Glass House Mountains

Glass House Mountains Qld
Pic: by Bidgee

The Glass House Mountains are a series of a dozen steep ancient volcanic plugs. Located in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, 67 km north of Brisbane, they were formed over 25 million years ago and named for their resemblance to glass houses by James Cook in 1770. Covering an area of almost 900 ha, the mountains are protected by the Glass House Mountains NP. The highest peak is Mt Beerwah (555 m), followed by Mt Coonowrin (377 m) - forbidden to climb because of possible rock falls, Mt Tibrogargan (364 m) and Mt Ngungan (253 m) and all offer excellent bushwalking and abseiling opportunities. Mt Beerwah was World Heritage-listed in 2006 and although very popular, the steep climb is an arduous one. Near the small township of Glass House Mountains are Main Lookout and Mt Beerburrum Lookout. Other lookouts include Wildhorse Mountain, Stony Creek and Coochin Creek Forest. Today the surrounding areas produce tropical fruits, vegetables, macadamias and tobacco.

Visitor Information Centre: Historical Museum, Maleny St, Landsborough. Tel (07) 5494 1755.