Gold Coast National Parks
The drive to Lamington has been a favourite among locals for years. Take the time to stop along the way to appreciate the views over the valleys and across to the ranges on one side and over the coastline on the other. Keep an eye out for local koalas snoozing in the trees and wallabies grazing on the slopes. Once you enter the rainforest, you can literally feel the air change and you will start to hear the orchestra of unique bird calls. In spring you'll hear the distinctive calls of the whipbird and riflebird, the twitter of fairy wrens and the coos of the shy fruit pigeons.
World Heritage listed, Lamington National Park is home to one of the largest subtropical rainforests in Australia. Featuring many natural wonders, magnificent valleys and thundering waterfalls, the park is also home to more than 170 species of rainforest plants and 38 varieties of animals, many unique to the area.
Hundreds of kilometres of walking tracks cover the park, leading to spectacular lookouts and stunning waterfalls. Tracks vary in length and degree of difficulty, ranging from easy strolls to challenging full day walks.
O'Reilly's also boasts a Treetop Walk that allows you to get a bird's eye view of the rainforest, 15 metres above ground on a string of suspension bridges. You will get close to unique flowering vines, ferns and orchids that only grow in the rainforest canopy.
The Mountain Cafe gives you the opportunity to enjoy a stunning view of the valley while eating a delicious lunch or drinking a freshly brewed coffee.
| Where: | From the Pacific Highway, take the Nerang-Broadbeach Road exit or the Worongary Road exit and follow the road toward Beechmont. The road will become Beechmont Road and then Binna Burra Road. This is where you will find a lot of walking trails. To go to O’Reilly’s from the Pacific Highway, take the Nerang-Broadbeach Road exit, then follow the Beaudesert-Nerang Road and turn left onto the Lamington National Park Road. |
| Where: | From the Pacific Highway, take Gold Coast-Springbrook Road in Mugeeraba. |
To truly appreciate the beauty of the cave, allow yourself 10 to 15 minutes to relax and let your eyes and ears open to the beauty and natural delights the grotto offers. Note that swimming in the waters of the grotto is strongly discouraged in order to maintain the quality of the water for the native wildlife.
| Where: | From the Pacific Highway, take Southport-Nerang Road in Nerang and keep driving on Nerang-Murwillumbah Road. |
The Mt Cougal section of the park is the most mountainous, and is largely untracked. The picnic area at 'Cougal Cascades' provides picnic tables, public toilets and car parking, with a sealed track permitting wheelchair access. Timber stairs and a gravel track lead to a rock pool where swimming is permitted. Venture past the rock pools to the restored remains of an old sawmill dating back to 1914.
| Where: | From the Pacific Highway, take the Currumbin Creek Road in Currumbin Valley |
Tamborine Mountain is the northernmost point of the extinct Mount Warning shield volcano, which reaches as far south as Byron Bay and west as Lismore. The Tamborine Mountain National Park is on a plateau featuring subtropical, eucalypt and cycad rainforests easily accessed by a number of walking trails and boasting magnificent coastal views.
The park is a conglomeration of nine national parks. The four largest parks - The Knoll, Cedar Creek, Palm Grove and Witches Falls - all boast sheltered picnic facilities and spectacular walking tracks.
Just to mention a few, the Witches Falls Circuit is a 3km walk that will take you through cycad and palm groves, past seasonal lagoons and giant strangler figs on the way to the falls.
Adjacent to the Tamborine Mountain Botanic Gardens you will find a 2.6km botanical walk, along which the featured plant species are named.
The Cameron Falls Circuit, in the north-west of North Tamborine, boasts spectacular views and lush rainforest, while the Cedar Creek Circuit meanders along a creek gently cascading into sparkling rock pools.
| Where: | from Witches Chase, Main Western Road, Palm Grove Avenue or Curtis Road, Tamborine Mountain. |
.JPG "Federation Walk - Courtesy of WTC")
Explore the Federation Walk as it takes you through the sandy dunes of the Spit, past the beaches and through the casuarina trees to the Seaway. It's an easy 3km walk along a graded track that takes you to the end of the Spit, where you'll have unintterupted views south over the entire coast to Coolangatta.
| Where: | The track starts at the beach carpark opposite the entrance to Sea World, Sea World Drive, The Spit. |
In order to make the most of your visit while respecting the National Parks' rules and fragile environment, please follow the advice below:
- Always stay on the walking tracks
- Carry enough water to drink
- Wear protective clothing, sunscreen, hat and sunglasses to protect you from the sun
- Bring adequate clothing. Be prepared for all weather conditions, including rain
- Bring environmentally friendly insect repellent to repel mosquitoes and sandflies
- Be careful at the water's edge, as the rocks are slippery and accidents have happened there
- Do not jump or dive into water
- Do not cross strong flowing creeks and streams. Flooding can occur during and after heavy or prolonged periods of rain
- Open fires are prohibited. Gas barbecue facilities are often provided in picnic areas
- Bring rubbish bags, as there are no bins in most of the Parks' sections. Take all food scraps and garbage with you
- Do not damage sites
- Do not interfere with native animals and plants. Do not feed native wildlife. It is a health risk to them and a safety risk to you
- Remember, these are National Parks — everything is protected
- Carry at least one form of communication equipment. Be aware that mobile phone coverage is limited
- Make sure that family and friends or resort management are aware of your intentions and expected time of return so that they may notify emergency services if necessary
