Queensland Term Abroad

Lamington National Park

Lamington National Park is located in Queensland, Australia. It is situated approximately 100km south of Brisbane (the capital city of Queensland) and is part of a mountainous area known as the MacPherson Ranges. Lamington is reknowned throughout Australia and the world due to the size of the park, the unique flora and fauna, and the sheer beauty of the mountains and rainforest.

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Lamington I

13 October
Getting there — We boarded our bus Monday morning for the 3 hour ride to Lamington. On arrival we were immediately taken by the brilliant vistas, strangler figs, massive and stately trees, tortuous vines, and (especially) the gaudy and forward Crimson Rosellas.

Lamington II

13 October, cont.
In the Canopy — O'Reilly's maintains a boardwalk, consisting of wood and wire suspension bridges high up in the canopy. It's rare treat to visit the rainforest at treetop level and we jumped in with both feet.

Lamington III

14 October
Python Rock and Morans Falls — This morning saw us hike out to Python Rock, trekking through forest situated on nutrient-rich and nutrient-poor soils. We examined some unusual igneous rocks called phonolites, then hiked down to a waterfall and back to O'Reilly's.

Lamington IV

14 October, cont.
Castle Crag — After our morning jaunt, the hardy among us struck out that afternoon on a trek to Castle Crag. Getting there was half the fun as the trail narrowed to a series of sharp crags. We all made it and were rewarded with some spectacular views.

Lamington V

15 October
Leaf Analysis — We spent this morning examining the diversity of leaves in the litter on the forest floor.

Lamington VI

16 October
Border Track — Today was a long but beautiful hike up the track to the caldera rim. On the way we passed idyllic glens and beautiful waterfalls.

Lamington VII

17 October
Return to Brisbane — Our last day we worked on mini-projects in the morning, grabbed a lunch and headed down the road. We stopped at a winery for a little tasting and finally arrived back on campus. Oh yeah, one other thing: Tom treated us to a little of his shepherding style.