Mount Archer National Park

Staying in Rockhampton (known as “Rocky”) the night before, there were a few hours of spare time before catching an afternoon flight to Brisbane and then another to Sydney.  So I left the hotel early and headed to Mount Archer National Park, which is located on the edge of town.  It was a Sunday morning in September, and being early in the day and a moderate time of the year, it was humid outside but not hot.  There were quite a few local residents walking and jogging up the road to the summit, but there was no one else out on the walking tracks and overlooks.

The scenic visibility at the top is limited by a heavy forest cover, but there are lookouts that offer a spectacular view of town and of the surrounding hills.

The actual summit of the peak is Frazer Park, a city park.  There is also a neighborhood of private homes on top of the peak, and a coffee shop (closed during my visit).  The short hiking tracks make a loop around the top of Mount Archer, and there is a longer hike called Zamia Walk that follows a creek back down to town.  I only walked down the Zamia Walk only as far as a mapped overlook, then back to the top.  I’ll certainly walk the entire track next time.

I don’t want to give away all of my photography secrets or admit to anything, but for the record, on this hike I only had an average point-and-shoot camera.  It did as well as could be expected.

Here is the official government website for Mount Archer National Park, including a downloadable pdf map of the location and walking tracks:  http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/parks/mount-archer/