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| Main Range Track | |
|---|---|
| Name | Main Range Track |
| Location | Main Range National Park, Southern Queensland |
| Length | 40 km |
| Use | Hiking, bushwalking |
| Highest | Mount Superbus (1,375 m) |
| Difficulty | Challenging |
Main Range Track The Main Range Track is a long-distance hiking route in Main Range National Park within Southern Queensland on the Great Dividing Range. It connects multiple peaks including Mount Superbus, Mount Barney, and Travelling Stock Route-adjacent ridgelines, and is managed through partnerships between Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and local National Parks Association of Queensland affiliates. The track is notable for alpine plateau scenery, endemic flora and fauna, and links to historic routes used during colonial-era exploration and pastoral expansion.
The route traverses protected land within Main Range National Park, part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage area, intersecting corridors used by conservation initiatives such as World Heritage Convention listings and regional biodiversity programs coordinated by Queensland Government. Hikers commonly approach from trailheads near Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads access points and reserve car parks administered by Scenic Rim Regional Council. The Track forms a section of broader long-distance networks including connections toward Lamington National Park and linkages to the Great Dividing Range walking route proposals championed by Australian bushwalking clubs like Bushwalking Queensland.
European documentation of the highlands dates to explorations by figures associated with the Ludwig Leichhardt era and surveys by colonial surveyors reporting to the Colony of New South Wales. Pastoral leases established in the 19th century by stockmen tied to the Squatting era shaped early access tracks later formalized by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. Conservation milestones include the 1986 listing of sections of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia under UNESCO processes and subsequent management plans developed by the Australian Nature Conservation Agency and state agencies. Indigenous custodianship by groups such as the Yugarabul people and neighbouring Githabul people underpins cultural histories predating colonial contact, with traditional pathways later referenced in oral histories curated by institutions like the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.
The Track links summit routes and ridge walks, passing landmarks such as Mount Cordeaux, Mount Mitchell, and the escarpments feeding the Condamine River headwaters. Elevation profiles include subalpine plateaus, basalt-derived soil zones near former volcanic features like the Fassifern Valley volcanic fields, and steep gullies dropping toward the Bremer River catchment. Notable natural sculptures include the rock tors and cliffs adjacent to the Scenic Rim viewpoints used in regional tourism promotion by Tourism and Events Queensland. The Track is segmented into multi-day sections often accessed from village centers such as Aratula and Killarney, with backcountry campsites near spring-fed creeks and ridgeline bivouac sites catalogued by clubs including the Bushwalking Club of Queensland.
Flora communities encompass subtropical and montane rainforest remnants comparable to other Gondwana Rainforests of Australia sites, with canopy species like Nothofagus-type analogues and understorey ferns documented in surveys by the CSIRO. Fauna records include threatened species monitored by the Queensland Department of Environment and Science such as the eastern bristlebird and spotted-tail quoll, along with endemic invertebrates studied at universities including the University of Queensland and the Griffith University. The Track's hydrology feeds into the Brisbane River catchment and the Condamine-Balonne system, making it relevant to catchment management programs run by the Queensland Murray-Darling Committee and regional water authorities.
Access is provided via sealed roads maintained by Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads with car parks and trailheads coordinated with local councils like Scenic Rim Regional Council and Southern Downs Regional Council. Facilities are basic: designated campsites, pit toilets, and signage deployed under permits issued by Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. Search and rescue responsibilities are shared among agencies including the Queensland Police Service and volunteer organisations such as State Emergency Service (Queensland) and volunteer bushwalking rescue groups affiliated with the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard model in remote logistics.
Visitors must comply with regulations enforced by Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service including permit requirements for backcountry camping and restrictions during fire danger periods declared by the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services. Weather hazards include rapid alpine storms influenced by systems tracked by the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia), and trail closures occur during declared extreme fire or flood events coordinated with the Rural Fire Service and state emergency protocols. Biosecurity measures align with national guidelines from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to reduce pathogen spread affecting rainforest species, and penalties for non-compliance are prosecuted under relevant state conservation statutes administered through the Department of Environment and Science.
The area holds deep cultural value for Indigenous nations including the Githabul people, Yugarabul people, and other Traditional Owners whose songlines, storylines, and resource management practices are recognized in joint management agreements with the Queensland Government. European cultural layers include pastoral homesteads, historic stock routes linked to the Victorian gold rush era labor movements, and heritage registers curated by the Queensland Heritage Council. Contemporary cultural engagement involves indigenous-led tours, collaborative research with institutions such as the Australian Museum, and interpretive programs developed with regional arts organisations like Arts Queensland.
Category:Hiking trails in Queensland Category:Main Range National Park