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NARRATOR>> Visible from quite a few Southeast Queensland locations,
the Glass House Mountains, in the Sunshine Coast hinterland,
captivate onlookers with their dramatic, craggy peaks.
And some of these volcanic remnants are so abrupt, so peculiar,
that you can't help but wonder if they have some sort of unfinished business.
Their collective name hails from Lieutenant Captain James Cook,
who, upon sighting them in 1770,
thought they resembled the shape of glass furnaces back in England.
However, their individual names are derived from local Aboriginal words,
for example, Tibrogargan, which means 'flying squirrel';
Beerwah, or 'up in the sky';
Coonowrin, derived from the term for 'crooked neck';
and Ngungun, which means 'charcoal' or 'black'.
KARA>> So we're getting ready to hike up 253m Mt Ngungun today.
It's only 2.2kms return, so it shouldn't take us that long.
The sign here tells us it's going to take about two hours, so we'll see.
The great thing about this hike is that
it's one of the easiest hikes here in the Glass House Mountains...
NARRATOR>> I've walked this track before, and, at first, it behaves as expected.
It starts out flat and ascends gently,
passing soft ferns,
slow-growing grass trees,
and expressive scribbly gums.
Then it develops into a series of switchbacks,
with occasional steps, as it proceeds towards the summit.
Just before the cave, though, the track pleasantly surprises me.
KARA>> Last time we did this hike, the path took us straight up this gully,
which was a bit of a climb, a little bit challenging.
But now it's closed off, entry is prohibited,
and the track, instead, runs this way...
NARRATOR>> The track still climbs, of course, but it's a heck of a lot easier.
Pausing briefly to look towards the Pacific,
we continue along the final stretch towards the ridge.
Coonowrin and Beerwah are first to greet us,
and they remain in our company the rest of the way to the summit.
KARA>> So that took less than a half-hour to get up here,
and as you can see, from the top,
we've got these fabulous views of Tibrogargan over here,
and over to our side, this way,
Crooked Neck and Beerwah.
NARRATOR>> From this vantage, we also take in the lush hinterland,
Wild Horse Mountain, and, in the distance, Moreton Island.
KARA>> How was that?
TONY>> Absolutely wonderful, beautiful day, crisp, great.
KARA>> How's the climb?
TONY>> Relatively easy, actually, since they've done the bypass.
NARRATOR>> While getting here isn't difficult,
the drop-offs from the upper ridge and summit demand caution.
KARA>> Last time we were here, we abseiled off the side of this,
which was a thrill, it was great fun,
but I think today I'm kind of glad that we're just enjoying the view from here
and not scaring ourselves too much.
NARRATOR>> These mystical mountains have inspired me from the first moment I saw them,
and they're spiritually significant for local Aboriginal people.
Their creation legend goes something like this:
Long ago, a family lived by the sea.
When the father, Tibrogargan, saw the seas rising
he ordered Coonowrin, his eldest son, to help his pregnant mother, Beerwah, and younger
siblings get to higher ground.
Fearful for his own life, though, Coonowrin instead ran away.
Fuming, Tibrogargan caught up with his eldest son,
striking and permanently dislocating his neck.
Tibrogargan, disgusted with his son's cowardice, now stares out to sea,
with his back to Coonowrin, who holds his head in shame.
Thankfully, though, our emotions on this lovely autumn day don't reflect this story at all.
Like the other hikers we encounter, we're absolutely elated to be here.