Cunningham’s Gap
Mountainous area situated on the Great Dividing Range with historical interest, spectacular views
Access
The park can be reached by travelling from Brisbane to Ipswich along the Cunningham Highway. From Ipswich, travel towards Warwick for approximately 97 kilometres and you will pass through the park. The picnic areas and camping area are on the right hand side of the road.
Activities
The park is an ideal stopover point for motorists travelling between Warwick and Brisbane. Picnicking is popular and there are several picnic areas just off the highway. Leading from these picnic areas arc more than 16 kilometres of walking tracks, including two which lead to the summits of Mt Mitchell and Mt Cordeaux. These are the two main peaks in the park. Another track, the box forest track, connects the camping area with the gap. It starts from the camping area, 4 kilometres west of the gap.
History
In 1827 the explorer Allan Cunningham discovered the fertile Darling Downs from the New South Wales side of the gap. Then on 25 August 1828 he penetrated from the east and wrote a report on a feasible route to the Darling Downs. Cunningham had come close to finding a route the previous year on 13 June. He named the two dominant peaks, Mt Cordeaux after William Cordeaux of the Surveyor Generals Department and Mt Mitchell after Sir Thomas Mitchell, Surveyor General on 25 August 1828. During that earlier year he wrote: ‘In a valley which leads to the immediate base of the mountain barrier I fixed my northernmost encampment, determining, as I had not the means of advancing further in consequence of the state of my provisions and the low condition of my horses, to employ a short period in a partial examination of the principal range to the western base of which we had penetrated from the southward through considerable portion of barren interior.
Tn exploring the mountains immediately above our tents with a view more especially of ascertaining how far a passage could be effected over them to the shores of Moreton Bay, a remarkable excavated part of the Main Range was discovered which appeared likely to prove a very practicable pass through these mountains to the eastward.
The road was built through nearby Spicers Gap in 1847 after its discovery by Harry Alphcn and it wasn’t until 1949 that a road through Cunningham’s Gap was officially opened. On 3 July 1909 Cunningham’s Gap was reserved as a national park, being one of the first in the history of Queensland. Further areas have been added to bring the park to its present size.
Features
If you are fortunate enough to be camping in the park at night you may like to take a walk with the aid of a torch to see some of the nocturnal animals that are found in the park. In the picnic areas and camping area you may see a greater glider {Schoinobates volans). This is a large-bodied animal with a long bushy tail and a white belly. There is a fleshy flap between its arms and legs which the greater glider stretches out to enable it to glide. It feeds on the leaves and shoots of eucalypt trees. Other possums and gliders that may be seen include the smaller sugar glider {Petaurus breviceps), the brush-tailed possum (Trichosurus vtdpecula) and the ring-tailed possum {Pseudocheirus peregrinus).
Early in the morning hours other marsupials can be seen. Two types of padcmelon are found in the park. These animals are small members of the wallaby group. The two types found in the park are the red-necked padcmelon {Thylogale thetis) and the red-legged pademelon (T. stigmatica). They are more often heard than seen as they hop through the undergrowth. Both pademelons look similar but careful observation will show the differences. The red-legged pademelon has reddish hindquarters with a yellow hip stripe and an indistinct dark stripe down the back of its neck. The red-necked pademelon has a reddish patch on his shoulders instead.
One of the most misunderstood animal groups are the reptiles and in particular snakes. There are several different types of snakes found in the park but they are rarely seen as they are usually shy and will flee at the slightest sound. Some of these snakes include the black snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus), the swamp snake {Hemiaspis signata) and the rough-scaled snake ( Tropidechis carinatus).
During the day, when the sun is out, you may see some of the lizards that are found in the park lying on the rocks. They range in size from the lace monitor (Varanus varius) to the tommy roundhead (Diporiphora australis). One lizard which may be of particular interest is the Cunningham’s rock skink (Egernia cunninghamii). It is fairly large, grey in colour and has numerous spines on the tail.