48 Hours Exploring the Gold Coast Hinterland and Scenic Rim
Itinerary
By Catherine Blake
Famed for sandy beaches, crystal surf, and the clearest blue skies, Queensland is often touted as a tropical paradise. But venture inland and you’ll discover a whole new side to the South-East.
The hinterland behind our famous Gold Coast is a rolling landscape of lush forest and bushland. Find wildlife flourishing in the great expanse of national parkland, wash your hands in mountain mist, and see the world from 2000ft as you track across the foothills of the Great Dividing Range.
To help you on your journey, we’ve wrapped up the best way to explore the Scenic Rim and Gold Coast Hinterland has to offer with this itinerary. Fill the tank and head out:
Saturday
8am: Get moving
This first note is crucial: wake up early. Making tracks first thing means beating the late-morning heat in summer, and is always a good move to avoid congestion on the roads.
Within two hours’s drive of Brisbane or the Gold Coast, you’ll arrive on top of the world at North Tamborine – a haven of colourful trinket shops, homewares, clothing, jewellery, galleries of handmade art, and loads of gourmet snacks.
If you manage to coincide your stay with the second Sunday of the month, make sure you swing by the country markets. You’ll meet local producers and artisans, and get a chance to tuck into a late breakfast from one of the many stalls (a plate of Dutch proffertjes is always a good move).
10:30am: Trip to a watering hole
Next, head to a waterfall in the eucalyptus forest. The walk to Curtis Falls tracks through a lush and flourishing oasis of native plants and wildlife. The falls themselves range from a deluge to a trickle depending on the season, but no less breathtaking whatever time you visit.
Keep your eyes keen on the rockpools and you might see platypuses, eels, and sometimes even a couple of turtles. By night, glow worms glitter in the basalt rock face.
The hike to the falls is a moderate 1km return trip, so hiking gear is not essential. Just note that the base of the falls and surrounding area are protected habitats of the platypuses and glow worms so access to this part is not permitted.
12pm: Watering hole of a different kind
In any Australian country town, you can expect to find a suite of homemade jams and fudge to take home as delicious souvenirs. Tamborine definitely has some amazing preserves, but they’ve also kicked it up a few notches with the Fortitude Brewing Co.
Their beers are a mainstay of bottle shop cold rooms across Brisbane, offering a range of easy-drinking craft brews, as well as a couple of incredibly limited single-batch brews from micro-brewery Noisy Minor. Come by for a tasting paddle and a fresh made pizza for lunch. Leave with a growler of your favourite brew and maybe a slab.
Prefer pinot to pilsner? Grab a picnic table near the vines at Witches Falls Winery and work your way through a tasting and cheese board.
3pm: View of the valley
Photo by @oz_paragliding_hanggliding
Tamborine is renowned for the clean mountain air and sweeping views of the Canungra Valley. Make the most of it, and get a hit of adrenalin while you’re at it, with some tandem paragliding.
Soar across the valley at 2000ft with one of Oz Paragliding and Hang Gliding's experienced flight instructors. Just remember to bring your thermals as this patch of Queensland can get pretty fresh even at ground level.
5pm: Hang your hat
Head to your overnight digs at Wallaby Ridge in Wonglepong. As the name suggests, there are plenty of wallabies to spot, but also acres of bushland and vineyards to explore.
(If you feel like spending more time with nature, spend tonight beneath the stars camping at Spring Gully).
Sunday
5am: Sunrise in the Valley
This next leg is all about connecting with nature, so we won’t blame you if you hit snooze and enjoy a lie-in watching the wallabies scatter across the grounds of Wallaby Ridge. But if you wanted to start your day with something truly spectacular, it’s worth getting up before dawn to see sunrise from a hot air balloon.
Pick up is from 5AM in Canungra, after which you’ll be floated up into the cloudspace to watch the sun illuminate a new day in the valley. After landing you’ll be treated to a full champagne breakfast overlooking the lush vines of the Canungra Valley Vineyards.
If you went with the camping option, waking up with a dip in the tranquil waters of Spring Gully’s swimming hole will ensure you jet into the rest of the day revitalised and refreshed.
11am: Walk through the vines
If you passed on sunrise, make sure you don’t miss a squiz at the Canungra Valley Vineyards. With an impressive heritage-listed homestead from the 19th Century, and row upon row of grape varietal spanning out over acreage, this vineyard is the perfect setting for a lunchtime picnic.
Pre-order a gourmet picnic hamper and find a spot on the banks of the Canungra Creek to watch the resident turtles and platypuses swim past.
1:30pm: Retreat into the rainforest
Take it easy on the 40-minute drive up the winding road and splurge on an exclusive villa at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat.
Tucked deep in the hinterland, an O’Reilly’s villa offers privacy in the rainforest canopy. With little contact with the outside world, and access to the very heart of the forest, O’Reilly’s retreat is an ideal place to escape and connect with nature.
2:30pm: Explore the forest
Being nestled in the pristine Lamington National Park, there’s loads of wildlife and secret places to explore at O’Reilly’s. Get out and amongst it on one of the many tour experiences, feed rainbow lorikeets out of your bare hand, or zipline across the rainforest canopy. You can even visit the Glow Worm Grotto in a secluded gully.
Of course, you can always go it solo with an adventure on your own. Just set out on one of the walking trails and let the rainforest guide you.
After a day of adventure, kick back with a treatment at the Lost World Day Spa before digging into pizza and cocktails in the upstairs bar.
6pm: Gaze at the stars
Come nightfall, head to Moonlight Crag for an evening gazing at the stars. Thanks to a lack of light pollution, and the clear mountain air, this vantage point is one of the best places in the hinterland to view the cosmos. An absolute must is you’re visiting in winter.
Monday
6:30am: Reschedule your breakfast meeting
Before you head back to real life, indulge a little longer. The eggs and coffee are great at the buffet breakfast, or order a hamper to the villa and cook your own as you soak up every last breath of mountain air.
When you’re ready to come back, check out this itinerary of further wonders to be found in the Scenic Rim.
