The Blackall Range is one of the most beautiful and stunning natural ecosystems that makes up our landscape here on the Sunshine Coast. It dominates our hinterland, stretching across our horizons from just west of Nambour, through Mapleton, Maleny, and Flaxton, hemming us in snugly against our coastline. It’s an incredible area filled with beautiful plants and animals with nooks and crannies, not to mention beautiful picturesque country mountain towns, just begging to be explored. So what better way to explore all it has to offer than to walk it?

The Blackall 100 and 50 is a yearly trek held by Run Queensland and is an endurance test to top the rest. The 100km trek begins at 6am Saturday, 22nd October and winds through tracks and paths for over 100kms of beautiful and rugged mountain bush beauty. The cut off for finishers is at 10am the following morning, just 28 hours later, with the 50km trekkers having just 25 hours to complete their shorter endurance race. The courses are made up of walking and riding trials through the forests themselves, winding in and around the stunning Kondalilla, Kureelpa and Gheerulla Falls as well as parts of the Mapleton Falls National Park.

The Mapleton Falls National Park has to be one of my favourite places to explore in all of the Sunshine Coast. It has some of the most spectacular scenery you can imagine, not to mention the incredible views of its surrounds, including the breathtaking Mary Valley beyond. To participate you will need to go over to the Blackall 100 website and register yourself for the race and pay your registration fee – which will depend on what race you want to engage in, and when you register. Children are of course welcome to register as well, but MUST be registered with a guardian, with registrations closing on 15th October.

For more information and to register, visit the Blackall 100 website.