Visitor Information Tamborine Mountain
Walking Tracks – Tamborine Mountain National Park – Tamborine National Park on Tamborine Mountain (Mt Tamborine, Mount Tamborine) is situated in the Gold Coast Hinterland (The green behind the gold).
Walking tracks are provided in six sections of Tamborine National Park. Most walking tracks are short and can be walked within a few hours. The walks are relatively easy although some tracks have short, steep grades. At usual walking pace, 3km takes about an hour. If you are walking with young children, or if you are birdwatching or taking photographs, allow some extra time.
Cedar Creek Falls track – 900m return to lookout, 900m return to the rock pools (Allow 20-30 minutes) Easy grade. Access to this visitor area is via Cedar Creek Road. The track to the lookout is suitable for strollers and assisted wheelchair access. The lookout offers views of waterfalls, cascades and rock pools. The section from the lookout to the rock pools is not suitable for strollers or wheelchairs. For your safety, access is not permitted to some of the rock pools and parts of the gorge, as indicated by signs on site. Near the start of the track are two picnic areas, with tables and wheelchair-accessible toilets, located in large, open, grassy areas surrounded by tall eucalypt forest.
Palm Grove Rainforest Circuit – 2.6km circuit (Allow 1 hour) Easy grade. Piccabeen palm groves and rainforest with emergent strangler figs and distinctively buttressed yellow carabeens feature on this walk. Palm Grove Avenue is the main access point and carpark for this track. Parking for buses and caravans is not available.
The Jenyns Falls circuit, which branched off the Palm Grove circuit, is currently closed as it is considered unsafe. (It is not marked on the map).
Curtis Falls, Joalah section – 1.5km return ( Allow 30 minutes) Moderate grade. Joalah is an Aboriginal word meaning haunt of the lyrebird. The loud calls of the male Alberts lyrebird can be heard during winter. The track starts from the Dapsang Drive carpark. It is also possible to start at the shops on Eagle Heights Road, adding an extra 800m return to the walk.
On this track you will walk through rainforest and descend steep stairs to a large pool at the base of Curtis Falls. There is an impressive view of the falls and surrounding columnar basalt rockface. Swimming is prohibited at the falls. A restricted access area below Curtis Falls protects an important glow-worm colony. The track continues from the falls, along a piccabeen palm-fringed creek to a giant strangler fig. Beyond this strangler fig, the lower Joalah track is closed for your safety due to rockfalls.
Sandy Creek Circuit, The Knoll section – 2.6km circuit (Allow 1 hour) Easy grade. Scenic views, rainforest with tall trees emerging above the surrounding canopy, piccabeen groves, transition forest with large flooded gums and open forest feature on this walk. Please remain on the designated track, as there are steep cliff edges. Supervise children carefully. There is a branch track to Cameron Falls Lookout.
Access to the start of this walk is via Main Street, North Tamborine and Knoll Road. The parking area is very small and unsuitable for large buses. There is a picnic area near the start of the walk, in tall, open forest, with a large shelter shed and picnic table. From the northern edge of the picnic area you can enjoy views to Flinders Peak and Brisbane.
Witches Falls Circuit – 3.1km return (Allow 1 hour) Moderate grade. This track zigzags down the steep mountainside through open forest with banksia trees and into rainforest with huge strangler figs. You will pass seasonal lagoons surrounded by piccabeen palm groves and rainforest before you reach Witches Falls. After heavy rain the lagoons fill with water and come to life with many species of insects and frogs. The track returns through rainforest and behind the cemetery. The falls only flow after recent rain and can be viewed via a 200m detour from the circuit to a lookout platform.
The Witches Falls Circuit starts from the picnic area on Main Western Road. The grassy areas have electric barbecues, picnic tables and toilets, and are surrounded by tall eucalypts.
Witches Chase Track – 2.7km circuit (Allow 2 hours) Moderate grade. This track also starts from the picnic area on Main Western Road. The walk descends through rainforest to Witches Falls and continues along the cliff to Witches Chase, passing through rainforest with large red cedar trees and through eucalypt forest. From here, the Witches Falls carpark is 2.7km via the Beacon and Main Western Roads.
Macdonald Rainforest Circuit – 1.4km circuit (Allow 30 minutes) Easy grade. This relatively flat track passes through rainforest with large strangler figs, piccabeen palm groves and tall trees festooned with vines and ferns. The track is ideal for birdwatchers and visitors seeking a quiet rainforest walk away from road noise and large numbers of people.
The track starts from the carpark on Wongawallen Road, off the Tamborine-Oxenford Road. Miss Jessie MacDonald donated this area of land. A small shelter shed and picnic tables are provided at the park entrance.
Camping and accommodation
Camping
To protect the natural values of this park, camping is not permitted within the national park.
Other accommodation
There is a wide range of holiday accommodation on Tamborine Mountain, including hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts and cabins, see here Accommodation on Tamborine Mountain
Things to know before you go
Essentials to bring
Wear sturdy shoes, a hat, protective clothing and sunscreen. No bins are provided. Bring rubbish bags to remove your rubbish and recyclables from the park. Bring your own drinking water – this is not provided in the park. Creek water is unsuitable for drinking as it may contain organisms that can cause illness. If you are planning to have a barbecue, preferably bring a fuel stove.
Opening hours
For your safety, walk in Tamborine National Park in daylight hours only. The Tamborine Mountain Visitor Information Centre at Doughty Park is open from 10:30am to 3:30pm daily.
Permits and fees
Permits may be required for commercial or organised activities. Contact the park office for further information.
Pets
Domestic animals are NOT permitted in Tamborine National Park.
Climate and weather
At 525m above sea level, Tamborine plateau is consistently 5 degrees cooler than the adjacent lowland. Average daytime temperatures are 17 degrees Celsius in winter and 25 degrees Celsius in summer. The area averages 1500mm of rain a year, most of which falls between December and April. Take a raincoat and warm clothing at all times of the year.
Fuel and supplies
Fuel and supplies are available in North Tamborine, Canungra and nearby towns.
