Australia Day Cleanup at the Glasshouse Mountains 2026

The Queensland 4x4 Club gathered for an early start on Sunday morning, meeting at 7:30 am at the base of the Glass House Mountains for the annual Australia Day Cleanup. The morning was warm and clear, and everyone arrived ready to contribute to restoring one of the region’s most iconic national parks.

Morning Briefing and Team Split
After the trip briefing and safety reminders, members were divided into two groups. Each group had a dedicated vehicle towing a trailer, allowing us to cover more ground and collect larger items often dumped deep within the forest tracks.

Rubbish Collected
The volume and variety of rubbish encountered throughout the morning was disappointing but not surprising. Across both groups, the following items were collected:

Vehicle tyres — dozens of them, including one motorcycle tyre

Construction concrete — chunks and broken slabs dumped off-track

Vehicle parts — including an entire exhaust system

Household rubbish — bags, loose waste, and general dumping

Both trailers filled steadily as the teams worked through illegal dump sites, and commonly misused recreation areas. Members rotated between driving, spotting, loading, and documenting the more unusual finds.

Community Encounters
During the cleanup we encountered motorcycle riders using the area, many slowed down and acknolwedged our efforts with some even offering a thankyou to the group members. As the cleanup wrapped up and the trailers were brought back to the collection point, two young boys riding their push bikes stopped and offered to help. Their enthusiasm and willingness to pitch in was a genuine highlight of the day, and their help made unloading the trailers quicker and easier.

Unfortunately, not all interactions were positive. A group of drivers was politely asked if they could lend a hand with the unloading. Instead of helping, they drove off — and one of them threw a can out of their car window toward our volunteers. It was a disappointing reminder of why cleanups like this remain necessary.

Wrap-Up
Despite the challenges, the day was productive and rewarding. The amount of rubbish removed made a clear difference to the area, and the teamwork and commitment shown by our club members reflected the values the Queensland 4x4 Club is known for. The council contractor collected the waste shortly after, ensuring everything was disposed of properly.

A big Thankyoiu to the Club Members who gave up their time to cleanup one of Queensland's icons.