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On a recent visit into the ruggedly beautiful Cunningham’s Gap region of Main Range National Park, I was impressed with glorious views of ancient valleys and peaks all around.

Southern Queensland’s Main Range includes significant areas of ancient Gondwana forest.

The “Gap” is a large geological cleft in the range that permits human access from east to west. Mostly volcanic in origin, the range is covered in rainforests, tall eucalyptus, and exposed windswept escarpments with precipitous cliffs. Numerous walking trails of varied lengths and grades wander through the landscapes and environments, which are habitats for some rare and endangered animals and plants.

One particularly good and accessible walking track ascends the side of Mount Cordeaux. Climbing above tall rainforest the terrain opens up to views over Mount Mitchell and other peaks near and far. On top, at the trail’s conclusion, there is an un-fenced exposed rocky platform with impressive vistas into the Fassifern Valley. Just below the lookout, there is a vertically oriented tunnel (lava tube) running into the mountain. Quite possibly, there are others nearby, also.

Some of the area’s fauna include the quiet pademelons (forest wallabies), many insects including butterflies, birds of prey, parrots, lyrebirds, currawongs, smaller forest birds and numerous reptiles.

As you climb higher, you can feel the energies changing from one ecosystem to another. Each is unique, as well as complementing neighboring habitats. Each has a “personality” of a kind. At their centers they are distinct, but around their edges they become diffuse, readily blending with other systems. And there is a quality of timelessness of place and space.

Walking in feeling-contemplation, the country’s inherent spiritual and natural qualities are apparent. I was also drawn beyond the physicality of so-called “country”, or “place”, into the Dreaming. The country, the land itself, is almost dormant if its essence is not recognized and remembered within the Dreaming, the very source of land, and sky, animals, and trees, and people…