Adapted from the TFNC newsletter report of M.Simmons
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| Rhyolite blocks and tuff |
Our day was designed to drive the Oakey-Cooyar Road through the
localities of Wilthorn, Sabine, Sugarloaf, Beith, Acland, Muldu, Balgowan,
Plainview, Rosalie Plains, Kulpi, Peranga and Narko before reaching the Muntapa
Tunnel – all were sidings along the Oakey-Cooyar railway line built in 1911 to
carry timber and other primary produce to the coast. A brief roadside pull-over
atop a hill enabled a view over the current workings of the Acland coal mine.
In the Muntapa
picnic area we were given interesting little stories and information on the
geological formation of the surrounding rocks and topography. ‘About 18 million years ago [this area] was
subject to complex and violent volcanism where rising rhyolitic magmas
superheated groundwater resulting in huge phreatic explosions. Craters between
100 and 200 metres deep were infilled with masses of material fallen from the
sky. Both portals [of the tunnel] will show us the variety of this material – through which those who had
constructed the tunnel had worked with hand tools.’
The tunnel has now been fenced giving a Gothic-like appearance through to the
roosting and breeding colony of several thousand Bent-wing Bats, Miniopterus
schreibersii. These bats cluster tightly together (up to 1,500 per square
metre) on the ceilings of caves, mines, disused railway tunnels, storm water
drains and old cement buildings. (‘Bats of Eastern Australia’ Qld Museum booklet No.12). The historical markers and information recording the history of the tunnel, the workers campsite and associated memories of long-term residents all added to making this a worthy revisit for the Nats.
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Black Bean Castanospermum australe
pods at The Palms N.P. |
Further north
beyond Cooyar in the Palms National Park we walked the short track through
Piccabeen Palms, Strangler Figs, Bunya and Hoop Pines and an ancient Grey Gum –
over 300 years old through which flows a spring fed gully in the headwaters of
the Brisbane River. Bird list for July outing. (Muntapa
Tunnel and Palms Nat. Park compiled by L. Moodie.)
Oakey Rotary Park: Pacific Black Duck,
Australian Pelican, Australian White Ibis, Little Corella, Noisy Miner,
Grey Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Magpie-lark.
Muntapa Tunnel: Red-backed Fairy-wren, Lewin’s
Honeyeater, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Spotted Pardalote, Speckled
Warbler, Brown Thornbill, Varied Sittella, Grey Shrike-thrush, Pied Currawong, Australian
Magpie, Grey Butcherbird, Grey Fantail, Torresian Crow, Silvereye, Red-browed
Finch.
Palms National Park: Australian Brush-turkey,
Brown Quail, Laughing Kookaburra, White-throated Treecreeper, Lewin’s Honeyeater,
Spotted Pardalote, Brown Gerygone, White-browed Scrubwren, Golden Whistler,
Eastern Whipbird, Grey Fantail, Eastern Yellow Robin.
