Gold Coast Hinterlands – Queensland’s Best Kept Secret

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Gold Coast hinterland is another world, the one that beckons and the one you must experience up close to understand its full extent as well as grandeur. Many people only visit the beaches of Gold Coast and return home without knowing that there are millions of years old rainforests that hold within them nature’s best kept secrets. You need to see it to believe it!
Did you know that a 23 million-year-old rainforest hides in plain sight of Gold Coast that is magnificent and definitely worth a day trip if not more? Its national parks are made up of dense rainforests that go back millions of years. Its cascading waterfalls and caverns are some of the secrets that are hiding within its thick forest cover, you need to go there yourself to explore gorges, creaks, caves, and unspoild forests that hold within its seams a rich biodiversity.

Now that your interest is visibly piqued, let us talk about where you should visit in the Gold Coast Hinterland to get the best of it.

What is Gold Coast Hinterland?

The Gold Coast Hinterland is made from three national parks – Lamington, Springbrook, and Mount Tamborine. The three national parks are covered in thick forests, surrounded by mountains, and are a treasure trove of rare species. When you visit these national parks, you are met with scenic beauty, natural wonders, gushing waterfalls, picturesque trails, evergreen rainforests and lots more. Not only are they home to rich flora and fauna but also vineyards and distilleries that surround charming villages.

Things to Do

You can spend as less as a day or as long as a week inside these national parks. There are plenty of activities for all kinds of travellers that will keep them suitably occupied for the number of days they choose to spend inside the hinterland. You can lose yourself to the pristine nature of Lamington National Park or get marvelled by their bountiful nature.

Spread over 15000 acres, you will need a lot more than a day to scratch the surface of Springbrook National Park, let alone exploring in entirety. You can take one of the many trails such the Scenic Rim and the ones that lead you into the heart of Gondwana Rainforests. Springbrook National Park is the most popular choice amongst visitors because of its landscape, forests, mountains and an extinct volcano that last erupted millions of years ago.

You can visit the lookouts and check out breathtaking creeks and waterfalls that dotted the trails.

Springbrook National Park

-Waterfalls: There are 4 sections of Springbrook National Park – Mount Cougal, Numinbah, Springbrook Plateau, Natural Bridge. There are many waterfalls along the way that the trekkers often stop at to rejuvenate themselves and even take a cool dip.

-Natural Bridge: The star attraction inside this national park is the Natural Bridge that involves walking through dense forests. During the day you can marvel at its natural cave formation that is backlit by sunlight as the water gushes in front of it. By the evening, you can explore the glow worm caves, another natural phenomenon that will leave your kids wanting for more. Natural Bridge Springbrook National Park is undoubtedly one of the best things you can see in the Gold Coast Hinterland.
-Lookouts: Once you are done exploring the national park, you can then move on to the lookouts that give you a sprawling view of skies above and the forests below, surrounded by mountains on all side.

-Rainforests: The thick rainforest cover is a sight to behold. You will see many insects, animals, birds, and plants that thrive within this environment. If you have been planning to introduce your kids to the great outdoors, then this is the best opportunity for you!

While Lamington and Mount Tamborine have their own charm, Springbrook remains a tourist favourite because of its variety of experiences. There is something for everyone, hiding behind those thick forests. Make sure to take some time out of your lazy beach bumming and explore the natural beauty of Gold Coast that will give you memories of a lifetime.

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