Hinterland / National Parks

Gold Coast Hinterland

 32 Hardys Rd, Mudgeeraba QLD 4213, Australia 12am – 11:59pm Gold Coast Campervan Hire

stowbiohazard (contributor)

People always think of the beach and the theme parks when it comes to The Gold Coast. The hinterlands are usually & unfairly forgotten! It would really be a pity to miss them!

Took a Scenic Hinterland day tour (can’t remember the name of the company now) to O’Reilly’s Plateau, Lamington & Mt Tamborine National Parks. (Then it only cost me A$30)

The itinerary took the group to an Alpaca Farm (Alpacas are Llama-looking creatures, reared for their wool) where we had morning tea, then a lovely stop at Kamarun Lookout to take in the beauty of Lamington National Park.

This was followed by a 160m suspension wooden bridge Treetop walk 45m above ground upon reaching O’Reilly’s, where at one point you could climb up even further to reach the apex of the forest. Folks having no wish to sing “Top Of The World”, could stay in the lovely gardens of the Guesthouse and hand-feed noisy Crimson Rosellas and King Parrots.

Lunch was at a lovely cafe in Eagle Heights village.

The afternoon saw time spent in a rainforest walk through Joalah National Park (part of Mount Tamborine National Park) where you’ll get a chance to come real close to beautiful compact-sized Curtis Fall.

On the way back to the city, the tour stopped at a viewpoint where you can catch a panaromic view of The Gold Coast in the distance.


lethalnereid (contributor)

Next to the Tree Top Walk is the privately maintained Botanic Garden which is lovingly tended to my local volunteer green fingers.

In a forest setting along well marked meandering garden paths you will find beautifully coloured azaleas, camelias, rododendrons, bromeliads, clivias and many, many ferns.

I’m not sure about the wisdom of growing introduced plant species next to a National Park but they seem well maintained and contained.


sheetswimmer (contributor)

Tamborine Mountain is a unique tourist destination that has some of the most beautiful scenery in the Gold Coast Mountain Range. The sunsets and waterfalls are a photographers delight.

With an abundance of guesthouses, cottages, bed and breakfast, family and resort accommodation, Tamborine Mountain is an ideal base for visiting local attractions. It is also a great getaway for locals.

Apart from the several nearby national parks, there are award winning wineries, art and craft galleries, antique shops, markets, cafes and award winning restaurants.

Gallery Walk at Eagle Heights takes you through the studios, craft shops and galleries of the artistic community.


fratpunnells (contributor)

Besides the beaches, the Gold Coast has beautiful hinterland behind it. You’ll need to get a car, or take a tour to see it all. My favourite is the Natural Arch. Up on a mountain there is a short walk which takes you into the rainforest a bit and down to the river which is flowing through a large rock down into a cave below. You walk over the rock and around to get under it for a swim (somewhat chilly I warn you) hence the Natural Bridge name.
People jump down through the hole into the cave for kciks. Doesn’t do it for me so I can’t report back on it. Its deep, though I don’t suggest it, unless breakin gyour neck was part of your travel plans. There’s heaps of bush walks up in the mountains there and some B&B; places to stay which would be devine.
Photo: O’Reilly’s Rainforest – Gold Coast Hinterland
*cow – not included!*
Walk through the rainforests, stop for a meat pie or scone and tea at one of the homesteads along the road.
BONUS BONUS – this is all FREE. No money hungry tourist robbing a-holes with their hands out. No – you take your own lunch if you like, no entry fees. Go where you want….. Just PLEASE don’t break any plants or leave ANY rubbish behind. This like alot of Australia is still wonderfully pristine and you get the feeling of being the only human around when you hike out to an outlook to scan the horizon – spotting Surfers Paradise, Stradbroke Island and hills as far as the eye can see to your sides, and an ever stretching ocean in front……. awesome stuff. So, please follow my goal in life – to leave everything better than you found it.


woozysleep (contributor)

Situated on Tamborine Mountain in the Gold Coast Hinterland, this cluster of galleries and craft shops provides a wealth of diverse art and craft including paintings, sculpture, ceramics, porcelain, glass, jewellery, woodwork, fabrics and much more. From fine art to the frivolous, you will find something to suit all tastes and budgets.

You can enjoy coffee, light refreshments or lunch at one of the fine restaurants and cafes. I recommend the Country Garden Cafe for an ejoyable lunch.

Allow plenty of time for your visit because there is so much to see and do on Gallery Walk, but be sure to make time to see the natural beauty and other features of Tamborine Mountain.


roguehalftime (contributor)

People always think of the beach and the theme parks when it comes to The Gold Coast. The hinterlands are usually & unfairly forgotten! It would really be a pity to miss them!

Took a Scenic Hinterland day tour (can’t remember the name of the company now) to O’Reilly’s Plateau, Lamington & Mt Tamborine National Parks. (Then it only cost me A$30)

The itinerary took the group to an Alpaca Farm (Alpacas are Llama-looking creatures, reared for their wool) where we had morning tea, then a lovely stop at Kamarun Lookout to take in the beauty of Lamington National Park.

This was followed by a 160m suspension wooden bridge Treetop walk 45m above ground upon reaching O’Reilly’s, where at one point you could climb up even further to reach the apex of the forest. Folks having no wish to sing “Top Of The World”, could stay in the lovely gardens of the Guesthouse and hand-feed noisy Crimson Rosellas and King Parrots.

Lunch was at a lovely cafe in Eagle Heights village.

The afternoon saw time spent in a rainforest walk through Joalah National Park (part of Mount Tamborine National Park) where you’ll get a chance to come real close to beautiful compact-sized Curtis Fall.

On the way back to the city, the tour stopped at a viewpoint where you can catch a panaromic view of The Gold Coast in the distance.


wipemiss (contributor)

About 40 minutes drive from the Gold Coast is Springbrook National Park. There is so much that you can do here and I’m afraid that we didn’t come anywhere close to doing it justice. The walking track we took went to ‘Best of all Lookout’. Whether it actually is the best, I can’t really judge…as we only had time for this one! It was wonderful though…the view at the edge of the escarpment is absolutely spectacular! Even on an unclear day. It was a very easy walk…just over half a kilometre, with no steps or steep climbs. Along the way you will see amazing Antarctic Beechs, relics of the last ice age.
Other walks that we missed doing were Purlingbrook Falls, Twin Falls, and Warrie Circuit. Next time I will stay in one of the guesthouses up there and explore more thouroughly!


injuretopaz (contributor)

The aptly named Gallery Walk is the mecca that draws most tourists to Tamborine Mountain eventually.
It’s a relatively short stretch of road but is crammed with arts and crafts, cafes and restaurants, dress and blouse shops and even a Swiss clock shop.
If you’re into that sort of thing then you’ll easily wile away a few hours here, soaking up things to tempt the senses visually and tastefully. It’s the sort of place that I tend to inhabit, enjoying the eclectic nature of the artwork and then soaking up the blissful atmosphere of a table midst the soothing decor. Here you can see my son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter doing exactly that. I’ll leave you to figure out which is which.


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