Gold Coast Hinterland
Lamington National Park
Lamington is a national park in Queensland (Australia), lying on the Lamington Plateau 75 km south of Brisbane. It is a part of the World Heritage site, Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves.
The southern cliffs in Lamington (and Springbrook National Park) are part of the remnants of the northern rim of the huge ancient volcano, Mount Warning.
Rugged mountain scenery, tumbling waterfalls, rainforest, wildflower heaths, tall open forests, picturesque creeks, varied wildlife and some of the best bushwalking in Queensland are protected in Lamington National Park. One of Queensland’s best-loved parks, Lamington is the core of the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves Australia World Heritage Area along the Queensland-New South Wales border ranges. The park’s beautiful rainforests include the largest subtropical rainforest remnant in the world and one of the most extensive southern beech cool temperate rainforests in Australia. Lamington is home to an incredible variety of wildlife including rare and threatened plants and animals such as the Coxen’s fig-parrot, eastern bristlebird, Richmond birdwing butterfly, milk-vine and blotched sarcochilus, a beautiful orchid.
For thousands of years, Aboriginal people lived in and visited these mountains. Early European settlers also valued the area, and fought to make it one of the first parks in Queensland. The O’Reilly family established a guesthouse near the park in 1926 and founding members of the National Parks Association of Queensland built Binna Burra Lodge next to the park in the 1930s. If you are looking to impress a loved one with a romantic weekend away, why not endulge and order some beautiful Australian flowers for an extra surprise!
Springbrook National Park
Springbrook is a national park in Queensland, (Australia), 78 km south of Brisbane. It is part of the World Heritage site Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves. In December 1994, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee officially extended the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves Australia (CERRA) World Heritage Area over the Scenic Rim (including Main Range, Mt Barney, Lamington and Springbrook National Parks and Goomburra Forest Reserve) and the rainforests of northern New South Wales.
In all three sections of Springbrook National Park (Springbrook Plateau, Natural Bridge and the Cougals) you can picnic, study nature and enjoy a wide range of walks in a beautiful, natural environment. Springbrook Plateau section has many lookouts with spectacular views.
The southern cliffs in Springbrook (and Lamington National Park) are part of the remnants of the northern rim of the huge ancient volcano, Mount Warning. The 2954ha Springbrook National Park comprises three reserves on and around the plateau: Springbrook Plateau section along the crest of the plateau; Mt Cougal section to the east; and Natural Bridge section to the west. The national park preserves rainforest and eucalypt forests in the cliff-lined headwaters of rivers and creeks flowing to the Gold Coast.
At 900m above sea level, Springbrook Plateau can be quite cool even in summer. The area averages more than 3000mm of rain a year, most of which falls between December and March. Natural Bridge section receives most of its annual rainfall (2500mm) during the hot, humid summer.
Tamborine National Park
Tamborine National Park covers 11.60 km² of Tamborine Mountain plateau and around its foothills. The plateau is 8 km long, 5 km wide and rises to an altitude of 525 metres. The elevation of the plateau keeps the temperature down a little in summer although December to April is also the wettest time to visit. Winter is drier but also cooler.
The area is spattered with the 12 separate reserves which make up the National Park, interspersed with villages. There are a number of beautiful picnic areas as well as scenic drives and many bushwalks to such attractions as lookouts, gorges, cliffs, waterfalls, rainforest areas, wet eucalypt forest, open forest and woodlands.
Wildlife in the park includes lyrebirds, the elusive platypus, scrub turkeys, lorikeets, whip birds and bower birds. Camping is not pemitted but the area’s many small settlements offer a range of mostly small-scale cottage/bed-and-breakfast style accommodation.
The main areas to visit in the park are Joalah, Cedar Creek, The Knoll, MacDonald Park, Palm Grove and Witches Falls. All have picnic facilities and walking tracks. All but Cedar Creek have information centres, most have toilets and some have barbecues.
The Witches Falls section, on the western side of Tamborine Mountain village, became Queensland’s first national park in 1908. The main walk here is the Witches Falls Circuit (3 km) which snakes down a steep slope through open forest into rainforest with cycad groves, seasonal lagoons, enormous strangler figs and palm groves, en route to the falls. An alternative way of seeing the falls is via the Beacon Road Track (4 km one way). Access is off Main Western Rd (also known as Tamborine Mountain Rd and Geissmann Drive).
On the eastern side of Tamborine Mountain village is the Palm Grove section of the park. The Curtis Road Track (1.2 km one way) links Curtis Rd and Palm Grove Avenue. The Palm Grove Circuit (1.4 km) passes through rainforest, strangler figs and palm groves. Curtis Rd runs off Tamborine Mountain Rd (in Tamborine Mountain) and Palm Grove Ave runs off Central Avenue in Eagle Heights.
In between, and to the north of Witches Falls and Palm Grove, is the Joalah section of the park which features the 1.5 km Curtis Falls Walk (return). It descends to a rock pool at the base of the falls, offering fine views of the basalt rock face. Brush turkeys can be seen along the Joalah Circuit (4 km), which links up with the Curtis Falls Walk. Access is off Eagle Heights Rd.
Also in Eagle Heights, adjacent the Tamborine Mountain Botanic Gardens, is the MacDonald Park section. It has a rainforest circuit (2.6 km) wherein the plants are named. Access is off Wangawallan Rd.
The Knoll section of the park is located in the north-west of North Tamborine. It contains the Cameron Falls Circuit (3 km) which offers fine views, rainforest environs, open forest and the occasional black skink sunbathing on the rocks. Knoll Rd runs off Main St. The Tamborine Mountains Natural History Association Information Centre is also located in the village of North Tamborine and it is open from 10.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. daily.
Heading north from North Tamborine, via Tamborine Mountain Rd, there is a turnoff into Cedar Creek Falls Rd. One of the most delightful walks in the whole Tamborine area is the Cedar Creek Circuit (3.2 km) which explores the creek’s various cascades, rock pools and plant communities, such as open and dry rainforest and hoop pines. The falls tumble (gently rather than spectacularly) down into a gully. The 1.5-km Rock Scree Walk intersects with the circuit walk, for a potential detour.
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