Boonoo Boonoo National Park

Boonoo boonoo national park

Location:
About 27 kilometres north of Tenterfield on the border between N.S.W. and Queensland. From Tenterfield take the Mount Lindesay Road north for some 22 kilometres and then turn right into the Boonoo Boonoo Falls Road. After
about 5.5 kilometers you will get to the Morgan’s Gully Picnic Area. A further 2-2.5 kilometers further will take you the Boonoo Boonoo Falls Picnic area with the Campground a little further on from there. From Stanthorpe, take Amosfield Road eastwards until you reach the Mount Lindesay Rd – Amosfield Rd T-junction and then follow Mount Lindesay Road southwards for about 14 unsealed kilometres until you can turn left onto Boonoo Boonoo Falls Rd. From there follow the road as above.

Size:
When the park was first gazetted in 1982 it consisted of two individual parcels of land totalling 1,345 hectares. However, since then a number of additions have occurred and the park now measures just under 44 square kilometres.

Indigenous heritage:
Little detail is known about occupation by Indigenous Peoples prior to colonial times however, the Jukambal people are known to have inhabited the area. The N.S.W. National Parks and Wildlife Service is ambiguous about the meaning of the words Boonoo Boonoo (pron. Bun-na Bun-noo) with the Bald Rock and Boonoo Boonoo National Parks Plan of Management (2002) stating it means ‘bald rock’ in the Jukambal language; and the NPWS website stating it means ‘poor country (with no animals to provide food)’. (Brackets added by editor.) Wikipedia sides with the latter, claiming the Geographical Names Board of N.S.W. as it’s’ source.

Landscape:
Boonoo Boonoo National Park, together with nearby Bald Rock and Girraween National Parks are each small parts of what is known as the Granite Belt. The Granite Belt stretches from Tamworth in N.S.W to southern Queensland covering some 2,500 square kilometres. A massive intrusion of magma (= molten rock underground) about 225 Mya created the belt just below the surface. Subsequent erosion of the rocks above, exposed it. Further erosion over time has given rise to the formation of the granite domes, tors and boulders so typical of the area. The Park is a small part of the eastern escarpment of the Great Dividing Range. The Boonoo Boonoo River runs through it from south to north. Further downstream the Boonoo Boonoo River joins the Maryland River to than become the Clarence. Boonoo Boonoo Falls is a compound waterfall that cascades down the granite rocks before dropping more than 200 meters into the gorge below it. There are many rock pools along the length of the river within the National Park with some offering the perfect place for some Platypus spotting.

Colonial heritage:
Much of the area's colonial past ties in with the history of the town of Tenterfield from 1851 onwards and subsequent gold discoveries starting in 1858. (See also: Bald Rock National Park). Morgan’s Gully and Roper Gully (just outside the current boundaries of the Park) are two localities where evidence of goldmining practices can still be found even though mining ceased more than a century ago. Other land uses include cattle raising and forestry. It is said that Banjo Patterson proposed to his future wife, Alice Walker, the daughter of a local cattle station owner, at the Boonoo Boonoo Falls Lookout. By the time of Banjo paterson's death in 1941 they had been married for 38 years.

Park facilities:
The Cypress Pine campground has 14 sites available for tents, campervans or caravans. Access to the campground is via a sealed 2-WD road. Advance bookings are required however. The campsites have fire pits and most have picnic tables. There are drop-toilets but drinking water cannot be counted on so, bring your own. Sometimes there is firewood available but again you are advised to bring some yourself. There are also free BBQ facilities. Boonoo Boonoo N.P. is a good all year round destination but be aware that the winter nights can be quite chilly. There are two picnic areas, one at Boonoo Boonoo Falls and one at Morgan’s Gully, about one kilometre in from the entrance to the park on the left hand side of the road. For those who prefer some creature comfort during their stay away from home, there is ‘Robinson’s Cabin’. This self-contained, 2 bed-room cabin sleeps up to six people. Bookings must be made well in advance however as the cabin is quite popular.

Walking Trails:

Boonoo Boonoo Falls walking Track.
A short 0.7 kilometer, Grade 2 return walk between Boonoo Boonoo picnic area and the lookout over Boonoo Boonoo Falls.

River Walk.
This Grade 3 walk will take you from the Cypress Pine campground to the Boonoo Boonoo Falls picnic area. The track follows some of the park’s fire trails and is 6.1 kilometer one way. Allowing for some sightseeing along the way, the there-and-back trip may take the average walker up to 5 hours.

Author(s): Erik Beringen

Photographic Contributions: Erik Beringen

References and Links:
  https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/boonoo-boonoo-national-park
  https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/-/media/OEH/Corporate-Site/Documents/Parks-reserves-and-protected-areas/Parks-plans-of-management/bald-rock-boonoo-boonoo-national-parks-plan-of-management-160305.pdf
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenterfield,_New_South_Wales
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boonoo_Boonoo_River

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