Full of red rolling hills and winning scenic highlights, Sundown National Park is a breath of fresh air in Southeast Queensland’s iconic off-road scene.
Brisbane and its surrounding regions are far from one-note, but there’s an air of similarity about a few of its well-known haunts. The world’s three largest sand islands hang off the coast, beach driving can be enjoyed from Bribie Island all the way to Rainbow Beach, and the green forests of the Sunshine Coast, Scenic Rim and D’Aguilar National Park all have a familiar feel about them.
Drift southwest for a few hours, though – past Stanthorpe and towards the border with New South Wales – and you will find something quite different in Sundown National Park.
Sundown is only a touch over three hours from Brisbane’s city centre, which is all the more surprising when you see how untouched the park is and how remote it feels. Head off the New England Highway from the small town of Ballandean and follow the prominent signs to the national park by way of Sundown Road.
At the entry to the park, drop the tyre pressures and prepare for a bumpy ride.
THE DRIVE
Sundown’s national-park neighbour is Girraween National Park, a place remarkable for the giant granite boulders that litter the landscape. Sundown is just as memorable for its rocks, but it’s a different kind of memory altogether. Instead of mossy granite giants, Sundown is filled with an endless supply of small to medium-sized boulders that cover its dense traprock ranges – including the tracks through the park.
That means the drive is slow-going along its climbs and descents, and you’ll generally find yourself travelling comfortably at around the 10kph mark. The lower sections of the park have plenty of cypress pine and eucalyptus as the only view, but once closer to its peaks – some reaching over 1000m – you get sight of some sweeping vistas that will make you want to pull on the handbrake and let your jaw drop. One of the best views can be found at Red Rock Gorge, which gives a down-the-barrel sight of the gorge’s exposed red cliffs, the result of millions of years of erosion slowly carving out the landscape. It’s a short detour from the main track, but it’s well worth the side trip.
Back on the main track, there’s another showstopping scene. Passing by an old mine site, the trees thin as you reach a plateau, and the view almost becomes panoramic. It’s an uninterrupted lookout over all the rolling hills in the park, and there’s even a picnic table and shady tree to sit under and take it all in.
From there, the drive descends towards Burrows Waterhole and Reedy Waterhole, as well as to the park’s best side trip: Rat’s Castle.
Rat’s Castle is maybe the toughest drive in the whole park, with plenty of sharp descents (and ascents), places to get flexed and some river crossings for good measure.
There are other side trips, including the left-hand shortcut after Beecroft Mine, plus the track to The Broadwater camping area if you’re entering the park from the southwest.
CAMPING
Even after the highs of the drive and its inspirational views, the camping at Sundown may just trump in as the park’s biggest highlight.
From the eastern entrance you have the choice of camping at Red Rock Gorge, Reedy Waterhole and Burrows Waterhole.
TJM RELEASES 4X4 ACCESSORIES RANGE FOR NEW NISSAN NAVARA
The all-new Nissan Navara is out now, and so too is TJM’s range of products designed to enhance the Navara’s look, functionality and off-road capability.
“All of our products are painstakingly designed to suit the vehicle for which they’re made, and the new Navara was no different,” said Matt Logan, TJM’s head of customer experience and retail strategy.
TJM’s range of products for the new Navara, available to order now across the national store network, includes vehicle protection, suspension, snorkels and canopies.
The TJM Outback bar – designed to complement the Navara’s new frontend – features an all-steel construction, 63mm-diameter tubing, all-new rolled cato straps and a multi-fold channel strategically pressed and folded to maximise impact strength.
Importantly, the Outback bar’s winch frame mount system is so strong it allows TJM to include 8000kg-rated recovery points as standard, giving Navara owners an essential recovery accessory with the purchase of their bull bar.
On the opposite end is a TJM Rear Step Tow which adds rear-panel protection, towing capability and a rear-of-vehicle recovery point.
In between are steel side bars, side steps and a complete suite of underbody guards to offer protection in all directions. Meanwhile, Navara owners can deliver clean, cool air to their engine in all off-road conditions with a TJM Airtec Snorkel.
To enhance their 4×4’s ride, handling, ground clearance and load-carrying capacity, XGS suspension is now available for the Nissan Navara. XGS, TJM’s advanced, twin-tube shock absorber, features Multi-Stage Velocity- Controlled Valving, which allows the shock to dynamically adapt to changes in terrain on the fly.
Finally, the back of the Navara is complete with a TJM Premium Canopy. Featuring full central locking and self-lifting side windows for added convenience.
Owners of the new Navara 4×4 can head into a TJM store today to chat with an expert and get a quote, or they can learn more online by visiting the TJM website at tjm.com.au/get-4×4-equipped/nissan/navara