BUNYA BUG-CATCH
Friday 26th -Sunday 28th February, 2010

The 17th BugCatch will be held at the Bunya Mountains National Park, organised in conjunction with Kelvin
Quinn, Ranger-in-Charge.
About Bug-Catch
“Bug-Catch” is a program of collecting trips run by the Entomological Society of Queensland, in conjunction
with the Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM). The object of the trips is to utilise
the specialist insect collecting and identification skills of Society members to assist DERM to compile lists of
invertebrates for protected areas (National Parks, Forest Reserves, State Forests, etc). The Bug-Catch
Program is arranged by Geoff Monteith and Christine Lambkin, on behalf of ESQ.
The Bunya Bug-Catch has a slightly different focus. Many years ago the society presented two drawers of
insects for display at the Bunya Mountains National Parks Information Office at Dandabah. The insects
included those collected by society members in the Bunya Mountains. The display has deteriorated over time
and the Information Office is undergoing an upgrade. National Parks are keen to have us collect over the
February weekend in order to not only supply a list of insects seen and collected, but to include new
specimens in the display.
Bunya Mountains National Park
There are 35km of walking tracks throughout the Park, weaving in and out of diverse grasslands, eucalypt
forest, rainforest and vine scrubs ranging from a 500m stroll to a 10km hike, and from disabled access to
Class 4 – moderate fitness and ankle-supporting footwear required for some steps and steep inclines. . See
the attached map and the website:
https://www.epa.qld.gov.au/parks_and_forests/find_a_park_or_forest/bunya_mountains_national_park/index
Accommodation: Burton's Well camping area
We have booked the entire Burton's Well camping area for accommodation for the Bug-Catch, but members
of the public may be present at Burton's Well as day visitors. There will be no charge to the ESQ. You may
chose to make your own arrangements elsewhere.
Burton's Well Campground features: A large, well-grassed open area surrounded by forest. There are a
number of ancient grasstrees scattered through the camping area.
Location: About 8.5km north-west of the QPWS information centre.
Access: The campground can be reached by conventional vehicle. It is not accessible for trailers, caravans
or buses. Although the campground is accessible by car, it is not possible to drive onto the campsites -
parking is available only a short distance from each campsite. If you are interested in taking a camper trailer
please contact Chris.
Number of sites: Open area without separately defined sites for up to 50 people.
Campsites are suitable for: walk-in camping only; cars must remain in carparks nearby.
Campsite surface: Grass.
Facilities: Water (treat before drinking), toilet (hybrid system), cold showers, picnic tables, donkey boiler,
wood barbecues and firewood. Please use wood sparingly and make sure your fire is out before you leave it
- extinguish with water, not sand or dirt. Fuel or gas stoves are recommended.
A public telephone, kiosk, restaurant, general store with basic supplies, galleries and craft can all be found at
Dandabah. Fuel is not available on the mountain.
Open fires: In fireplaces only, except when fire bans or prohibitions apply.
Date/Time.
It all happens from Friday 26, from midday at Burton's Well to Sunday 28 February at midday. We have
permission to run some generators for light traps on Friday and Saturday nights at Burton's Well. Participants
may come and go at anytime.

Getting there and getting around
The park can be reached via several routes. See the website for more options. All roads to the Bunya
Mountains are steep and winding. Caravans and trailers are not recommended. No fuel is available
on the mountain.
From Brisbane via Toowoomba: Take Ipswich Motorway and then Warrego Highway 138km west to
Toowoomba. Continue 44km to Jondaryan and turn right towards the Bunya Mountains. Travel a further
65km through Maclagan, following directional signs to the Bunya Mountains. A section of the road is gravel.
From Brisbane via Yarraman: Travel up the Brisbane Valley through Esk. Turn left to Yarraman then left
again at Yarraman towards Toowoomba. 20km from Yarraman turn right to Maidenwell. At Maidenwell turn
left to the Bunya Mountains. About 6km of the road is gravel.
Essentials to Bring
• Bring all your collecting gear. A daypack would be useful as there is the opportunity to walk and
explore quite a way into the park along the tracks. There is some water to collect in so bring dip nets
and some white trays. A torch or headlight and jumper will be good if you are staying for the evening.
• Generators and light sheets. We have permission to run some generators for light traps on Friday and
Saturday nights at Burton's Well.
• Food. You are responsible for all your own food and drink.
• Bring drinking water, a fuel stove to boil water for drinking and/or chemical tablets to treat water.
Water at Burton's Well requires treatment before drinking.
• Rubbish bags (no bins are provided at Burton's Well and Westcott).
• Fuel or gas stoves are recommended. There are limited wood BBQs available, tables and benches,
and toilets at Burton's Well.
• Bring buckets to carry warm water from the donkey boiler to the bush shower cubicle provided.
• Bring insect repellent to ward off ticks and tweezers to remove ticks from skin.
• Take raincoats as weather is changeable.
• Bring warm clothing, even in summer. The Bunya Mountains have a cool climate and an annual
rainfall of about 1000mm. Heavy fog and mists occur at any time of year. Winter mornings can be
frosty. On the hottest summer days the maximum temperature is usually only 25 to 27 degrees Celsius.
Bunya Mountains National Park
The mountains support the largest remaining area of bunya pines Araucaria bidwillii in the world. The bunya
pines tower over tall, moist rainforest along the range crest at more than 1100m, while hoop pines dominate
dry rainforest on lower slopes. Subtropical rainforest, once the most widespread rainforest community in
Queensland, grows along the range crest and upper parts of the eastern side of the mountains. Semievergreen
vine thickets and at least seven other types of dry rainforest grow on the lower or western slopes.
The park's forests shelter rare and threatened plants including orchids and small herbs. Natural grassland
"balds" containing rare grass species are scattered across the mountains. The national park also protects
open eucalypt forests, woodlands, brigalow scrubs and the largest protected areas of vine thickets
dominated by bottle trees in Australia.
The park is home to about 120 species of birds and many species of mammals, frogs and reptiles. Several
rare and threatened animals live here including sooty owls, powerful owls, the black-breasted button quail, a
skink species and a number of mammals. Birdlife is abundant, with brightly coloured parrots popular visitors
to picnic areas. Of the many animals that become active at night, the Bunya Mountains ringtail possum
(Pseudocheirus peregrinus rubidus) is one you will not see anywhere else in the world.
The Bunya Mountains are of special significant to Aboriginal people. Up until the late 1800s, local and
neighbouring groups met every three years for feasts and celebrations coinciding with mass crops of bunya
pine seeds.

Let us know by phone or email if you are coming....
Geoff Monteith and Christine Lambkin
Bugcatch Coordinators
Queensland Museum
Telephone 38407699