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Central Queensland

Blackdown Tableland National Park

Blackdown Tableland rises dramatically above the surrounding plains, with spectacular sandstone scenery, deep gorges, tranquil creeks and trickling cascades. It's the traditional homeland of the Ghungalu people. Being elevated, it's often cooler and moister than the plains below, and some plants and animals here are found nowhere else.

Photo: RegionalQueenslander, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

By the Outback Now editorial team · Updated · 4 min read

About the tableland

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) says Blackdown Tableland sits at the north-eastern edge of the central Queensland sandstone belt. The park supports diverse plant communities:

  • heathlands
  • dry eucalypt forests
  • moist pockets of ferns, mosses and orchids.

Found nowhere else. Because the tableland is isolated, some plants and animals found nowhere else thrive here. QPWS lists:

  • the Blackdown stringybark
  • a macrozamia and a red bottlebrush
  • the Blackdown "monster", a type of underground cricket
  • a Christmas beetle.

Ghungalu Country

The park welcome reads: "Yindi woogoo yunie thiligoo nunee binbee: you come to see good land." This is the traditional homeland of the Ghungalu people, and the tableland's varied landscapes are of great cultural significance to them.

QPWS manages the park in cooperation with the Ghungalu people, under a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2003.

Respecting Country. QPWS asks visitors to:

  • stay on designated walking tracks
  • keep out of waterholes of special significance
  • travel lightly.

Cultural sites are irreplaceable and easily damaged.

Walks

WalkDistanceTimeHighlights
Yaddamen Dhina lookoutAbout 200 m return5 minViews over distant ranges; wheelchair accessible with assistance
Goodela3.6 km return1 hrFrom Yaddamen Dhina, through eucalypt forest near the escarpment, past a seasonal creek with ferns and mosses
Mook Mook2.4 km return50 minFrom opposite the Munall turn-off, across Mimosa Creek to a lookout over sandstone cliffs
Goon Goon Dhina2.5 km circuit1 hrFrom the camping area, past old cattle yard ruins and along Mimosa Creek to a Ghungalu art site
Gudda Gumoo lookout3.6 km return1.5 hrGrade 3; stringybarks and grasstrees, and the story of Moonda Gudda, the creation ancestor
Gudda Gumoo gorge4 km return2 hrA 240-stair descent to a tranquil rock pool at the base of the falls

Gudda Gumoo gorge. QPWS says you may glimpse a rainbow in the water flowing over the red-stained sandstone ledges. Central Queensland Highlands calls the falls Gudda Gumoo (Rainbow Falls).

Walk with care:

  • Pea gravel occurs naturally on the tracks and makes them slippery underfoot.
  • Cliff edges are sheer, may be unstable and are often unfenced.
  • Never walk alone, and plan to finish in daylight.
  • Never dive or jump into creeks.

Scenic drives

Many places are reachable in a 2WD driven with caution. Beyond Munall camping area a 4WD is recommended. The 4WD Loop Road to Mitha Boongulla is rough and difficult, and suitable for high-clearance 4WDs only.

Queensland road rules apply on park roads.

Yaddamen Dhina day-use area

The day-use area has:

  • picnic tables
  • free gas barbecues
  • wheelchair-accessible toilets
  • the park's information shelter nearby.

A short walk leads to a lookout with views over the distant ranges. There's variable mobile coverage at Yaddamen Dhina lookout only. Bins aren't provided.

Camping at Munall

Munall camping area is in a quiet, shady forest close to popular short walks. It's 8 km from Yaddamen Dhina on a narrow, winding gravel road, suitable for 2WDs driven with caution.

Facilities. Toilets, including wheelchair-accessible ones, and fire rings at each site.

Booking:

  • Bookings are essential, and fees apply.
  • Book well ahead for school and public holidays and the April to October peak season.
  • Camp only in the numbered sites. Camping isn't permitted anywhere else in the park.

Rules:

  • The maximum stay is 14 nights.
  • Generators, dogs and drones are prohibited at the camping area.
  • Bring clean milled firewood, because collecting it in the park is prohibited. Fires are allowed only in the fire rings, except during bans.
  • Bring all your water. No water is provided, so treat any you collect before drinking.

Wildlife

At dawn. QPWS says the best way to see wildlife is to wake with it at Munall. Look for:

  • kingfishers, cockatoos, robins and treecreepers in the forest
  • peregrine falcons, wedge-tailed eagles and goshawks along the cliffs
  • honeyeaters, thornbills and rainbow bee-eaters in the heath.

By day, skinks, geckos and goannas bask on sandstone ledges.

At night, gliders, powerful owls and bats take to the air. Walk the camping area road with a torch to catch their eye-shine.

Getting there

QPWS says the park is 183 km west of Rockhampton and 110 km east of Emerald.

  1. Take the signed turn-off on the Capricorn Highway, 11 km west of Dingo or 35 km east of Blackwater.
  2. Follow Charlevue Road for 16 km to the base of the tableland.
  3. The 6 km climb to Yaddamen Dhina is narrow, winding and steep. It's not suitable for caravans or heavy trailers.

All roads beyond Yaddamen Dhina are unsealed.

Fuel and supplies are at Dingo, about 29 km from the park boundary.

Nearby towns. Central Queensland Highlands lists towns with caravan and motel accommodation, including Dingo (35 km), Bluff (40 km), Blackwater (60 km) and Duaringa (70 km).

Weather

QPWS lists these averages:

  • Summer days: 24–30°C.
  • Winter days: 5–15°C.
  • Winter nights: can fall below 0°C.

Dense fog often blankets the tableland.

Nearby: see our guides to Carnarvon Gorge, the Great Inland Way and outback camping.

Frequently asked questions

Can you take a caravan to Blackdown Tableland?

No. QPWS says the 6 km drive from the base of the tableland to Yaddamen Dhina is narrow, winding and steep, and not suitable for towing caravans or heavy trailers. Munall camping area isn't suitable for caravans either, though camper trailers are allowed. Nearby towns have caravan parks.

How long is the Gudda Gumoo gorge walk?

QPWS lists the Gudda Gumoo gorge walk as 4 km return, allowing 2 hours, with a 240-stair descent to a rock pool at the base of the falls. The Gudda Gumoo lookout walk alone is 3.6 km return (1.5 hours, Grade 3). Watch for slippery pea gravel and unfenced cliff edges.

Can you camp at Blackdown Tableland National Park?

Yes, but only in the numbered sites at Munall camping area, 8 km from Yaddamen Dhina. Bookings are essential and fees apply. Book well ahead for school and public holidays and the April to October peak season. The maximum stay is 14 nights, and generators and dogs aren't allowed.

Where is Blackdown Tableland National Park?

QPWS says it's in central Queensland, 183 km west of Rockhampton and 110 km east of Emerald. The signed turn-off is on the Capricorn Highway, 11 km west of Dingo or 35 km east of Blackwater. Follow Charlevue Road for 16 km to the base of the tableland.

How cold does Blackdown Tableland get?

QPWS says daytime temperatures average 24–30°C in summer and 5–15°C in winter. Nights are cool, particularly in winter when temperatures can fall below 0°C, and dense fog often blankets the tableland.

Sources and further reading

Facts on this page were checked against these primary and official sources. Conditions change — confirm before you travel or buy.

  1. Blackdown Tableland National Park — Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
  2. About Blackdown Tableland — Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
  3. Things to do, Blackdown Tableland National Park — Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
  4. Camping in Blackdown Tableland — Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
  5. Visiting safely, Blackdown Tableland National Park — Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
  6. Blackdown Tableland — Central Queensland Highlands

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