Day Trip

I was right – a good night’s sleep did me a world of good.  I woke up refreshed, determined not to slip back into yesterday’s funk.  I wasn’t delusional, though, fully aware that sitting around the apartment was a bad idea.  To ward off a relapse, I needed a strong defense.  I needed a plan.  A day trip was in order.  More specifically, I required quality time with nature.  So, I geared up and headed 90-minutes southwest to Cunningham’s Gap, in the Scenic Rim region, for a hike. (Better known as  bushwalking to the Aussies.)

This was my first venture inland, and the scenery was breathtaking.  As soon as I passed the city limits, I entered an entirely new (and decidedly rural) world.  Any signs of city life had long since faded, giving way to a pastoral backdrop.  Now, open plains, rolling hills, and cattle herds dominated the landscape.  And, looming in the far horizon, were the mountains* I would be hiking.

Soon, I found myself in Main Range National Park, at the trailhead for the Mt. Cordeaux track.  The first portion taking me through rainforest, canopied with massive trees.  I could have been in Jurassic Park or The Land Before Time.  It was awe-inspiring.  As I continued, the rainforest gave way to open eucalyptus forest, then to grassland spotted with tropical bushes.  At the summit, I could see for miles, the land below an earth-toned patchwork quilt.

Even though the hike wasn’t particularly challenging, and I didn’t see any koalas or echidnas, as the guidebook had promised, I was happy.  I had gotten the nature-fix I craved. So, everything considered, it was a good day.

 

*Please note I use the term “mountains” quite loosely, as the mediocre elevation gain of these landmasses should hardly qualify them as such.  Alas, they are considered mountains out here.