Goodedulla National Park

Directions Near Rookwood, Queensland

Take Capricorn Highway towards Emerald. Turn right about 60 kilometers from Rockhampton, just past Gogango Creek.
Go through Gogango and turn right onto Riverslea Road. Follow all the way to Rookwood.
Rookwood Homestead will be on top of the hill on your right hand side. You will need to stop and speak with Eustie King to continue on his land to Goodedulla.

Accessibility and Camping Availability

Goodedulla National Park itself is easily accessible, but you should note that you need to be in contact with the local landowner whose property you must enter first.

Rookwood’s landowner is named Eustie King, best to phone before going. You must pass through several of Eustie’s pastures, to enter Goodedulla National Park.

Main entrance of the park is well signed, and the main road is well graded. Even the secondary roads are fairly well graded, and if not graged, there is sparse vegetation that is easily traversable.

There are several camping areas, with “huts” and yard areas. Twenty mile hut is the nicest accommodation, with a fire pit where wood fires can be built, and there is accessible running water (probably not drinkable, unless purified). Eight mile hut could not be found, and Wadlow Yards has a tent area, not sure if it was occupied at the time, but there is also a caravan there. The camping facilities are very nice and are easily accessible. Twenty mile hut and wadlow yards are both located near two of the main water sources in the park.

Landscape

Brigalow scrub, Python scrub, and Rosewood areas in the hills, as well as other scrub areas and tall open woodland areas.

The palms area has open tall woodlands, with several gum tree species, better quality soils and water present in the small creek.

The waterways (creeks) are ephemeral and seasonal, with very little water remaining during the “winter” months.

Koala Presence

A koala was heard on 28 May 2006 around 10 or 1030 P.M.

Scratching observed on gum trees.
Spoke with local landowner, and there is a local man who knows of several areas where koalas occur in the park, would be good to be in contact with him, for future trips, can get details by contacting Eustie King or his wife

Other Faunal Present

Ten eastern grey kangaroos, early 27 May 2006.

Several gliders sighted during spotlighting.

One greater glider and two squirrel gliders.

Black-striped wallaby also sighted during spot lighting.

Dingos heard both at night and during the early morning.

Bird species that I was able to identify, but there were several other small woodland species that I am not able to identify without referencing:

Pied Currawong
Sulphur-crested cockatoo
Squatter pigeon
Willie wagtail
Red winged parrot
King parrot
Laughing kookaburra
Blue winged kookaburra
Rainbow bee-eater
Tawny Frogmouth
Pale-headed rosella
Diamond dove
Red-backed fairy wren
Blue-faced honeyeater
Rufous whistler
Grey fantail
Cicadabird
Australian magpie
Double-barred finch
Wedge-tailed eagle
Black-breasted Buzzard
Australian bustard
Rainbow lorikeets

Soils/Vegetation