Springbrook
Best of All Lookout
A 350-metre walk through rare Gondwanan rainforest opens onto a panoramic view that stretches, on a clear day, almost to Byron Bay. No facilities, no fuss. Bring a layer, arrive early, and sort out your bathroom stop on the drive up.
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Currumbin Valley
Currumbin Rock Pools
Dark water, slippery rocks, and kids absolutely loving every second of it. Currumbin Rock Pools in the valley offer shallow wading for little ones and a deep main pool for braver swimmers. Picnic facilities on site, café across the road. Go on a weekday.
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Burleigh Heads
David Fleay Wildlife Park
Named after the naturalist who first bred platypus in captivity, this compact Burleigh Heads wildlife park punches above its size. Naturalistic habitats, knowledgeable staff who actually stop to talk, and a bird show worth timing your visit around.
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Advancetown
Hinze Dam
A flat, paved crossing of the dam wall with Advancetown Lake on one side and green hinterland valley on the other. Stop at View Cafe before heading into Springbrook, or hit the Peter Hallinan Mountain Bike Precinct. Come early in summer. The sun on that wall is no joke.
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Queensland
Lamington National Park
Old-growth rainforest, 160 kilometres of trails, and Regent bowerbirds that show up at 6.45am like clockwork. The treetop walk pushes 30 metres above the canopy. Albert's lyrebirds haunt the Border Track entrance most mornings. Two hours from Brisbane, and worth every minute of the drive.
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O'Reilly
Morans Falls
A 4.4-kilometre return walk through subtropical rainforest leads to a cascade dropping into Morans Creek. The track is easy, the canopy is cool, and weekday crowds are thin. The drive up Lamington National Park Road is the real adventure.
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Natural Bridge
Natural Bridge, Springbrook National Park
A basalt cave where a waterfall drops through a hole in the roof and glow-worms light the ceiling after dark. The 1km rainforest loop is easy enough for toddlers, spectacular enough to bring everyone back for the night walk.
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Springbrook
Purling Brook Falls, Springbrook National Park
A 109-metre waterfall with a swimmable rock pool at its base, a well-maintained 4km loop through dense rainforest, and lookouts that justify every stair. Come after rain. The photos never do it justice, and the parking is always a gamble.
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Springbrook
Springbrook National Park
A waterfall drops through a collapsed cave ceiling at the Natural Bridge, and at dusk the glow-worms take over. Purling Brook Falls, Twin Falls, and sweeping coastal lookouts fill out a day on the plateau. The mountain air alone is worth the drive up.
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South Murwillumbah
Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre
The recreation of Margaret Olley's Paddington studio alone justifies the drive to South Murwillumbah. Add rotating exhibitions, Tweed Valley views, and a free guided tour from volunteers who genuinely know the collection, and this is one of the region's most rewarding afternoons.
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Springbrook
Twin Falls
You walk directly behind the waterfall, not past it. The Twin Falls Circuit winds through Gondwana Rainforest to a shallow swimming hole at the base of a small cave. Two trail options, cold water, and considerably fewer crowds on a Tuesday morning.
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