The Crows Nest District
Author: Glenn Leiper
Published: Journal September 2022
Image above: Bald Hills Creek at Hartmann Park
Crows Nest, roughly 44km north-east of Toowoomba up on the range, at an elevation of 543 metres, has a handful of very interesting reserves close to town that are well worth a visit. Adding to these enticing attractions, is the Community Nursery, open only on Thursdays from 8.30am until 1.00pm, with a surprising and interesting diversity of local plant species that always amazes me. Like all small country towns, there’s also a good bakery and in recent years there have been a couple of well-patronised cafés open too. My ever-expanding girth since retirement hints at a fondness for food, and bakeries such as the Crows Nest one can be attributed some of the blame. Certainly, it’s not my weak will, ha ha.
The reserves in the Crows Nest district include three sections of Crows Nest National Park, totalling over 1,800 hectares – the popular Crows Nest Falls section, first declared a national park in 1967, the Bungaree section (which is difficult to access) and the Perseverance section. Crows Nest Creek in the first section, has attractions such as camping facilities, the swimming holes at Kayoo Pool, The Cascades and Bottlebrush Pool, as well as Koonin Lookout that looks out over the Valley of Diamonds (4.5km return walk on the main track) and the lookout over Crows Nest Falls. The park is a popular destination for families, travellers and tourists.
Crows Nest Creek at the Crows Nest Falls section of the National park
Crystal clear water at Old Woman’s Hut Creek at Bungaree
However, my interest of course isn’t the swimming holes or the Instagram opportunities at the lookouts, but the wonderful flora. Crows Nest Falls is granite-based, and like most granite areas, there are huge granite boulders and cliffs, and the wildflowers can be stunning. Significant plant species include Yellow Kunzea Kunzea flavescens which forms dense tall shrubby thickets especially after recent fires, the endangered Helidon Ironbark Eucalyptus taurina, the endangered Waterfall Plectranthus Coleus torrenticola with an unusual disjunct population here, 200km away from the larger main Sunshine Coast hinterland populations, Flannel Flowers Actinotus helianthi, New England Blackbutt Eucalyptus montivaga, Narrow-leaved Red Gum Eucalyptus interstans and Flatleaved Violet Viola perreniformis. Interestingly, the violet develops a long tuberous root and during dry times all the foliage dies away, to rapidly regrow from the underground root when rains return.
Other gems include thickets of Shrubby Platysace Platysace lanceolata, a pink-flowering form of Riceflower Pimelea linifolia, a rusty orange-brown flowered form of Rusty Spider Flower Grevillea floribunda subsp. tenella, the green-flowered form of Native Fuchsia Correa reflexa, the aromatic Shiny-leaved Zieria Zieria compacta, a few species of Hibbertia including Small-flowered Guinea Bush H. cistoidea, Slender Westringia Westringia eremicola and some pea species including Cutleaved Pea Pultenaea cuneata. Spring, of course, is the ideal time of year to visit as the main walking track will be ablaze with colour.
Tall shrubs of Yellow Kunzea Kunzea flavescens over a dense groundcover of Pomax and Calotis at Bungaree
Helidon Ironbark Eucalyptus taurina
Flannel Flowers Actinotus helianthi put on a show in spring
New England Blackbutt Eucalyptus montivaga
Waterfall Plectranthus Coleus torrenticola
Narrow-leaved Red Gum Eucalyptus interstans
The distinctive leaf of Flat-leaved Violet Viola perreniformis
Flat-leaved Violet Viola perreniformis flowers
Shrubby Platysace Platysace lanceolata forms dense bushy thickets along the Crows Nest Falls track
Pink form of Riceflower Pimelea linifolia
Rusty Spider Flower Grevillea floribunda
Native Fuchsia Correa reflexa has unusual green flowers and roughly textured leaves
Shiny-leaved Zieria Zieria compacta has very aromatic foliage
Small-flowered Guinea Bush Hibbertia cistoidea is one of many species of Hibbertia in the Crows Nest district
Slender Westringia Westringia eremicola is common along the track at Crows Nest Falls
The second Crows Nest NP section I mentioned, Bungaree, is based on granite also but is very difficult to access and without formed tracks. Fortunately, a local resident Steve Plant, who knows the reserves well and has an extensive knowledge of the local flora and fauna, had secured an adjoining landowner’s permission to enter his property and we made our way across Old Woman’s Hut Creek then through lantana before making our way through the characteristic granite boulders and wildflowers. It isn’t as flora-diverse as Crows Nest Falls, but it made up for this with some scenic rock formations and interesting plant species such as Helidon Hills Waxflower Leionema obtusifolium, Clarence River Baeckea Sannantha angusta growing almost with its feet in water on Crows Nest Creek, Hairy Fan Flower Scaevola ramosissima, Australian Harebell Isotoma axillaris, Small-flowered Ice Plant Chloanthes parviflora and Fringed Baeckea Baeckea diosmifolia, a species at risk of disappearing in south-east Queensland as the other former sites at Runcorn and Rochedale in Brisbane are now under houses, shops, roads and car parks.
Cut-leaved Pea Pultenaea cuneata
Crows Nest Creek flowing over granite boulders and platforms at Bungaree
Helidon Hills Waxflower Leionema obtusifolium photographed at Bungaree
Photo Steve Plant
Steve Plant looking out from the summit of Dingo Mountain Parklands
Granite cliff at a lookout at Crows Nest Falls
Clarence River Baeckea Sannantha angusta grows along a section of Crows Nest Creek with its feet in the water
The third section I mentioned previously, Perseverance, is one area I’ve yet to explore. It’s nice to have another goal.
Apart from the National Park sections, there is also a wonderful reserve almost in Crows Nest town centre itself – Hartmann Park, which is surprisingly based on sandstone. There’s a walking track that’s been recently upgraded that leads across Bald Hills Creek on the new foot bridge to start the meandering walk through the park’s forest. In the rock pavements along the creek are many Arrow-leaved Violets Viola betonicifolia with various patterns of purple, mauve and white in their flowers, and an occasional cluster of Swamp Starwort Stellaria angustifolia on the water’s edge. The walk leads up the slope into eucalypt forest with a shrubby understorey including various plants in the Ericaceae family Leucopogon/Styphelia, Monotoca and Acrotriche, colourful bird-attracting Hairpin Banksias Banksia spinulosa and peas such as Showy Mirbelia Mirbelia speciosa subsp. ringrosei and Purple Pea Bushes Hovea species.
Hairy Fan Flower Scaevola ramosissima at Bungaree
Fringed Baeckea Baeckea diosmifolia prefers to grow close to creeks
Swamp Starwort Stellaria angustifolia grows partially in the water at Hartmann Park
Hairpin Banksia Banksia spinulosa var. collina
Small-flowered Ice Plant Chloanthes parviflora has unusual but ornate foliage
Arrow-leaved Violet Viola betonicifolia grows in cracks in the creek’s exposed rock platforms Showy Mirbelia Mirbelia speciosa subsp.
Tall Trigger Plant Stylidium laricifolium
Last, but definitely not least, is a privately owned reserve – Dingo Mountain Parklands, a property of 56 hectares owned by Crows Nest Community Solutions (a registered charity), another sandstone-based area. Visitors need permission from the organisation and fortunately the times I’ve visited the park, I’ve been accompanied by Steve Plant, who is the volunteer guide for the park. Being sandstone, species diversity is exceptional with Flannel Flowers being common and a real sight in spring. Other plants include Tea Trees Leptospermum species, Dwarf Banksia Banksia oblongifolia and Hairpin Banksia Banksia spinulosa, Fringed Baeckea Baeckea diosmifolia, Hairy Fan Flower Scaevola ramosissima, Tall Trigger Plant Stylidium laricifolium, showy Hibbertias such as Narrowleaved Guinea Bush Hibbertia stricta, Short-fruited Fairies’ Aprons Comesperma sphaerocarpum, Native Parsnip Trachymene incisa and a variety of Ericaceae such as Twinflowered Beard Heath Styphelia biflora and Cream Urn-Heath Melichrus urceolatus.
My last visit there was a couple of days after substantial rainfall causing a small temporary waterfall to cascade over a sandstone cave, splashing down to the population of Fringed Baeckeas below. It was a special sight and one to remember, tucked into my memory along with all the colourful wildflowers and rock formations of this region. If you’re interested in visiting Dingo Mountain Parklands, contact me (see Regional Council Directory) for Steve Plant’s contact details.
Twin-flowered Beard Heath Styphelia biflora
Australian Harebell Isotoma axillaris grows on exposed rock outcrops
A waterfall temporarily increased in flow by recent rains, falling over the small cave at Dingo Mountain Parklands