Scenic Rim Trail Masterplan, Development Proposal and Environmental Management Plan

Project: Scenic Rim Trail Masterplan, Development Proposal and Environmental Management Plan

When: 2013-2020

Client: Spicers Group

Objectives of the Assignment

To respond to a Queensland Government call for expressions of interest in ecotourism projects on National Parks. The Scenic Rim Trail concept was accepted by the Government, and a full masterplan was developed and accepted. The client then commissioned Tony Charters and Associates to undertake the detailed survey and design of the 65km walking trail and associated ecocamps, followed by the development of the DPEMP for government approval processes.

The Scenic Rim Trail provides a world-class, long-range trail linking the private conservation lands of the Spicers Group with National Parks largely within the Gondwana World Heritage Area near the border of Queensland and New South Wales. The Trail is open to the public free of charge. Paying guests of the Spicers Group are guided in small groups by expert guides.  

Open in 2020, the Trail traverses open eucalypt forest, tall open forest and rainforests of the Main Range National Park and adjoining Nature Refuges. Four luxury, but understated ecolodges located along the Trail provide walkers with the ultimate glamping experience. The trail itself was fully funded by the private sector, Turner Family Foundation, and is open to all walkers free of charge. The project opened in the difficult COVID era but immediately received very strong bookings.