Ships Stern Circuit Track

Located in the Binna Burra part of Lamington National Park, the trailhead of Ships Stern Circuit is at Binna Burra and is easily accessible from the central Gold Coast (about a 60-minute drive) or central Brisbane (a 90-minute drive). The loop trail is a good day’s hike, so for an overnighter or an early start, there is the Binna Burra Mountain Lodge which offers accommodation and also has a café. The hike is a lovely trail leading through a mix of palm groves, rainforest and open eucalyptus forest and up to the summit of Ships Stern Mountain. There are several lookouts en route, giving some lovely views over the surrounding country and Numinbah Valley, as well as caves and waterfalls, making it a very rewarding hike. It has plenty of vegetation to be seen; lots of interesting fungi near the damp forest floor, magnificent trees and the wildflowers when in bloom in the springtime are simply beautiful. Search out the stunning late-flowering Banksia Birthday Candles, this is a compact shrub with narrow leaves and dark foliage which produces column-like heads of golden flowers that look a bit like candles and which are very attractive to nectar-feeding birds. Cockatoos and Rosellas are found here; these birds are often heard but not seen due to the dense foliage. Potoroos also live here, called the rat-kangaroo, this small marsupial hops on its back feet like a kangaroo but looks like a rat and lives in the undergrowth on the forest floors. If you are lucky you may even catch a glimpse of a snake. A fairly strenuous hike of 12 miles, this trail is graded as Difficult and can be completed in either direction, although clockwise is the recommended way. For information on how we grade trails, please click here. The trail can be completed in around 7 hours or why not turn it into a multi-day trip and spend the night at the Nagarigoon Clearing Campsite, near the Nagarigoon waterfall? This would give time for a short side trip to the Lower Ballanjui Falls as well. Note that caution is advised on trail times as this depends on multiple variables. For more info, click here. The track is not accessible for wheelchairs and pushchairs and is not really suitable for young children either; there are rocky creek crossings to be navigated, some steep inclines and the terrain is often very slippery plus there is scrambling and trees to climb over, making it too strenuous for little legs.Take plenty of water with you on this trail and be sure to take advantage of the many look outs for a little rest along the way. It is also a good idea to take a waterproof jacket as rain here can be heavy. Dogs are not allowed on this trail and it is accessible all year, but note that summer time is often very hot so it is probably better to hike it in the cooler months. s trail can be completed in approx 2 days. Caution is advised on trail times as this depends on multiple variables. For more info, click here.Photo Credit :Shiftchange