Mount Tibrogargan Circuit and Trachyte Circuit

Location: Glass House Mountains National Park, South East QLD
Date: 13th July, 2014
Distance: 8 km
Time: 1 h 30 min

Mt Beerwah and Mt Coonowrin from Mountain View Lookout

Looking for a short walk that I hadn't done before, and with both Tibrogargan and Beerwah summit routes still closed, I decided to combine these two easy circuits. The tracks wind between several of the Glass House Mountains and includes excellent views of the striking rocky peaks of Mount Tibrogargan and Mount Tibberoowuccum. I did the walk early in the morning, but I imagine late afternoon would also provide an interesting perspective.

Heading out east from the picnic area at Mount Tibrogargan, the track leads through burnout bush to Mountain View Lookout, offering awesome views of Mount Beerwah and Mount Coonowrin, the two tallest Glass House Mountains.

Mount Tibrogargan Circuit encircles Tibro and passes through a forest of brown-greyish trees and burned out trunks mixed with bright green ferns and vines. The contrast is striking.

The circuit provides several different perspectives of Tibro and the nearby Mount Cooee.

Mt Cooee

Mt Tibrogargan

Slightly different angle of Mt Tibrogaran

Rather than heading back to the carpark, I took a left turn to add the Trachyte Circuit to my walk. This section includes open woodland and heathland, and I passed many joggers and walkers heading the other direction.

Banksias on the Trachyte Circuit

Xanthorrhoeas, ever-present in the Aussie bush. Come to think of it,  I can't remember
the last time I did a bushwalk and didn't see one.

From Jack Ferris Lookout there are excellent views of Mt Tibberoowuccum, however the sun rises close to Tibro and it's difficult to look in that direction in the morning. Probably late afternoon would be a better time for viewing Tibro from here.

Mts Beerwah, Tibberoowuccum and Ngungun from Jack Ferris Lookout

From here the circuit works its way north back to the carpark, swinging close to the odd, "horny" peak of Mt Tibberoowuccum. Apparently there's a rough path leading to this mountain that spawns from the Trachye Circuit, will have to check it out next time I am here.

Mt Tibberoowuccum poking above the forest from the Trachyte Circuit

Close-up of Mt Tibberoowuccum's rocky peak