Gold Coast is famous for its beaches, yet its Hinterland might be even more compelling! Mount Tamborine is a perfect destination for a weekend getaway with its natural wonders, swish gastro experiences, art galleries and beautiful scenery.
Tamborine Mountain is located in the Gold Coast Hinterland about an hour drive from Brisbane and 40 minutes from the Gold Coast. It's also part of the Scenic Rim, a scenic mountain range with bunch of recreational activities, lush rainforests and art galleries.
FUN FACT: Did you know that the Scenic Rim region is considered to have the most fertile land in Queensland?
As a remnant of the former Mount Warning volcano, the scenic Mount Tamborine sits on a level plateau about 550-metres and offers view both to the skyline of Surfers Paradise with the Pacific Ocean and the Scenic Rim. The Tamborine National Park protects an over 2000 ha area divided into 14 sections, including the Witches Falls area, the first national park of Queensland. The park gives home to numerous protected animals such as Australian bush-turkey, pademelon, land mullet, noisy pitta or Albert's lyrebird.
The Tamborine Mountain Visitor Information Centre is located in North Tamborine, on Main Western Road. Here you'll find maps, itineraries and knowledgeable staff to help.
Now let's see what are unmissable natural attractions of Mount Tamborine!
Tamborine Mountain National Park
Of the 14 sections of the national park, 6 offers walking routes. There are 11 walking tracks to explore and none of them is longer than 3 km. Join a tour or walk around by yourself, the tracks can be walked in a few hours. There are picnic and barbeque areas, also public toilets in the area, but note that camping, jumping into rock pools and bringing a pet into the park is not allowed. Be a responsible traveler and follow the instructions, keep to the defined walking tracks, take your rubbish home and do not disturb any plants or animals!
Withes Falls Section
Witches Falls section was declared as a national park in 1908, making it the first of its kind in Queensland. The Witches falls circuit is a 3.6 km route down the mountain side through banksia trees into a rainforest to Withes Falls. The track takes and hour and leads past seasonal lagoons. Keep in mind, the falls only flows after recent rain and the lookout platform offers the best view to it. Witches Chase track branches off the Falls circuit and leads to Witches Chase off Beacon Road, passing Witches Falls lookout and on through rainforest with large red cedars and eucalypts. This track re-joins the Witches Falls circuit along the same track and it takes about an hour to complete. Watch out for the landslip area!
Access this section from the parking lot by Main Western Road. The car park is suitable for larger vehicles and there's a toilet block and a picnic area here.
Cedar Creek Section
This section includes the 500 m long Cedar Creek Falls track to the lookout and the 1.1 km long track to the rock pools. The shorter track takes 15 minutes and offers view to the gorge, waterfalls and rock pools, while the longer trail leads to the rock pools below through the eucalypt forest and takes about 30 minutes.
Access this section from the picnic area by Cedar Creek Falls Road. Toilet blocks are available here.
Joalah Section
Joalah has three different walking trails. Eagle Heights Road access track is an about 10 minutes walk through the rainforest to shops and cafes. The Curtis Falls track is a 1.1 km long path to Curtis Falls, where a wet eucalypt forest merges into a lush rainforest. The rock pool and the basalt rock provides home to glow-worms. The lower creek circuit is a bit more difficult route with a giant strangler fig, creek crossing and rock hopping. It takes about an hour to take the 2.5 km long circuit from the Curtis Falls track. In Joalah Section, look for basking turtles on fallen logs, see fish and eels in the water, you might even meet a platypus! At night, glow-worms come out from the surrounding cliffs.
Access this section from Dapsang Drive car park or Eagle Heights Road. This is where larger vehicles (like buses) can be parked. You'll find a toilet block here as well.
TOP TIP: Have an Gelato after the hike by the entrance of the track at Lemon Lovers Gelato & Cheese. They have various sorbets and gelato as well as Pure Artisan Chees made locally.
Knoll Section
The Sandy Creek circuit is an hour long, 2.6 km route through the lush rainforest canopy. Take the 100 m detour to Cameron Falls lookout and you'll see Brisbane and D'Aguilar Range across the valley. Watch out for the steep cliff edges here too!
This section is accessible from the picnic area by Knoll Road. There is a lookout point in the northern edge of the picnic site, where you'll see Flinders Peak and Brisbane in the distance. Toilets are also available here.
TOP TIP: Have a barbie and enjoy the view from the lookout! There's nothing more relaxing than watching a breathtaking sunset with your favourite drink in your hand.
MacDonald Section
The MacDonald Section of Tamborine National Park was donated to the national park in 1933 by Jessie MacDonald. The 1.4 km long walk leads through a subtropical rainforest with strangler figs and piccabeen palms in 30 minutes.
Access this forest from the car park on Wongawallen Road.
Palm Grove Section
This section was named after the abundant piccabeen palm trees and combines two longer and harder tracks. Palm Grove circuit is 2.7 km long and takes about an hour through a rainforest with piccabeen palm groves, yellow carabeens, strangler figs and fungi. Jenyns circuit takes 30 minutes and 2 kilometers more, and leads out into an eucalypt forest with hoop pines, brush box, grey gums and cycads. Look out for the steep cliff edges!
Access the tracks from the picnic area by the Palm Grove Avenue.
Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk
The Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk is a rainforest canopy walkway at a private owned rainforest area by Cedar Creek. The Skywalk is 1.5 km long and takes 30-45 minutes to walk around. The trail starts at the Eco Gallery then gradually descends to the Cedar Creek Viewing Platform and follows rock pools, The Skywalk Bridge, a butterfly lookout and sheltered rest areas until it reaches the 40 meter high Skywalk Cantilever.
Have some refreshments at Birdwing Café and buy your tickets at the reception for 19.50 AUD.
Glow Worm Caves
The Glow Worm Caves in Mt. Tamborine are purpose-built caves as part of a conservation initiative to protect the glow worm colony at Mt. Tamborine. During the day, they're accessible only through a guided tour. The 30 minutes guide is available for 15 AUD here.
Tamborine Mountain Botanic Gardens
The botanical garden in Mt. Tamborine is a 11 ha area consisting of exotic species and native flora. The Gardens include a peaceful Japanese Garden, a lake, a tropical rainforest walk, a rose garden, a bromeliad garden, wisteria-covered pergolas, a perennial cottage garden and many more. The gardens are maintained by volunteers and donations are welcomed as visiting the garden is free. There are picnic areas in the garden, but there are no BBQ facilities and dogs are not allowed either. This garden is a lovely venue for any type of event - reservations are available from 240 AUD.
Rotary Lookout
Bring your blanket and glass of wine (or beer) and enjoy a wonderful sunset from the Rotary Lookout! You can admire the view of the Scenic Rim from benches, binoculars or from your car. The lookout is located along the Main Western Road, across the road from the Bavarian Grill Haus.
Hang Glider Lookout
This lookout is also called Robert Sowter Park Lookout and offers a spectacular scenery to the Scenic Rim and the Great Diving Ranges. This field is the launching spot of the paragliders and hang gliders in Mt. Tamborine so you can experience the gliders taking off and the view at the same time! This lookout is also located along the Main Western Road, not far from the Rotary Lookout.
For adventure seekers, we suggest two activities for an adrenalin rush:
Thunderbird Park
Thunderbird Park is a mountain resort combined with an adventure park. The main attractions include Australia's longest and highest rope course, the TreeTop Challenge and ride on the Canyon Flyer but you'll find activities from treasure hunt and laser skirmish to horse riding, bird feeding and mini golf. Book and find the prices here. Have some snack from Terrace Kiosk or have a romantic dinner at Rainforest Restaurant and Lounge Bar. The 112 ha area is located on Cedar Creek Falls Road, a 20 minute walk from Cedar Creek. The park shares the rainforest property with Cedar Creek Lodges therefore offering several accommodation options from camping to resorts.
Paragliding & Hang Gliding
There are a couple of organizations offering lesson and equipment for this thrilling activity in the Scenic Rim Area and Gold Coast. Just to mention a few: South East QLD Hang Gliding, Paragliding Queensland, Oz Paragliding & Hang Gliding, Paratech Paragliding. The Tamborine Mountain launching site is located by the Robert Sowter Park, along Main Western Road.
If you got hungry after the exciting day, explore the town of Mount Tamborine - stroll along Gallery Walk, eat in an award-winning restaurant! To find more things to do here, check out our other post too about the top 8 experiences! or our complete travel guide here!
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