A Guide To The Gold Coast Hinterland

Beyond the glitz of the Gold Coast lies luscious rainforest, fierce waterfalls, rolling green hills and two famous national parks. The Gold Coast Hinterland is a world away from the coast and is such a beautiful area to explore.

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As New South Wales gives way to Queensland at Coolangatta, the Gold Coast almost immediately begins. From Currumbin and Burleigh Head to Surfer’s Paradise and beyond, the Gold Coast is one of Queensland’s most popular destinations for those travelling the east coast or locals looking for a lively weekend away.

However, beyond the shine of the high-rises on the Gold Coast, beyond the endless beaches, lies the ‘green behind the gold’; the Gold Coast Hinterland. Where luscious Gondwana Rainforest meets rolling green landscapes and two famous national parks, Springbrook National Park and Lamington National Park attract visitors for their waterfalls, hiking trails and rare fauna.

For those who want to know a little more about this beautiful region, a region that feels a world away from the Gold Coast, this guide to the Gold Coast Hinterland is for you!

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THE GOLD COAST HINTERLAND

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SPRINGBROOK NATIONAL PARK

First up in the Gold Coast hinterland is Springbrook National Park; with ancient trees from a time when Australia was connected to Antarctica (dating back millions of years) and some of Australia’s best waterfalls. This national park makes up a quarter of the UNESCO World Heritage Listed Gondwana Rainforest and deserves a visit just for that alone.

Springbrook National Park is split into two sections, with two main roads accessing each part though connected only by Pine Creek Road back towards civilisation. From Surfer’s Paradise it’s less than 40km to the heart of the national park which is quite insane considering how different the hinterland is from the Gold Coast. To get here you’ll need access to your vehicle and you’ll be climbing pretty steep roads almost immediately though driving to Springbrook National Park is nothing like the drive up to Lamington National Park.

WUNBURRA LOOKOUT

The first stop on a trip high into the hinterland should be at the Wunburra Lookout which offers an incredible view back towards the Gold Coast skyline. This is just a road side stop but one that you cannot miss.

TWIN FALLS

One of the best waterfalls in Springbrook National Park is Twin Falls. The hike is around 4km / 2 hours and, once you make it through the towering stone cliffs and past brush box trees (some as old as 1,500 years), you’ll be in awe of the duo of waterfalls firing out over the top. You can swim in the lagoon if you wish but we just took photos, chilled out on a few rocks before hiking back to the van passing behind the waterfalls.

PURLING BROOK FALLS

Another excellent waterfall is the giant Purling Brook Falls, a short walk across from the Settlement campsite. This waterfall is a huge 109 metres and those that have the time (2 hours) can enjoy a stunning hike to the bottom though, if you are going to do that, make sure to do the hike clockwise so you climb down the stairs and not up! We only managed to visit the falls shortly before sunset so we didn’t have time to hike but there are a range of different viewpoints that still allow you to soak in the majestic scenery.

BEST OF ALL LOOKOUT

I guess with this one the clue is in the name right? We missed it for some odd reason, clearly not paying attention to the name, but from what I’ve seen the views are incredible across towards the border with New South Wales.

NATURAL BRIDGE

The Natural Bridge is in the second of the two areas of Springbrook National Park, so separate to the area that contains Twin Falls, Purling Brook Falls and the Best of All lookout. However, despite the slight detour required (around a 30 minute drive), Natural Bridge is a must-see in Springbrook National Park. This is mother nature at her finest whereby the waterfall has, over time, forced its way through the roof of a cave and now tumbles directly into a little lagoon. This has created a beautiful natural rock arch and, if you visit at night on a tour, you can see glow-worms with luminous fungi and fireflies too if its summer.

The walk to Natural Bridge is only short; its around a 1km circuit meaning its perfect for the little ones too.

WHERE TO STAY IN SPRINGBROOK NATIONAL PARK

For the campers among us, whether you’re in a tent, campervan or caravan, there’s only the one campsite in Springbrook National Park; The Settlement. This is a national park campsite and therefore needs to be booked in advance online or by phone and you must display your permit tag. There are only 11 slots each day so don’t forget to plan your trip ahead of time as you can’t really just turn up.

There are no showers here but the toilets are good, there’s an electric bbq area and drinking water is available! The nights get extremely dark here which lends itself to a spot of stargazing!

Price – $7.25 per person per night or $29 per family (two adults, up to six children). Children under five are free.

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LAMINGTON NATIONAL PARK

Lamington National Park is further inland than Springbrook National Park, just less than 70km from the Gold Coast and over 3,000ft above sea level. It’s not the easiest national park to get to, you’ll need access to your own vehicle that’s for sure, and if you’re visiting Springbrook National Park first, you’ll essentially have to travel all the way back towards civilisation before taking a narrow, winding road from Canugunra up to Lamington National Park. It was a little scary to be honest driving up here but, once you make it, you can breath a sigh of relief. This road is unsuitable for RVs longer than 6m or vehicles towing caravans or camper trailers.

However, once you do make it, you’ll be rewarded with stunning views, ancient landscapes and, more surprisingly, a rainforest retreat. The landscape here is particularly worth a mention as it dates back more than 225 million years and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage list too as part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia. The trees seen now have been here since before dinosaurs roamed the earth. You’ll also have the unique opportunity to spot the Albert’s lyrebird which exists only in this area and has the ability to mimic the sounds of other birds!

O’REILLY’S RAINFOREST RETREAT

I couldn’t write about Lamington National Park without talking about the O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat which essentially is the main access point to the Green Mountains part of the park. To be fair, O’Reilly’s is more than just an activity centre. Whether you’re looking for accommodation (think villas or camping), a bar and a cafe (with the most insane views) or a spa, it really caters for all here. There are unique experiences to be had such as the bird feeding, birds of prey wildlife show and a full-size plane in their grounds but I didn’t expect to see any of this in an area so remote.

The O’Reilly family began their offering of ecotourism here all the way back in 1915 before beginning to charge customers in 1926. It apparently took two days via car, train and horseback to reach the retreat which consisted of a guest house and slab huts. It is incredible to see how far the family have come and there’s no doubt that they are supporting the history, heritage and education of Lamington National Park.

TREETOP WALKWAY

Within the grounds I guess of O’Reillys Rainforest Retreat is the free to access treetop walkway which takes you up into the canopy of this ancient rainforest. It’s only a short walk of 800m, perfect for those of us not prepared for long and remote hikes, but you’ll be wandering across 9 suspension bridges 16 metres above the ground. There is a one part that you can climb further up, to a height of 30 metres, which offers honestly the most insane views across the valley though you are at the top of a fig tree and it’s not the best for those that might not like heights!

There are other walks accessible from O’Reilly’s including the Wishing Tree Track (2.4km) and those expected to take a full day such as the walk to Mount Bithongabel which is 12.6km. There’s more information on the walks available here but please be prepared if you plan on a longer walk!

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MORAN FALLS

Moran Falls is without doubt my highlight of the Lamington National Park. We completed this 4.6km return walk through rainforest just before sunset. With the light dropping within the rainforest, we were partly worried we’d bitten off more than we could chew and we would be hiking back in the dark without torches. However, the sun was still well above the horizon by the time we arrived allowing for beautiful views of the falls and the valley bottom below. The best viewpoint of the falls is on the other side so carry on walking and you won’t regret it. We took a shortcut back to the campground by cutting up along the stream before reaching a private track that took us up under the Lost World Spa.

WHERE TO STAY IN LAMINGTON NATIONAL PARK

For those, like us, who are visiting Lamington National Park in a campervan, there’s a campsite just outside of the O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat that is the only place to stay. When we stayed, the campsite was managed by Lamington National Park itself and had to be booked in advance but meant it was always relatively peaceful and basic. It was also extremely cheap; we’re talking like $6 a night. The campsite is now managed by O’Reilly’s and, whilst it’s still relatively simple, the cost has shot up to between $40 and $60 per night for an unpowered site which is, let’s be honest, a bit insane. Midweek its a one night minimum but on weekends that turns to two nights and long weekend bank holidays are a minimum of three nights! There are campgrounds for tents, 24 ‘Altitude’ or ‘Basecamp’ sites and 4 sites located in the bush, which will set you back between $27 and $60 per night based on four people.

There are safari tents now available for those looking for a little more luxury in their camping experience though they cost between $105 and $160 a night for four people.

If when we visited we weren’t on such a strict budget, we probably would have opted for something a little fancier at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat.

TAMBORINE MOUNTAIN

The Tamborine Mountain area of the Gold Coast Hinterland is known for quaint mountain villages, local produce and stunning natural beauty. There’s so much to do here that you could easily take a day trip to Tamborine Mountain from the Gold Coast. My wife and I visited a few areas over the course of a day but only really scratched the surface.

Firstly, we visited Curtis Falls which is one of those waterfalls that perhaps I enjoyed the walk even more than the waterfall itself. I have honestly never seen so many palm trees in my life. There are everywhere and tower all around you. It’s unreal.

Next up, we visited a unique street, Gallery Walk, with its wineries and unique independent stores such as the German Cuckoo Clock Nest with proper alpine vibes.

If we had more time we would have definitely checked out the local produce markets, the rainforest skywalk and glow worm caves. We found Tamborine Mountain to be such a serene, laid back kind of place that I would love to keep visiting. It didn’t win the Queensland’s top tourism town in 2022 for nothing you know.

That wraps up my guide to the Gold Coast Hinterland though, of course, I will not have been able to cover each and every single thing that can be done in the area. If you have any questions at all or would like some more information on our experiences, please let me know in the comments below!

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WHERE NEXT?

Ok, let’s be honest, it’s taken me long enough to find the time to publish guides covering my time in Australia. Now though, the majority of them are linked below, so wherever you’re heading you’re likely to find what you need below!

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