Tag Archives: rainforest
Things to Do at Tamborine Mountain Botanic Gardens
Tamborine Botanic Gardens – a stretch of greenery that covers 11 hectares of the mountain, a slice of heaven where tropical meets temperate.
Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk
Cedar Creek Estate Winery Weddings
Tamborine Mountain Botanic Gardens
Tamborine Mountain Botanic Gardens
Where tropical meets temperate! A trip to Tamborine Mountain is not complete without a visit to the regional “Botanic Gardens”. It is a great place to spend an hour or so in delightful settings that are constantly changing with the seasons.
- Website
- 07 5543 2331
- Forsythia Drive, Tamborine Mountain
Tamborine Bush Walks
Tamborine Mountain is a nature lover’s paradise. The famous “Witches Falls” section of the Tamborine National Park was declared in 1908, making it Queensland’s first national park. Over the years additional reserves have been declared and today the park is made up of 13 sections of land on the Tamborine plateau and surrounding foothills. There are a large number of beautiful rainforest bushwalks, most tracks are under 3 kms taking about 1 hour, are well established and easy to follow.
The Knoll Section of the Tamborine National Park
Click the map for a larger version
Access:
In North Tamborine, turn off “main Western Road” into Main Street, continue past the shops and the residential area where it becomes “Knoll Road”, keep left when the road forks.
Sandy Creek / Cameron Falls Circuit (B3) 2.6 km return, allow 1 hour, easy grade
Lookout at “Cameron Falls”
The track descends from the car park to the creek through transitional rainforest with large flooded gums and Piccabeen groves. Often large black skink lizards can be seen sunning themselves on this track (42 stairs).
Turn right when reaching the Sandy Creek circuit “T” junction, and follow the gently sloping track, watch for water runoff channels diagonally crossing the track. When the track curves to the left, look out to your right for an impressive boulder field, the view is partly obscured by a palm grove (14 stairs).
The creek now becomes visible below on your left. The track follows the creek and keeps descending towards the escarpment. Gradually, the forest opens up, and the rambling of “Cameron Falls” waterfall can be heard in the distance.
The track turns sharply left, continuing along the cliff edge. You will soon reach a concrete bridge crossing Sandy Creek. The creek drops away over the escarpment, creating “Cameron Falls” (85 stairs).
Upper crossing of
“Sandy Creek”
The creek upstream as well as the clearing it created towards the falls are one of the many rewards for walkers coming to Tamborine Mountain.
Cameron Falls
A branch track to Cameron Falls Lookout (75meters) just past the bridge enables you to truly appreciate the natural beauty of this waterfall. The lookout is very safe, offering spectacular views to Mount Flinders and Brisbane in the distance, as well as Cameron Falls to the right. Walkers often spend a lot of time here, taking in the serenity of the area (29 stairs).
Continue right when returning from the branch track. You will cross a timber sleeper bridge crossing a small creek, before reaching the upper “Sandy Creek” crossing (69 stairs).
A concrete bridge crosses Sandy Creek, offering good views both upstream and downstream. A short stroll leads back up to the Sandy Creek circuit “T” junction, turn right and follow the uphill track back to the car parking area (70 stairs).
The Joalah Section of the Tamborine National Park
Click the map for a larger version
Access:
For ease of parking, turn off Eagle Heights Road into Dapsang Drive at the “St George Anglican Church”, there is a very large parking area to the left at the end of the street. This parking area serves the church as well as the walking trail.
“Dapsang Drive” Carpark:
Car parking spaces: 42
Disabled car parking spaces: 2
Bus parking spaces: YES – 3
Public Toilets: YES
BBQs: NO
Picnic Settings: NO
Sheltered Picnic Settings: NO
Additional seating: NO
Views: NO
Information Board: YES – General Information
Alternatively, you can also access the start of this walk via a 400meter long walk starting via a small timber bridge at the “Curtis Corner” T- junction of Eagle Heights Road and Geissmann Drive. This is a popular tourist stop with several cafes and eateries, so parking is limited at times.
“Curtis Corner” T-junction:
Car parking spaces: 20
Disabled car parking spaces: 1
Public Toilets: NO – but available in food outlets
BBQs: NO
Picnic Settings: NO
Sheltered Picnic Settings: NO
Additional seating: NO
Views: NO
Information Board: YES – General Information
Curtis Falls (D5) 1.5km return, 101 steps, moderate grade with some steeper sections, allow 60 minutes return with plenty of time to admire the waterfall.
Viewing platform “Albert’s Lyrebird”
The start of the track meanders downhill through wet eucalypt forest beneath towering flooded gums.
Take advantage of the viewing platform on the left, allowing rainforest views towards the creek below. A plaque gives information about the illusive “Albert’s Lyrebird”. Joalah is an Aboriginal word meaning “Haunt of the Lyrebird”. During the winter months, the loud calls of the male Albert’s Lyrebird can still be heard (12 stairs).
“Curtis Falls” viewing platform
After the viewing platform the track gradually descends to Curtis Creek, which is reached after the last set of steps.
You will notice a drop in temperature as you descend into lush rainforest. Look out for beautiful crows nests and staghorn ferns growing in the canopy above (106 stairs).
Turn left to reach beautiful Curtis Falls, only a short stroll away. The falls run all year-round, however, they are at their most spectacular after heavy rainfalls. The track ends at a viewing platform overlooking a large rock pool, with great views of the falls and the surrounding columnar basalt rock face (6 stairs).
Curtis Falls
Please note that swimming is prohibited at
The MacDonald Section of the Tamborine National Park
Click the map for a larger version
MacDonald Section Walking Trail
Access:
Turn into “Wongawallen Road” at the upper roundabout of “Gallery Walk”, parking is about 200 meters down the road on the left opposite the “Heritage Centre”. The parking area is limited, however, plenty of additional parking space is available on both sides of the road.
“Wongawallen Road” Carpark:
Car parking spaces: 9
Disabled car parking spaces: NO
Bus parking spaces: NO
Public Toilets: NO
BBQs: NO
Picnic Settings: YES – 1x 12-seater
Sheltered Picnic Settings: YES – 2x 8-seater
Additional seating: NO
Views: NO
Information Board: YES – General Information
MacDonald Circuit (D6), 1.4km return, allow 35 minutes, easy grade
BBQ and Picnic Shelter
This area of land was named after Miss Jessie MacDonald, who generously donated part of this area to become a National Park in 1933. Picnic facilities include a small shelter shed and a large picnic table at the start of the walking track on the edge of the rainforest.
This precious track of subtropical rainforest is popular with bird watchers, and offers visitors a quiet rainforest bush walk away from street noise and crowds. The circuit is easy to navigate and very enjoyable
This relatively flat loop track passes through rainforest with towering strangler figs, beautiful piccabeen palm groves and tall trees with vines and ferns. Shortly after the start of the bush walk keep to your left as you enter the loop track. At the “T” junction, a small fence has been erected to prevent walkers taking a short-cut through the forest – please stay on the track and help protect the rainforest! (13 stairs)
Strangler Figs
The circuit meanders gently downhill, passing two impressive strangler figs on the right of the track. A couple of narrower sections are created by large trees. Often, the ground is covered by hundreds of palm fringes, care should be taken especially after heavy rain.
Timber Log Bridge
Occasionally, walkers are reminded of how close this section of the Tamborine National park is to suburban living with some sounds filtering through the rainforest at certain times of the day. Closer towards the lower-most point of the track it becomes slightly steeper and than starts to gradually wind its way back up hill again.
After three small timber log creek crossings, walkers come past an uprooted tree resting on another one. Shortly after a fourth timber log creek
The Witches Falls Section of the Tamborine National Park
Click the map for a larger version
Featured in the “JETSTAR In-Flight Magazine” 1/2020 – click here to read the article!
Access:
The start of the walking trail is easily accessible on “Main Western Road”. Plenty of parking and great inland views make for a pleasant start of the walk. Another way to reach the famous “Witches Falls” Water Fall is to turn into Beacon Road from Main Western Road, and stay left when the road forks, reaching another entry point at the end of “Witches Chase” (see “Witches Chase Track” description second paragraph below).
The Witches Chase Track
This area has unfortunately been neglected for many years, with no signage provided, as well as the timber entry arch having rotted away leaving just the two bushrock base pillars.
The “Witches Falls National Park” was the FIRST National Park proclaimed in Queensland on 28 March 1908. There are several information signs erected at the start of the walk at “Main Western Road”, giving a good insight into the history of the area as well as it’s flora and fauna.
Witches Falls Circuit (E2), 3.1 km, allow about 1 hour, moderate grade
From the car park at “Main Western Road”, the southern start of the track descends down the steep mountain side through open forest, allowing great views inland. It eventually flattens out and continues through a stretch of seasonal lagoons, a wet-weather deviation track normally guarantees easy navigation all year round.
"Witches Falls" viewing platform
The northern entry also starts at the car park at “Main Western Road”, start heading north on the flat easy-to-follow track that runs behind the cemetery and some private properties. A bench constructed from old railway sleepers invites to rest. The track than starts to descend into the valley, zigzagging down the mountain, passing through medium density rainforest with large boulders strewn all over the mountain side (114 stairs). Care must be taken, as some of the stairs use natural bush rocks, heights therefore vary considerably.
"Witches Falls" Waterfall
At the end of the descend, after briefly walking through a flatter section of rainforest, walkers will reach the “T” junction where the currently closed southern entry joins.
“Witches Falls” are reached just a couple of hundred meters to the right. Another 50 meters or so will get you onto the viewing platform, offering great inland views as well as letting you admire the “Witches Falls”
The Palm Grove Section of the Tamborine National Park
Click the map for a larger version
Access:
There are three different ways of accessing this bush walking area. All three provide limited parking, but also offer very convenient access to one of the most beautiful sections of the Tamborine National Park.
A. Entry from “Curtis Road”(E6)
Turn into Curtis Road heading East, the road ends after about 100meters, parking is on the left as you enter the large turning circle.
Car parking spaces: 2
Disabled car parking spaces: NO
Bus parking spaces: NO
Public Toilets: NO
BBQs: NO
Picnic Settings: NO
Sheltered Picnic Settings: NO
Additional seating: NO
Views: NO
Information Board: YES – General Information
Giant strangler fig
Palm Grove Circuit (F6) from Curtis Road (2.5km return, allow 1 hour, easy grade)
The first section of this bush walk is simply called “Access track”, which highly underrates the breathtaking rainforest scenery that awaits you. The track descends downhill, first gradually zigzagging than straightening out. Walkers will encounter a number of huge trees such as strangler figs, ghost gums and the like, some of these leaning and forming some fascinating buttress root growth formations (44 stairs).
A huge fallen strangler fig blocking the path has been partly cut allowing walkers to pass safely. At the “T” junction to the “Palm Grove Circuit” track allow time to admire a gigantic leaning strangler fig on the left.
B. Entry from “Palm Grove Avenue” (E6)
Head south on Eagle Heights Road and turn into Palm Grove Avenue when the road veers left, you will reach the end of the road after about 200 meters. Car parking spaces are not clearly marked, but recognizable; there is a turning circle and some picnic facilities at the entrance to the bush walk.
Trail entrance at “Palm Grove Road”
Car parking spaces: 6 to 8
Disabled car parking spaces: NO
Bus parking spaces: NO
Public Toilets: NO
BBQs: NO
Picnic Settings: 1 x 8-seater
Sheltered Picnic Settings: NO
Additional seating: 1 Bench
Views: YES
Information Board: YES – General Information
Palm Grove Circuit (F6) from Palm Grove Road (2.5km return, allow 1 hour, easy grade)
Cleared path for walkers enjoyment!
The track starts just past the picnic area, slowly descending through subtropical rainforest and crossing a couple of small runoff creeks via timber plank bridges. The “T” junction to the “Palm Grove Circuit” with the gigantic leaning strangler fig (see above) is reached after a pleasant
Glow Worm Tours
Glow Worm Tours
At Cedar Creek Estate! A visit to Tamborine Mountain would not be complete without visiting the “Tamborine Mountain Glow Worm Caves” at Cedar Creek Estate Vineyard. Opened in 2004, tours are approximately half an hour and will take you on an enlightening journey to another world. Walk through the rainforest on our raised boardwalk and bridge over the starting place of pristine Cedar Creek to get to the caves.