To reach Coongara Rock you will need a good 4WD and a dry day - don't attempt the drive after rain in the area. The Track to Coongara rock is about 15km but you should plan for a 2hour drive pending on the condition the road is in.
To reach Coongara Rock take the indicated turnoff (about 8km out of Biggenden towards Ban Ban Springs) which will take you through a couple of cattle properties before the track gets more demanding and you enter the state forest. As I hear the plan is to turn Coongara Rock State forest into a National Park shortly.
On your way up you can also visit billabongs with an excellent view. The track will take you straight up into the mountains, stubbornly following the hills ridges. It gets very steep and soon the eucalypt forest is more and more replaced by native pine. Stop on the good view places and take in the remote mountain forest feeling.
Coongara Rock itself is the remaining caldera of an ancient volcano - basically the last magma which remained in the crater, but the crater mountain around it has washed away leaving a massive hump of a rock in the landscape. At the base of Coongara Rock you can opt to stop and walk up to the top. The walking trail is only for experienced hikers and it takes you along the base of the steep rockface until you reach the more gently sloping side.
Then you have to scramble up the rockface to reach the top - the view is awesome! Soon after Coongara Rock the road peters out, maybe it would go further but I opted to turn around and get home save. I hear you should be able to push through and get to Coalstoun Lakes but maybe that would rather be by horse than 4WD. Coongara Rock offers a great day with 4WD adventure and a fine walk - a complete package, and you get it almost to yourself. Coongara Rock is not well known and off the beaten track. Don't expect any facilities. Enjoy!
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