on the left as you enter the car park.
Follow the 4 wheel drive track across 3 creeks, when you come to the 3rd creek the entry point for the ascent is very undefined but about 20 metres away. There is a gap in the lantana and the track does have some tape on it but it basically leads directly up. After you reach the rockface you need to keep close to the rockface travelling to the left. At one section there is rope but care needs to be taken if you are using it as I don't know how long it has been there. Again, there are some scrambling of some fairly sheer rockfaces that require care.
After reaching the top you descend the first 30 - 40 metres the same way, once you reach the bottom of the rockface. you continue to follow the trail clockwise for about 400 metres which again leads you to a track on the top of the saddle. This is identified on some maps as the Coongara Track.
Follow the track for about 300 metres leading you to a high point or small knoll. Follow the saddle down to the left to a visible rocky outcrop. Don't drop down on either side. Once you hit the rocky outcrop you need to traverse the base to the opposite side of the outcrop. Great care needs to be taken traversing this section as it requires climbing, scrambling and some careful descents. I only suggest this for people who are comfortable or confident at heights.
Backtrack to the intersection of the track until you hit the track. Follow the track to the left until you hit the 4 wheel drive track. Continue on until you hit the intersection of the other 4 wheel drive track track that leads to the other entry road. Travel back down this road for 1.5 kms to the carpark
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Information
Easy to follow
Scenery
Very difficult
There are times when the track is not clearly defined. Ascent of Coongara Rock needs to be done with care, particularly in wet weather. There is some climbing and scrambling at the top. Also if you are travelling counter-clockwise and are visiting the rock first make sure you take trail on the left as you enter the car park.
Follow the 4 wheel drive track across 3 creeks, when you come to the 3rd creek the entry point for the ascent is very undefined but about 20 metres away. There is a gap in the lantana and the track does have some tape on it but it basically leads directly up. After you reach the rockface you need to keep close to the rockface travelling to the left. At one section there is rope but care needs to be taken if you are using it as I don't know how long it has been there. Again, there are some scrambling of some fairly sheer rockfaces that require care.
After reaching the top you descend the first 30 - 40 metres the same way, once you reach the bottom of the rockface. you continue to follow the trail clockwise for about 400 metres which again leads you to a track on the top of the saddle. This is identified on some maps as the Coongara Track.
Follow the track for about 300 metres leading you to a high point or small knoll. Follow the saddle down to the left to a visible rocky outcrop. Don't drop down on either side. Once you hit the rocky outcrop you need to traverse the base to the opposite side of the outcrop. Great care needs to be taken traversing this section as it requires climbing, scrambling and some careful descents. I only suggest this for people who are comfortable or confident at heights.
Backtrack to the intersection of the track until you hit the track. Follow the track to the left until you hit the 4 wheel drive track. Continue on until you hit the intersection of the other 4 wheel drive track track that leads to the other entry road. Travel back down this road for 1.5 kms to the carpark