Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve
Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve
Overlooking the silhouettes of the Glass House Mountains, this is one of those places where a short wander feels like a full reset. One moment you’re standing at a lookout, watching volcanic plugs rise out of the coastal plain; the next you’re under a high green ceiling of subtropical rainforest. Part rainforest ramble, part history lesson, part excuse to just stop and listen. This is Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve.
Quick Details
Total Length: 2km
Elevation: Almost none
Grade: Easy
Best season: Year round
Suitable for kids: Yes
Starting the Trail
It’s late afternoon and I’ve just arrived in the Glass House Mountains. I need to stretch my legs a bit, but don’t really have the time or energy to be scaling one of the park's iconic peaks (that’s a job for the following day). I’d heard about this scenic reserve with a great lookout over the park, and it seemed like the perfect place for a stroll.
As you enter the reserve, you can head upstairs to a balcony overlooking part of the mountain range. If you squint (or zoom in with your phone camera) you can even see tall buildings in the distance. I headed off through the discovery centre, took a quick glance at a few of their displays, and out into the rainforest. The track is simple – it’s one big loop with an extra path through the middle. I decided to walk it as a figure-eight so I could see it all.
The track is wide and mostly flat the whole way. There are a few boardwalks with little bridges and viewing platforms. There are also some stairs, mostly on the opposite end of the track from the Discovery Centre, which means the track isn’t fully accessible – but a lot of it would be.
There’s some great interactive signs placed around the track. Educating visitors about the plants and animals that live in this area. One of the most shocking was a display of the estimated size of the rainforest in the 1750s, compared with what it is today. A forest that once spread further than the eye can see, now only exists in small pockets across the hinterland.
The great thing about the reserve is that it gives people the opportunity to walk through the rainforest without having to take on a massive hike to do it. There’s no tripping over tree roots or skirting around boulders. It’s actually a really peaceful track.
The Discovery Centre really helps with the experience, too. I saw a few families walk past me, carrying pieces of paper and talking about ticking off this bird or that lizard from the list they’d picked up at the centre. I wandered the track in the figure-eight as planned. I don’t think it really matters which way you go around the track, or how much of it you do. This is more a place to appreciate the bigger picture collectively, rather than chase one or two standout features.
Sunset
Arguably the best viewing area here is actually opposite the reserve, on a narrow stretch of grass just off the road. It gives the same view you get from the balcony at the Discovery Centre. It’s not a great place for sunset though, because you’re facing sort of south. It might be okay for a sunrise though if you could catch it at its most south-easterly point in late December.
Even though the sunset was a bit of a fizzler, it was still a really great view. I stood there for a while watching birds flying around, probably trying to find a tree to roost in for the night. I tried to work out which mountain was which, but with no success in the fading light.
Getting There
Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve sits on the Blackall Range, just outside Maleny in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. The main entrance is at 148 Mountain View Road, Maleny.
The mountain lookout is just a little further down the road.
Tips and Tricks
Entry to Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve is by donation. There’s plenty to see and do in the Discovery Centre, and a great cafe for lunch if you’re there around midday.
If you’re visiting just the lookout, you can still use the reserve carpark after hours. There’s nowhere to park along the side of the road.