Discover the Gold Coast hinterland’s national parks

 

Melissa Chambers discovers the spectacular national parks, from Springbrook to Lamington, in the Gold Coast hinterland.

What do you think of when you hear the words ‘Gold Coast’? Most people immediately think of the Surfers Paradise glitter strip, the beaches, or the theme parks.

But within an hour’s drive from Surfers Paradise are the hidden treasures of the Gold Coast – the national parks!

Filled with rainforests, walking trails, rivers, waterfalls and dams, these national parks offer some of the most picturesque country you will find in Queensland.

So whether you are a local or just visiting it is well worth your time to spend a day or two exploring the beautiful hinterland. It’s a great family day out and best of all – most of it is free.

Hinze Dam

 Hinze Dam is the water storage facility for the Gold Coast region. It has just reopened to the public after being closed for four years, with new picnic and barbecue facilities, as well as a visitor centre and cafe. Plenty of thought has gone into the redesign of the recreational areas.

Access to the dam recreation area is now from the Nerang–Advancetown Road. If you are heading to Hinze Dam, don’t follow your GPS. It will send you to the side which is now closed. Go via Advancetown.

At the dam there is a large grassed area, perfect for the kids to kick the footy around on. The new stainless steel barbecues, which are free to use, are all undercover. There’s plenty of undercover seating and tables as well as lots of tables out in the open. There are also lots of well-established trees to provide shade, or you can just throw a rug on the ground and enjoy the sunshine.

A walking track runs between the picnic area and visitor centre, and a walk along the length of the dam wall is a must to appreciate the huge amount of water that this dam holds. The wall itself is over 1800-metres long and offers spectacular views of the water and the hills surrounding the dam.

You aren’t permitted fuel-powered boats on the dam, but sail boats, electric-powered boats and canoes are welcome. There are also mountain bike trails throughout the area and horse-friendly trails as well.

Springbrook National Park– Purling Brook Falls

 Springbrook National Park is possibly one of the most spectacular national parks in Queensland, full of waterfalls, lookouts and walking tracks. Purling Brook Falls is superb and you are able to walk down to the eastern side of the falls, but you will have to return via the same way as the rest of the walking track is closed due to damage caused by last year’s heavy rain and floods.

If you don’t fancy going all the way to the bottom of Purling Brook Falls, you can walk across the top of them to the other side where there is another lookout. The Settlement camping area is only a short walk away and provides 11 designated camp sites, four of which are suitable for camper trailers or campervans. There are free electric barbecues, toilets and drinking water available in the campground. Bookings are essential for the campground and a permit must be displayed.

There are also several more lookouts in the park, including The Best of All Lookout, which looks out towards the NSW towns of Murwillumbah and Byron Bay. On a clear day the views are incredible. There are also a couple of good B&B’s in the area if you fancy staying a night. Rosella’s Coffee Shop at the Canyon Lookout is a cosy spot for morning tea, especially if the weather happens to be on the cooler side. The weather in the hinterland can get quite chilly so it is advisable to take a jacket.

Springbrook National Park– Natural Bridge

 If you continue down the road from Advancetown you will find yourself at Natural Bridge, a cave that formed at the base of a waterfall. It’s located just off the Nerang–Murwillumbah Road in Springbrook National Park.

The drive to Natural Bridge will take you through a couple of tiny villages that offer small cafes and roadside picnic areas – perfect for a quick refresher or somewhere to enjoy lunch.

The walking track at Natural Bridge takes you down to the bottom where there are viewing areas both inside and outside the cave, so make sure you have your camera ready.

Following the path will then take you up and over the ‘natural bridge’ to view the waterfall from the top. It is a spectacular sight, especially when there has been generous rainfall.

The cave also hosts a colony of glow worms, which of course can only be seen after dark. The whole of the Natural Bridge area is within a national park, so make sure you stay on the designated walking tracks. No swimming is permitted and fines do apply. And of course it goes without saying – take any rubbish with you!

Unfortunately, Natural Bridge is not wheelchair friendly and you will encounter stairs, rough terrain and a reasonable incline on the way back out, but it is well worth the effort. Anyone with a moderate level of fitness will easily be able to manage the walk.

An hour should be plenty of time for the walk and to enjoy the sights. It is advisable to take a water bottle and even in summer a light jacket may be required as it is often cool due to the overhanging trees of the rainforest. There are picnic tables and toilets available just next to the car park at Natural Bridge.

Lamington National Park– Binna Burra section

 The Binna Burra section of Lamington National Park is a beautiful mountain wilderness area full of walking tracks and waterfalls. From easy 20-minute scenic walks to three- or four-day treks, Binna Burra has a lot to offer.

Binna Burra is just over an hour’s drive from the Gold Coast. It’s a beautifully scenic drive passing through the small villages of Lower Beechmont and Beechmont. There are several spots along the way that afford spectacular views of the Surfers Paradise skyline, so make sure you keep an eye out for places to stop.

The Rosins Conservation Lookout is another fantastic spot to stop and take some photos as it looks out over almost the entire Numinbah Valley. The view is amazing and when conditions are right, you’ll be able to see hang-gliders launch from the lookout. There is also a picnic area and toilets are available.

Binna Burra itself has plenty to offer, and it’s worth staying overnight. There’s camping available in the Rainforest Campsites, where there are a variety of tent sites, a limited number of powered and unpowered van sites as well as safari tents.

If you are looking for something a little more upmarket there are also Mountain Lodges and Sky Lodges. The Sky Lodges in particular are very luxurious and contain spa baths and open fires and balconies to take in the amazing views from. Again there are plenty of picnic and barbecue facilities available or you can eat at either The Lamington Teahouse, which has amazing views or the Clifftop Dining Room at the Rainforest Lodge.

Lamington National Park – O’Reilly’s

 Located in the Green Mountain section of the Lamington National Park is O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat, better known to locals and visitors as O’Reilly’s.

O’Reilly’s is located about an hour and a half’s drive west of the Gold Coast, but you may like to allow a little longer as the road is narrow and single lane in some places and very steep and windy. But once you come out at O’Reilly’s, you will see that it is all worth it.

There are three luxury accommodation options available at O’Reilly’s or you can camp in the adjacent Green Mountains camping area, which has tent and campervan sites available but is not suitable for caravans or motorhomes.

There are several short walks from O’Reilly’s ranging in distance from 800 metres to over 4 kilometres. A must-do walk while at O’Reilly’s is the Rainforest Tree Top Walk, which is an 800-metre-long walk consisting of boardwalks and tree-top suspension bridges, some of which are 16 metres above the ground. For those not worried by heights, there is a viewing platform 30 metres up a tree that you have to climb up to get to, and this is usually a favourite with the kids.

If you are looking for places to stop on your way into or out of O’Reilly’s take a detour to Kamarun Lookout, which is about 10 kilometres before O’Reilly’s. The views are stunning and on a clear day you are able to see the sand dunes on Moreton Island – pretty amazing!

You can find Melissa writing about other places to visit in Australia on her website, Camper Trailer Travels