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Updated 2026 · Glass House Mountains, Queensland · Estimated read: 5 min
OneLife acknowledges the Kabi Kabi and Jinibara peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the Glass House Mountains and the wider Sunshine Coast. We pay our respects to their elders past, present and emerging, and to the enduring connection they hold to this land.
The Glass House Mountains have some of the most distinctive names in Queensland, and most visitors stumble over at least one of them before they arrive. Tibberoowuccum is the obvious one, the kind of word that makes people pause mid-sentence and quietly wonder if they have been saying it wrong the entire drive up. But it is not the only one. Coonowrin, Ngungun, Tibrogargan, Beerwah, all of them carry a history in their syllables that is worth a moment of attention.
These names come from the Kabi Kabi and Jinibara peoples, the Traditional Custodians of this Country, and they predate European settlement by thousands of years. The pronunciations listed here are the most widely used versions, drawing on local usage and publicly available resources. Where variation exists, that is noted too.
Here is the full list, peak by peak.
Keep reading
The complete Mount Tibberoowuccum hike guide
The complete Mount Ngungun hike guide
Visiting the Glass House Mountains respectfully
Why These Names Matter
The peaks of the Glass House Mountains are not just geographical features. In the culture of the Kabi Kabi and Jinibara peoples they are understood as a family, each peak holding its own name and meaning. The names that survive today are the ones that have been used to describe these mountains for thousands of years. Using them, and using them correctly, is a small act of respect toward the people whose Country this is.
Captain Cook gave the range its European name in 1770, comparing the peaks to glass furnaces from his native Yorkshire. The older names carry more meaning, and they are the ones worth learning before you visit.
How to Pronounce Tibberoowuccum
Tibberoowuccum — tib-er-oo-WUK-um
Break it into five syllables: tib, er, oo, wuk, um. The stress lands on the fourth syllable, wuk. Say it slowly the first time and speed comes naturally. The double-o in the middle is a long sound, like the oo in “moon.” The ending is soft, um rather than om.
You will hear locals say it in slightly different ways, some dropping the middle syllable into a run, others stressing the third. Any version that lands close to tib-er-oo-wuk-um will be understood immediately. It is one of those words that sounds more difficult on the page than it does out loud.
How to Pronounce Ngungun
Ngungun — NOO-noo (or NUN-gun)
This is the one that surprises most people. The ng at the start is not silent and not pronounced as a hard g. It is a nasal sound, the same sound that ends the word “sing.” In practice many visitors say noo-noo and are perfectly understood, which is the most common local version. Gun-gun is also heard. Either is fine. The important thing is that the first letter is not a hard n on its own.
How to Pronounce Tibrogargan
Tibrogargan — tib-ro-GAR-gan
Four syllables: tib, ro, gar, gan. The stress is on the third syllable, gar. This is one of the more straightforward names in the range, and most people arrive at the right pronunciation naturally after a first attempt. Tibrogargan is the father figure in the Dreaming story of the range, the tallest of the adult peaks and the most recognisable in silhouette.
How to Pronounce Beerwah
Beerwah — BEER-wah
Two syllables, straightforward. Beer as in the drink, wah as in the sound. Beerwah is also the name of the nearby town, so if you have driven through it on the way up you have already been saying this one correctly. In the Dreaming it is the mother of the family, the tallest peak in the range at 556 metres.
How to Pronounce Coonowrin
Coonowrin — KOO-no-rin (also called Crookneck)
Three syllables: koo, no, rin. The first syllable is the longest, with a long oo sound. Coonowrin is also widely known by its English nickname Crookneck, a reference to the distinctive bent spire at its peak. The mountain is closed to climbers due to rockfall risk, so you will be looking at it from the ground regardless. Koo-no-rin lands correctly every time.
[MID IMAGE] Coonowrin’s distinctive bent spire with Tibrogargan behind it.
Alt text: Coonowrin also known as Crookneck in the Glass House Mountains Queensland
The Other Peaks
The Glass House Mountains has eleven peaks in total. Here are the remaining names and their pronunciations.
Tibberoowuccum — tib-er-oo-WUK-um (covered above)
Tunbubudla — tun-boo-BUD-la. Also called the Twins, since it is actually two close peaks, North and South Tunbubudla.
Coochin — KOO-chin. Two syllables, easy to say, easy to remember.
Beerburrum — BEER-bur-um. Also the name of the nearby town. Three syllables, stress on the first.
Miketeebumulgrai — mik-ee-tee-bum-UL-gry. The longest name in the range and one of the least visited peaks. Say it slowly and it comes together.
Saddleback — SAD-ul-bak. The one English name in the group, given for the distinctive saddle shape of the peak.
Wild Horse Mountain — English name, no pronunciation needed. Home to a popular lookout with views across the range.
A Note on Language
The pronunciations in this guide reflect common local usage and publicly available resources. Aboriginal language is living, and the most accurate pronunciations will always come from the Kabi Kabi and Jinibara peoples themselves. If you have the opportunity to hear these names spoken by a community member or First Nations guide, that is the version to follow.
For more on the cultural significance of the range and what it means to visit respectfully, the guide to visiting the Glass House Mountains respectfully goes into the full detail. Sunshine Coast Council also maintains a First Nations heritage resource with further context on language and Country.
Quick reference: Tibberoowuccum = tib-er-oo-WUK-um · Ngungun = NOO-noo · Tibrogargan = tib-ro-GAR-gan · Beerwah = BEER-wah · Coonowrin = KOO-no-rin
Planning Your Visit
Now that you can say the names, here are the walks. Mount Ngungun is the easiest and most popular summit, well signposted and great for a first visit. Mount Tibberoowuccum is the quieter step up, with a trickier trailhead and a summit that most visitors never find. The Trachyte Circuit is the easiest option of all, a flat loop through heath and woodland at the base of the peaks that anyone can do.
If you want to explore the range with a guide who knows it well, Glass House Mountains tours on Viator cover the area from Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast. And if you are staying overnight, hinterland accommodation can be compared on Booking.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you pronounce Tibberoowuccum?
Tib-er-oo-WUK-um. Five syllables with the stress on the fourth. Say it slowly and it comes naturally.
How do you pronounce Ngungun?
NOO-noo is the most common local version. Gun-gun is also heard. The ng at the start is a nasal sound, not a hard g or a silent letter.
Where do the Glass House Mountains names come from?
Most names come from the language of the Kabi Kabi and Jinibara peoples, the Traditional Custodians of this Country. They predate European settlement by thousands of years. The English name Glass House Mountains was given by Captain Cook in 1770.
How do you pronounce Coonowrin?
KOO-no-rin. Three syllables with a long oo at the start. Also known as Crookneck.
How do you pronounce Tibrogargan?
Tib-ro-GAR-gan. Four syllables, stress on the third. One of the more straightforward names in the range.
Final Thoughts
The names of the Glass House Mountains peaks are not just labels on a map. They are thousands of years old, they belong to a living culture, and they are worth the small effort of learning to say correctly. Tib-er-oo-wuk-um. Noo-noo. Tib-ro-gar-gan. Beer-wah. Koo-no-rin.
Say them out loud a few times on the drive up. By the time you arrive, they will feel familiar, and the peaks will feel a little less like strangers.
The mountains have been here for twenty-six million years. They can wait while you practise the names.
One life. One decision.