A day out today at the beautiful rainforest of Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve just outside Malaney. We pack up early and meet the neighbours out the front at a pre-arranged time – not too early for a Sunday morning but not so late that the kids won’t last the day – a fine balance that mothers are aptly attuned to but that can still go terribly wrong without warning.
My oldest negotiates to go with the neighbours so we have the two littlest with us. They chat together for a bit but in the end they fall silent and it’s an amazingly peaceful drive.
When we get there we put gumboots on the kids and I should have thought to pack some light jackets but I figure we’ll be alright. It is January after all.
We head into the rainforest and it’s cool and quiet. The children run off up the path looking for pademelons – small marsupial wallabies found in some areas of Australia and New Guinea. They’ll never see them with all the noise they’re making though.
We wander along the path, through the dappled light of the rain forest listening to the birds and stopping to gaze up at trees and vines. It’s not the first time we’ve been here but the kids always find something new to explore and it’s really the adults that are along for the ride and being led by the children’s interest. We take the long Athey around the outside that leads past a small creek and look for fish and frogs. We can hear some frogs but can’t see any today. We do see lots of different birds and just as we’re giving up hope, spot a couple of pademelons in the brush. They’re timid but we see them clearly before they hop away, seeking quieter territory.
After our walk we check out the visitor’s centre and a few of the displays before some lunch at the cafe. Lunch is messy with five kids but they’re having fun and we relax a bit. Then they’re off to the playground and we don’t even get to stop long enough for an after lunch coffee.
The playground here is just the right size for the age group (3 – 7yrs) and we play tag, climbing, spinning and swinging until we have to cajole the kids back to the car for the drive home.
Good to Know
Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve is a 55 hectare subtropical rainforest in the Sunshine Coast Hinterlands. It’s set high, near Malaney and overlooks the stunning Glass House Mountains. Although only a small pocket of what once existed on the Blackall Ranges, this rainforest is an easy day trip from Brisbane. It’s well worth the drive to experience the tranquillity and beauty of this protected gem with its diverse plant and animal life including massive red cedars and the native little pademelons.
There is a good visitor’s centre with some educational displays and a great cafe for a bite to eat at the end of your walk.
This is a great place to take children – they can listen for different bird calls, try to spot the forest animals and marvel at the huge trees and vines.
It’s cool in the summer months so take a light jacket, just in case. In winter, it can be muddy and kids might be best in some little gum boots (wellingtons).
The path is accessible for prams with decent suspension (not umbrella strollers).
Picnic tables, toilets and a children’s playground are also available on site.
Would I Return?
Yes, time and time again. This is a favourite and I’ll be returning here for many years to come.
Photos in this post are by Claire Mathis.