Eungella National Park

Eungella National Park protects over 500 square kilometres of subtropical and tropical rainforest on the Clarke Range, about 80 kilometres west of Mackay. The park sits on a high plateau between 600 and 1,200 metres above sea level, and its long geographic isolation from other rainforest areas has produced a number of species found nowhere else, including the Eungella gastric-brooding frog (sadly now presumed extinct) and the Eungella honeyeater, a bird formally described only in 2020.

The star attraction is the platypus viewing platform at Broken River. The calm, clear pools below the bridge provide year-round habitat for a healthy population of platypus, and sightings are remarkably reliable compared to almost anywhere else in the country. The best times are early morning (around 6am) and late afternoon (around 5pm), when the animals surface to feed. A raised timber viewing deck allows visitors to watch without disturbing the water. Turtles, water dragons and azure kingfishers are also common along the river.

The park contains a network of walking tracks through the rainforest, ranging from short boardwalk loops to full-day hikes. The Sky Window circuit is a 3.4 kilometre walk through rainforest to a cliff-edge lookout over the Pioneer Valley, with views stretching east toward the coast on clear days. The Rainforest Discovery Circuit near the Broken River camping area is a gentle 1.2 kilometre loop suitable for families and is the best place to see the enormous fan palms, staghorns and bird's-nest ferns that define the canopy.

The small mountain village of Eungella sits just outside the park boundary and has basic accommodation and a general store. The drive up from Mackay follows the Pioneer Valley through sugar cane fields before climbing steeply through dry eucalypt forest into cloud forest at the top. The transition is dramatic and the temperature can drop by ten degrees between the coast and the plateau.

Eungella receives significant rainfall year-round but is driest from June to October. Summer brings heavy rain and occasional road closures from flooding. The platypus are visible in all seasons but winter mornings offer the most reliable sightings due to cooler water temperatures.