The Blackall Range rises sharply from the coastal plain less than 50 kilometres inland, and is a complete contrast to the rolling surf and sandy beaches of the Sunshine Coast. A basalt outcrop just 25 kilometres long, the range is heavily timbered with large tracts of rainforest interspersed with lush farming country. It gets more rain and is much greener and cooler than the coast. This mountain range was included in the traditional lands of the Gubbi Gubbi people, and was a focal point for the Aboriginal Bunya festivals. These were gatherings of many Aboriginal communities held during the better bunya nut seasons, about every three years.

The Range constitutes one of the most interesting and dramatic mountain terrains in Queensland, offering spectacular views of the Glass House Mountains to the south and the Pacific Ocean coastline to the east. The hinterland area has a number of quaint hilltop towns; small national parks containing lush rainforest; dozens of holiday locations, both guest houses and leisure resorts; and hundreds of specialty shops selling crafts, antiques and gifts. The region also supports a thriving community of artists and artisans who produce a diverse selection of work, which is showcased in the many shops, galleries and studios throughout the area. The rich hinterland also produces pineapples, citrus, strawberries, avocados, custard apples and macadamia nuts.

Nambour
The Blackall Range Drive commences at the Bruce Highway at Nambour, a large commercial town of 12,000 people which is now the centre of the area’s pineapple and tropical fruit growing industry. Eighteen kilometres inland, this busy sugar town dates from the 1860s when unsuccessful prospectors from the Gympie goldfields established farms in the area. Its name comes from the Aboriginal word for the local red­flowering tea­tree. In the sugar cane crushing season, between July and November, narrow gauge trains can be seen in Nambour's main street, bringing the cut cane into Moreton Central Mill. Seven kilometres south on the highway is one of the country’s best known BIG icons ­ the 16m high, fibreglass Big Pineapple, where the tropical fruit plantation is an extensive tourist attraction based on the industry. You can take a ride through the plantation on a miniature sugar cane train, a boat trip to see the hydroponic garden or the Nutmobile to the macadamia nut factory.

Mapleton
Mapleton is perched atop of the northern-most point of the range. Like Maleny at the southern end, the town is remarkably unpretentious and relatively unaffected by tourism. Nearby attractions include Mapleton Falls and Mapleton National Park. The lookout from Mapleton Falls, which is within the small National Park, offers excellent views over the valley which is covered in dense rainforest and has a number of walks.

The Clouds Guesthouse in Montville

Montville
Montville was first settled by citrus growers in 1887 and is a small village set high on the centre of the Blackall Range, 100 kilometres north of Brisbane.

The beauty and tranquility of the Blackall Range has drawn hundreds of artists and artisans to the area, many with international reputations. It is a showcase for painters, potters, sculptors, woodworkers, weavers, leather workers and many more and Montville has the largest collection of galleries, craft shops, boutiques, cafes and restaurants of all the Blackall Range townships.

Flaxton
Flaxton is a tiny artist’s village located 5 kilometres south of Mapleton, and is probably the prettiest of all the Blackall Range settlements. It has a collection of gift shops and galleries, selling the work of local artists. Flaxton has some fine examples of typical ‘Queenslanders’ ­ timber homes built off the ground on wooden piles and with spacious verandahs. The underfloor space, generally more than high enough to walk through, forms a breezeway ideally suited to hot Queensland summers. Just outside Flaxton the road runs close to the edge of an escarpment, which is a jumping off point for the local hang-gliding club.

Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve

This reserve, located a few kilometres to the southeast of Maleny, is named for Mary Cairncross, the second daughter of William Cairncross, who came to Brisbane in 1846.

An early conservationist, Mary campaigned to prevent the felling of native forest on the island of St Helena in Moreton Bay. However, it was an unsuccessful campaign, as the forest was felled to make way for a prison.

Mary married the Hon. A J Thynne, who became Postmaster General of Queensland and also the Minister for Agriculture. They had a family of five daughters and three sons.

In 1941, three of Mary’s daughters donated around 100 acres (40 hectares) of land for a scenic reserve to the then Landsborough Shire Council in memory of their mother. The Council recognised the value of the gift and set aside the Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve for ‘the preservation, conservation and exhibition of the natural flora and fauna’. The sole remaining daughter donated further land in 1966 and the Reserve is now 52 hectares, and administered by the Caloundra City Council.

The Reserve preserves a remnant of the subtropical rainforest which covered the Blackall Range before European settlement. There is a well-maintained 1.7 km path through the forest, parts of it raised to provide level wheelchair access over waterways. It passes through fern gullies, giant strangler figs and piccabeen palm groves, all of which which give shelter to many species of wildlife, including wallabies, bandicoots, possums, bats, echidnas, lizards and snakes as well as nearly 50 species of birds. At the entrance to the reserve is a stunning view of the Glasshouse Mountains to the south.

Gardeners Falls
Gardeners Falls on the Obi Obi Creek, are located at the end of Beechwood Road just a few minutes drive east of Maleny. The Creek has an abundance of waterholes for paddling and swimming, and includes massive rock formations with a towering rainforest backdrop.

Obi Obi Creek

Gardeners Falls