Hinterland haven: How to do Tamborine Mountain

You can’t get a fresher brew than tasting coffee right where it’s grown. At Tamborine Mountain Coffee Plantation, beans grow, ripen, and transform into liquid gold right before your eyes. Take a tour, then reward yourself with a fresh cuppa or coffee-infused cocktail.

More of a tea person? Head to Tamborine Tea on the Gallery Walk for a massive selection of loose leaf teas – peak relaxation vibes to-go.

Creative soul food

Artists flock to this mountain like birds to a feeder – and you get to enjoy the creative feast. Time your visit right and hit the Tamborine Mountain State School Markets or Country Markets for food, art, craft and fashion that scream "one-of-a-kind souvenir."

Waterfall walks

Six national park sections = endless green adventures.

Curtis Falls in Joalah section offers an easy 1.5km trail where sunlight plays hide-and-seek through the canopy. Listen for the curious call of Albert Lyrebirds before reaching the whispering falls.

Or roll the stroller to Cedar Creek Falls – Tamborine's most accessible cascade with spectacular cliff-edge views just 500 metres from the carpark. Feeling adventurous? Tackle the steeper 1.5km track down to natural rock pools where locals swim on summer days.

Glow-up your day

Why wait until dark to see glow worms? The Glow Worms Caves sanctuary flips the script with tours running from 10am to 4pm. Thirty minutes of bioluminescent magic without staying up past bedtime? Yes, please.

Stroll, sip, repeat

Children once believed there were giants and witches occupying the forest around Witches Falls, but you’ll more likely spot red-necked pademelons, bats and maybe a koala or two. Explore this section of Queensland's oldest national park (est. 1908), and after your 3.1km forest wander, toast your effort with a ‘pick your own’ cheese platter and local wine at Witches Falls Winery.

Want to extend the enchantment? Book a night at Witches Falls Cottages where bathroom skylights let you stargaze from the spa. Mountain romance level: expert.

Sleep among the trees

From glamping to luxury lodges, Tamborine Mountain's accommodation game is strong.

Live your treehouse dreams at Pethers Rainforest Retreat or award-winning Songbirds, nestled in 51 acres of pristine rainforest.

Adventurous families, head to Thunderbird Park within the memory-making Tamborine Mountain Glades. Pick your digs from tent sites to a 4-star lodge, then fill your days digging for thunder-eggs, riding horses, and swinging through Australia's largest high ropes course.

Views for days

One of the best things to do at Tamborine Mountain? See it from above! Early birds can drift over misty mountains in a hot air balloon, but if you’re a thrill seeker you’ll want to clip into Australia's largest, highest and fastest zip line tour - the Canyon Flyer. Eight lines send you soaring 70 meters high before dropping into a spectacular gorge.

Rather keep your feet on something solid? Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk's 1.5 km of paths, steel bridges and lookouts let you explore the canopy without the freefall.

Retail therapy, mountain-style

Tamborine’s Gallery Walk packs 70 quirky stores into one bustling stretch. Sample famous fudge at Granny Macs, discover weird and wonderful cuckoo clocks, or taste award-winning spirits at Tamborine Mountain Distillery.

Fill your bags with locally-made beauty products, artisan crafts, and farm-fresh goodies that taste brighter than anything you’ll pick up from a supermarket.

Sunset picnic goals

With eight wineries, two breweries and three distilleries in just eight kilometres (The Vino Bus has you covered if you want to make a day of it), your picnic basket can reach legendary status. Load up on cheese, fudge, and fresh-baked bread at Gallery Walk, then grab roadside produce straight from the farms.

Spread your blanket at the Mount Tamborine Botanic Gardens or claim a spot at Rotary Lookout for sunset. As golden light spills across the Scenic Rim – a landscape carved by Wollumbin's volcanic eruption 23 million years ago – you'll wonder why you haven't done this sooner.

Tamborine Mountain. So close to the coast, yet worlds away from ordinary.