Bunya Mountains National Park

Embracing much of the mountains, 11 700ha Bunya Mountains National Park is best-known for its bunya pines, with their distinctive, dome-shaped crowns. Just 90 minutes' drive from Toowoomba, or three to four hours from Brisbane.

The plants are protected in the park's rainforests, eucalypt forests and woodlands. High altitude grasslands include rare grasses, and are internationally important.

Birdlife is abundant, with brightly coloured parrots popular visitors to picnic areas. Rare and threatened birds, reptiles and mammals are found in the park.

The Bunyas are also famous as a place where Aboriginal people gathered for seasonal feasts of bunya pine 'nuts'. Europeans established a pioneer timber industry, relics of which remain today.