Exploring Echo Creek - Trip Report

Echo Creek / K-Traverse Loop – Paluma Range National Park

Sunday, 30 May 2021
Leader: Luen Warneke

There is something satisfying about stepping off an old logging road and into a lush creek, as if you are choosing the older line of the landscape over the newer one. That was the plan for our Echo Creek loop - a short walk along the K-Traverse from Clapham Junction, then an early drop into the headwaters of Echo Creek and a day spent wandering downstream.

We met at Paluma Village Green at 8 am, drove to Paluma Dam Road and parked at the start of the K Track. The morning air had that classic Paluma feel - damp, cool, and faintly earthy. Within minutes of leaving the cars, we were on the old logging road, stepping over debris and passing the first hints of culverts and moss-covered infrastructure.

Very early on, we left the road and entered the headwaters of Echo Creek.

Headwaters - Lush and Intimate

The upper section of Echo Creek is pure rainforest. Ferns crowd the banks. Moss blankets rocks. The creek bed is a mix of sand, small stones, and granite slabs. The water was clear and flowing gently - not roaring, not stagnant, just steady.

Small cascades appeared frequently. Nothing dramatic, but beautifully formed - water slipping over granite lips into shallow pools. In places we were knee-deep, in others just rock-hopping. The creek walk was straightforward, though the constant route choices kept us engaged. Wet feet were inevitable and entirely appropriate.

The vegetation here is dense, and the stream is windy. We pushed through wait-a-while in sections and found ourselves weaving between tree trunks where the banks narrowed. It felt enclosed and alive - the kind of environment where every surface is green.

Changing Vegetation - From Rainforest to Bush

As we continued downstream, the character shifted noticeably. The dense rainforest gave way to more open, scrubby bushland. Granite slabs became more prominent. The creek widened and flattened in places, with sandy patches and shallow pools.

It is fascinating how quickly vegetation transitions in Paluma. A few hundred metres can mean a completely different ecological feel. Fern-dominated banks give way to more sclerophyll species. The light increases. The undergrowth changes texture.

This gradual change is one of the real pleasures of the Echo Creek descent - you are walking through a living gradient.

A Notable Waterfall

Further downstream, the creek opened slightly and we came to the largest waterfall on Echo Creek. It is not massive by Paluma standards, but it is the standout feature of this watercourse - a clean cascade over granite into a calm pool below.

We paused there for photos and a break. It is one of those places that feels undiscovered, despite being only a short distance from an old road. The balance between accessibility and solitude is what makes Echo Creek such a good introductory creek walk.

We later added this waterfall to OpenStreetMap so that others can find and appreciate it - a small contribution to documenting these quiet corners of the range.

Logging History and Bottle Finds

Next to the creek, just before exiting, we came across scattered glass bottles in the leaf litter. Brown and green glass, partially buried, quietly waiting. Among them was a Champion vinegar bottle - the type historically used with bicarb soda to make bread in logging camps. A small, ordinary object that connects you directly to the people who once worked these forests.

Echo Creek, like the K-Traverse, carries the layered marks of logging history - old roads, culverts, bottle dumps, and the subtle shaping of the landscape. The forest has reclaimed most of it, but not all of it.

Eventually, we rejoined an offshoot of the old logging road to make our way back towards the K-Traverse.

The Return

Once back on the K-Traverse, the walking felt almost easy after the creek. We followed the old road back to Clapham Junction (cleared from the Forgotten Falls turnoff to the Paluma Dam Road), arriving at the cars somewhere between 3 and 5 pm as predicted. Muddy boots. Damp clothes. Satisfied expressions.

Echo Creek is a superb beginner-friendly creek adventure for those comfortable with off-track navigation and wet feet. It offers:

• Easy entry and exit points
• Continuous scenic creek walking
• Small cascades and one notable waterfall
• Changing vegetation from lush rainforest to bushland
• Historical relics from the logging era
• Navigation basics with creeks and roads to somewhat assist

It is not a manicured track. There is bush bashing. There is route finding. There are wet shoes and scratched shins. But there is also that sense of moving through living water, rather than merely beside it. In Paluma, the old logging roads tell one story. The creeks tell another. On this walk, we followed the creek.