From Gondwana Rainforest to the Pacific Ocean: A Tour of the Gold Coast Hinterland

Many Australians have visited the Gold Coast before, but most haven’t had the chance to explore the surrounding hinterland. Dubbed “the green behind the gold”, the hinterland flies under the radar but is home to some of the east coast’s most impressive landscapes and rainforests.

If you’re thinking of exploring beyond Surfers Paradise on your next trip, we’ve rounded up the best nature spots to visit around the Gold Coast – and the food and drink stops to include on your itinerary. For even more inspiration, head to the Gold Coast Experience Exchange: a place to share your highlights and get insider intel on the best things to do and places to go in and around the Gold Coast.

Tamborine Mountain

Drive an hour from the Gold Coast to discover breathtaking views – from the Scenic Rim all the way to the Pacific Ocean – and subtropical rainforests at Tamborine Mountain National Park. To really soak up the scenery, bring your hiking boots and explore one of the park’s many walking tracks. Our favourite is the Curtis Falls trail, which winds through lush eucalypt forest to the waterfall, which flows into rockpools that are home to populations of shy platypuses and glow worms. Afterwards, reward yourself with a picnic at Hang Glider Lookout, an easily accessible spot on Tamborine Mountain’s western escarpment where you can watch the sun set over the hinterland.

Tamborine Mountain is also home to antique stores, galleries and cosy cafes – and a local market on Sundays. There’s a handful of wineries and distilleries nearby too, including Witches Falls Winery, Cedar Creek Estate and Mount Tamborine Distillery, where you can do a tasting or take a tour or even a mixology course to get a closer look at the craft behind its 80 liqueurs and spirits.

It’s also worth checking out the Tamborine Mountain Regional Botanical Gardens, whose many gardens are filled with exotic and native flora and fauna, including tropical rainforest and an orchid house. There are walks around the central lake, with its waterbirds, lilies and Japanese windflowers, a calming Japanese garden and more. A short drive away, the mesmerising Glow Worm Caves are home to one of the world’s largest glow-worm colonies. The climate-controlled cave on Cedar Creek Estate was created to conserve the fragile native larvae, and there are tours daily between 10am and 4pm.

For an overnight stay, check into The Tamborine, a newly opened boutique hotel with a heated mineral pool and spa, a wellness studio, an aperitivo bar and rooms with scenic views. If you’d prefer something closer to nature, reserve a glamping tent or a simple but elegant suite or lodge at Tamborine Mountain Glades.

Morans Falls and Lamington National Park

Like Tamborine Mountain, Lamington National Park boasts lush rainforests, great views and walking trails. This landscape, though, dates back some 225 million years; it’s part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia Unesco World Heritage Area, where Earth’s early plant and animal life evolved. There are more than 20 tracks to explore, ranging from easy to difficult, and 10 bush camps – including the picturesque Echo Point, which has uninterrupted views of Wollumbin (Mount Warning) and Tweed River. Don’t miss the Morans Falls track, a spectacular walk through rainforest for views over Morans Falls as it plunges 80 metres into Morans Creek Gorge.

To stay, there are 24 campsites, including powered safari tents and campervans, at O’Reilly’s, or studios, rooms and villas at the neighbouring O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat, an eco-award winner that’s been around since 1915. The historic Binna Burra Lodge recently reopened with an eco-friendly set-up that includes campsites and “sky lodges”, while the Binna Burra Tiny Wild Houses each have a glass wall with views over Ship Stern Mountain. There are also a couple of eateries here: the cosy Binna Burra Tea House and the Bushwalker’s Bar, which serves classic pizzas and locally sourced cheese boards.

If you’ve got time, make sure to visit Sarabah Estate Vineyard for woodfired pizzas with your vino or a picnic on the grounds, and upscale farm-to-table spot The Paddock Restaurant at Beechmont Estate.

Currumbin Ecovillage

Nine kilometres from Currumbin Beach, this highly awarded sustainable community welcomes visitors to its bushland estate. It’s a special place; 70 kangaroos roam the village freely alongside echidnas, goannas, wallabies and other native wildlife.

There are a few essential food stops within the village, and Pasture & Co is at the top of the list. The cafe uses only local, organic and sustainably sourced produce across its menu. Expect hearty plates such as hot honey haloumi pita, crab omelette and Moreton Bay bug salad in leafy garden surrounds.

The cafe is part of Ground Currumbin, a community hub at the centre of the village for events, shopping, natural therapies and more. Alongside Pasture & Co, it’s home to a wellness centre; an organic grocer; and a rustic outdoor bathhouse with hydrotherapy spas, plus a sauna, cold plunge pool and cedar hot tub.

Greenmount Beach and Rainbow Bay

We might have said there’s more to the Gold Coast than the beach, but these two stretches of sand are worth the detour.

On the southern end of Coolangatta Beach, Greenmount is a great spot for a relaxed swim or a long walk. The beach path wraps around Greenmount Point on the way to pristine white sand beach Rainbow Bay. If you keep walking, you’ll also stumble across famous surfing outcrop Snapper Rocks (the area is part of a World Surfing Reserve).

After your swim, head to Fresh & Fried for fish’n’chips (and beers, of course) by the beach. Alternatively, you’ll find vegan treats and coffee at Little Mali, while Black Dingo Cafe serves Moreton Bay bug bagels, acai bowls and a terrific ocean vantage point.

There are dozens of great hotels nearby but you’ll find the best views at Reflections Coolangatta Beach and the newly opened Kirra Point Holiday Apartments.

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Experience Gold Coast. Explore even more of the region’s hidden gems with the Gold Coast Experience Exchange: a place for people to share their Gold Coast moments, connect with others and discover new experiences.