Tamborine Mountain, QLD, 4271 - 4272
A World of National Parks
by Jo-Ann Palmer.
As the Blue Mountains are to Sydney, so Tamborine Mountain is to Brisbane and the Gold Coast, for escapees, holiday makers and day visitors from the "big smoke".
Europeans arrived in the 1840's and have been attracted to the mountain by the mild subtropical climate and rich volcanic soils ever since.
The quaint villages are famous for arts, crafts and antiques, with markets held on almost every weekend, making the area a very popular weekend and midweek getaway destination.
And a flourishing boutique winery industry taking advantage of the soils and climate, is also fast becoming a favourite attraction for visitors.
Accommodation
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Accommodation in Tamborine Mountain and nearby
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Accommodation Directory
More Accommodation
Book direct via Booking.com or choose from the links below- Clandulla Cottages & Farmstay - Boyland
- The Bearded Dragon Boutique Hotel
- The Castle on Tamborine
- Escarpment Retreat & Day Spa
- Lisson Grove
- Mt Tamborine Motel
- Mountain Edge Studios
- Eagle Heights Mountain Resort
- Stonehaven Guest House - Eagle Heights
- Witches Falls Cottages - Eagle Heights
- Cedar Creek Lodges - North Tamborine
- Pethers Rainforest Retreat - North Tamborine
- Possum Lodge At Cloudhill Estate
- The Polish Place - North Tamborine
- Villa Della Rosa B&B - North Tamborine
- Big Volcano Accommodation Directory
Local Tours & Attractions
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More Tours & Attractions
- Tamborine Mountain Botanic Gardens
- Tamborine Mountain Landare Projects
- Tamborine Mountain National Park
- Clancey's Irish Bar & Restuarant
- Hop on Hop off Tours - Broadbeach
- Tamborine Mountain Golf Club
- Tamborine Mountain Historical Society
- Tamborine Mountain Trail Rides
- Tamborine Mountain Tours
- Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk
- Thunderbird Park
- Tamborine Mountain Distillery
- Witches Falls Winery
- Big Volcano Activities & Attractions Directory
Actually three small settlements comprising North Tamborine, Eagle Heights and Mount Tamborine, each locality has its own distinct features, with accommodation to suit all budgets and tastes.
Visitors can choose mountain top accommodation ranging from quaint cottages, charming guesthouse inns and B&B style lodgings set in park like gardens and grounds, through to more recent upmarket developments including architech designed resort style spa villas perched on the edge of the plateau, with views to the Gold Coast.
Yulefest - Christmas in July
"Yulefest - Christmas in July" is held from mid July to early August each year.
Accommodation houses, restaurants, cafes and attractions are decked out in festive Xmas season decorations, and lodgings offer accommodation packages with traditional Christmas fare, around equally traditional open fires, warming the crisp winter nights.
Attractions
The northern most point of the Mount Warning shield volcano, active over 20 million years ago, Mount Tamborine is a plateau about 8 kilometres long and 5 kilometres at its widest point, rising approximately 600 metres above sea level.
Scenic Views and Picnic Spots
Plentiful vantage points and picnic spots provide magnificent views to the Gold Coast to the east and the national parks of the Scenic Rim to the west.
National Parks
Tamborine Mountain National Park, which is actually made up of nine national parks, includes Queensland's first national park, Witches Falls, declared in 1908.
These parks are a world of subtropical, eucalypt and cycad rainforests.
Three of the four largest parks; The Knoll, Cedar Creek and Palm Grove National Parks have picnic facilities and walking tracks to lookouts or waterfalls.
Witches Falls NP has only primitive walking tracks, while the remaining parks are havens for flora and fauna in the remnant rainforests.
Waterfalls
Four major waterfalls offer spectacular viewing after extended rains, but flow all year round, and are worth the walks, which range from 400 metres to 2.5 klm through the rainforest. Most tracks also have interpretive signage which you can read along the way.
At Joalah National Park section, a 1.5 klm return track with steps, leads to the viewing platform looking out over the rockpool at the foot of the popular Curtis Falls.
Cedar Creek NP section Lookout is a 500m return track to the watefall lookout, with a flat paved path suitable for strollers and assisted wheelchairs, from the car park to the lookout.
Cedar Creek Falls Rock Pools track is 900m return from lookout, with a sealed path for the whole length. The track provides access to Cedar Creek and some of its spectacular cascades, waterfalls and rock pools, where you can go for a swim in the bracing mountain waters, so don't forget your swimmers.
The Knoll section of the park, offers a pleasant 2.6 km return walk along the Cameron Falls Circuit, consisting of an easy grade hardened track with some steps, along a loop track running adjacent to Sandy Creek.
The Witches Falls Circuit is a 3.1 km return path along easy to follow natural tracks using bush rocks for stairs, to reach the viewing platform above the waterfall.
If you're staying for more than a day or two, why not try to see them all?
For more detailed information about Tamborine Mountain waterfalls, complete with directions, maps and photos, please visit Discover Tamborine Mountain » Tamborine Waterfalls / Waterholes.
Garden Festival
The annual "Springtime on the Mountain" garden festival held each September, throws open private home gardens to the public with a trail pass to view 8 inspiring gardens.
Tamborine Mountain Showground becomes the hub of activity for three days, with a host of activities, entertainment, the Garden Club Cafe, guest speakers, plant stalls, art displays and of course, all things gardens on the mountain.
Organised by the Tamborine Mountain Garden Club, proceeds go to toward upkeep and improvements to Tamborine Mountain Botanic Gardens, which is a major attraction in its own right.
Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk Set in 30 acres of privately owned rainforest next to Cedar Creek, Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk is 1.5 km in length, with a combination of forest floor trails, 300 metres of high-tech steel bridges through the rainforest canopy, and a 40 metre cantilever bridge 30 metres above the creek looking down to rainforest below. The complex includes an interpretive Centre, parking, gift shop, cafe and amenities.
Booking.comGetting to Tamborine Mountain
Getting to the region is easy: Visitors can reach Tamborine Mountain by road and rail (via the Gold Coast), with air services available at Gold Coast and Brisbane airports.
Road
Tamborine Mountain is approximately 940 kilometres - about 11 hours drive north from Sydney, and approximately 45 kilometres - about 40 minutes drive south from Brisbane, via the Pacific Motorway.
Accessible from the M1 Pacific Motorway at Beenleigh, Oxenford and Nerang, and via scenic hinterland routes at Beaudesert and Canungra in the west, 5 sealed roads lead to a world of national parks, breathtaking scenery by day and the lights of the Gold Coast spread out in glittering array by night.
Air
Mt Tamborine is located less than 60 minutes drive from Brisbane Airport for international and domestic services.
Visitors also have the option of flying into Gold Coast Airport at Coolangatta, where domestic flights operate from all capital cities, as well as a number of international carriers servicing SE Asia, New Zealand and the Pacific, which also fly into Gold Coast Airport.
Daily airport transfer services operate between Gold Coast Airport and Brisbane International Airport. Visit Gold Coast Airport Transfer Services for more information.
Gold Coast Airtrain services is one of the best ways to get to and from Brisbane International Airport from the Gold Coast. Trains leave every half hour or so, and you can buy your ticket at any Gold Coast railway station.
Gold Coast and Brisbane airports both have airport car hire services available.
Border ranges rainforest Photo © Big Volcano Tourism
Coach/Rail
Daily interQLD coach services are available to Brisbane and Sydney, with a daily or overnight train service available at Roma Street Station in Brisbane or via coach transfer at Casino NSW. See Countrylink services for timetables and more information.
The nearest Gold Coast Airtrain Service is Helensvale Train Station, with transfer services via Tamborine Mountain Tours shuttle bus, or public transport connections with Logan Coaches from Loganlea and Beenleigh train stations (see below).
Getting Around
Public Transport operator Logan Coaches offers a twice daily Monday to Friday service from Canungra to Loganlea Station, Hyperdome Shopping Centre (Loganholme) and Beenleigh Station, with express 6am and 6pm services for commuters connecting with Brisbane CBD trains.
It also runs three all stops services on Saturday. The service operates to Canungra, Tamborine Village*, Yarrabilba, Logan Village and Woodlands.
* Please note that Tamborine Village is located at the bottom of the mountain. From there, it's about 4 klm up a winding road to North Tamborine, Eagle Heights and Mount Tamborine settlements.
Yellow Cabs services Tamborine Mountain and surrounds with the usual local services, and they'll also transfer visitors from Tamborine Village, Brisbane airport terminals and Gold Coast airport. A wheelchair accessible Taxi and Maxi Taxi are available. Contact Ron on (07) 5545 1577.
Alternatively, if you're holidaying on the Gold Coast, you can opt for a day tour to the plateau, including hop on - hop off operators.
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