What to See in Border Ranges National Park - Top Sights and Attractions

The Eastern Australian temperate forests is a broad ecoregion of open forest on uplands starting from the east coast of New South Wales in the South Coast to southern Queensland, Australia. Although dry sclerophyll and wet sclerophyll eucalyptus forests predominate within this ecoregion, a number of distinguishable rainforest communities are present as well.

Many systematic National and State Parks are distributed throughout New South Wales and Queensland, although the representation of habitats varies throughout the ecoregion. In some areas, eucalyptus woodlands and dry forests have been cleared for urban development or to enhance grazing. Before Europeans first arrived to Australia, the Border Ranges had one of the largest rainforests in Australia.^[1]

Pass in Australia. Cunninghams Gap is a pass over the Great Dividing Range between the Darling Downs and the Fassifern Valley in Queensland, Australia. The Gap is the major route over the Main Range along the Great Dividing Range, between Warwick and Brisbane. The Cunningham Highway was built to provide road transport between the two regions.

It is situated in Main Range National Park, between the peaks of Mount Cordeaux and Mount Mitchell. On a clear day the pass forms a distinct break in Main Range's profile as seen from Brisbane. It is located in Tregony in the Southern Downs Region immediately beside the boundary to Tarome in the Scenic Rim Region local government area.

The highway itself is a scenic drive although steep with an 8-degree grade on the descent.^[2]

Mountain pass in Australia. Spicers Gap is a mountain pass that is located 100 kilometres west of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, and was the original route over the Great Dividing Range in the area around Brisbane. Today it is included in Main Range National Park and is a popular destination for campers and bushwalkers. To the south of the gap is Spicers Peak. To the west of the mountain pass is Spicers Gap State Forest. Both the state forest and national park are part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia.

The crest of Spicers Gap is preserved as Spicers Gap Road Conservation Park and is accessible via conventional vehicle from east and west, although in places the road is very rough, and the road through the Park is blocked to vehicles. On the steep passage to the Gap from the east, visitors pass a cemetery, Moss's Well and the site of a former hotel. Moss's Well was named after Edward Moss, a contractor who helped build the original road.^[3]

National park. Binna Burra is a parcel of private land and mountain lodge within the locality of Binna Burra and surrounded by Lamington National Park in Queensland, Australia. It is also a locality in the Scenic Rim Region. The lodge lies in the north-eastern corner of the Lamington Plateau in the McPherson Range, 75 kilometres south of Brisbane in the scenic rim hinterland of the Gold Coast. Binna Burra lies within the catchment of the upper Coomera River.

It's about 30 minute drive up the mountain from Nerang and a similar distance from Canungra. It is marketed as an ecolodge and was one of the first nature based resorts to be established in Australia. In 2000, the resort was the first commercial accommodation provider to be awarded Green Globe Certification in Australia. The lodge and other aspects of the built environment at Binna Burra are listed on the Queensland Heritage Register as the Binna Burra Cultural Landscape. Binna Burra was the first Australian hotel or resort to become signatory to the UN's Global Compact.

In September 2019, the area was devastated by bushfires and the historic lodge was destroyed. After one year of closure, the Binna Burra side of Lamington National Park reopened to the public in September 2020.

The mountain lodge is a drawcard for the Scenic Rim. Binna Burra means "where the Antarctic Beech trees grow" in a local Aboriginal language.^[4]