Rock pool at the head of Kondalilla Falls

Extensive logging of the Blackall Mountains followed European exploration in the 19th century. Species harvested included red cedar, white beech, bunya pines and blackbutt. As settlement in the region proceeded, small areas were set aside for recreation ­ in 1906, Kondalilla, 2 km north of Montville, was protected and 73 hectares received national park status in 1945. In 1988, Kondalilla NP was linked to Obi Obi National Park, with a total of 327 ha. Mapleton Falls (26 ha) became a national park in 1973 after being a nature reserve for nearly 40 years.

These parks protect remnants of warm subtropical rainforest and tall open eucalypt forest that once dominated the Blackall Range and provides a valuable wildlife habitat. Many native animals have their home in the parks ­ 107 species of birds, including the peregrine falcon and the wompoo fruit dove, 70 species of reptiles and 32 species of frogs, as well as platypus and freshwater crayfish. Among the unusual species recorded in the area are the pouched frog, the platypus and the red goshawk, the habitat of which has been greatly reduced by urbanisation.

Both parks also feature waterfalls ­ at Kondalilla, Skene Creek drops 90 m into a rainforest valley and at Mapleton, Pencil Creek drops 120m over a steep escarpment into the Mary River catchment. Mapleton Falls was once a popular destination for Brisbane day trippers who came from Brisbane to Nambour by train and then to Mapleton on the now defunct Mapleton tramway.The remains of the old flying fox on which they were taken over the gorge to view the falls are still discernible in one of the large trees near the parking area.

The 1.3 km Wompoo Circuit at Mapleton Falls winds through rainforest and eucalypt forest, with Peregrine Lookout providing an excellent view across the Obi Obi Valley. The falls are on the western margin of the basalt flows which make up the Blackall Range, and unfortunately due to the unstable nature of the escarpment, the lookout over the falls has been closed for safety reasons so the Falls are not readily seen.

Kondalilla Valley from
the top of the Falls