Australia’s Green Cauldron
The naturalist Arthur Groom — who co-founded Binna Burra Lodge — first used the words “Scenic Rim” to describe the arc of rainforest-cloaked mountains that curves southwest of Brisbane into the Gold Coast hinterland. Its foundations are three shield volcanoes that erupted around 24 million years ago. The lava flows shaped Tamborine Mountain; the ancient Tweed Caldera, with Mount Warning at its throat, shaped the broader range.
The traditional custodians of this country are the Mununjali people around Beaudesert, the Ugarapul people around Boonah, and the Wanggeriburra people of the Canungra and Tamborine Mountain area — all part of the wider Yugambeh and Jaggera language groups, who maintained complex networks of trails through these mountains for tens of thousands of years before Europeans arrived.
Today the Scenic Rim holds six national parks, over 160km of hiking tracks in the Gondwana Rainforests World Heritage Area, a rapidly growing wine and food scene centred on Canungra and Tamborine Mountain, Queensland’s first luxury Great Walk, and a string of accommodation options that range from Binna Burra sky lodges and O’Reilly’s rainforest retreat to intimate cottages perched above the valley mist.
📍 Getting There
1–1.5hrs from Brisbane via the Mount Lindesay or Pacific Motorways. 45min–1hr from the Gold Coast. No direct public transport to national parks — car or guided tour recommended.
🍽️ Best Time
Autumn–winter (April–August) for cool, clear days perfect for hiking and cellar door visits. June is Eat Local Month (120+ events). Summer (Dec–Feb) is green and warm but occasional afternoon storms.
🌿 The Six Parks
Lamington · Tamborine · Mount Barney · Main Range · Moogerah Peaks · Springbrook. All within 2hrs of Brisbane. Lamington alone has 160km+ of marked trails.
🏈 The Great Walk
Spicers Scenic Rim Trail: 47km through Main Range NP over 4 days. Queensland’s first Great Walk — luxury eco-cabin accommodation and luggage transfers included. No tents required.
From glowworm caves to grade 5 mountain summits — every Scenic Rim destination covered.
Tamborine Mountain Guide — Gallery Walk, Glowworms & Wineries
An hour from Brisbane and 45 minutes from the Gold Coast, Tamborine Mountain is the Scenic Rim’s most accessible and most visited destination. Gallery Walk (Long Road) strings together boutique cafes, art galleries, Witches Falls Winery, Mason Wines, and the famous Tamborine Mountain Coffee Plantation. The Rainforest Skywalk — a 1.5km boardwalk with a 30-metre cantilever bridge above the forest floor — is outstanding. At dusk, the Glow Worm Caves offer an intimate guided experience of the region’s most unusual wildlife. The Curtis Falls walk (1km, easy) through the Joalah section of Tamborine National Park and Cedar Creek Falls are the best short hikes. Fortitude Brewing Co. for craft beer. The Botanic Gardens (11 hectares) for a quiet morning walk.
Lamington National Park Guide — O’Reilly’s & Binna Burra
The most extensive walking track network in SE Queensland, inside the Gondwana Rainforests World Heritage Area. Two access points: O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat (Green Mountains) and Binna Burra Lodge. The Border Track connects them — 21.4km through subtropical and temperate rainforest along the Queensland–NSW border. The Coomera Circuit (17.4km) from Binna Burra passes Australia’s northernmost pocket of ancient Antarctic beech trees.
Mount Barney Hike Guide — SE Queensland’s Greatest Summit
At 1,354m, Mount Barney is the most challenging and rewarding summit in SE Queensland. The South East Ridge return hike is 16km and takes 8–10 hours — grade 5, for experienced hikers only. The mountain sits on Bundjalung Country and is subject to rapid weather changes. Mount Barney Lodge runs guided expeditions. Not for beginners; extraordinary for those who make it.
Spicers Scenic Rim Trail — Queensland’s First Great Walk
47 kilometres through Main Range National Park over four days — and unlike almost any other multi-day hike in Australia, you carry nothing but a daypack. Spicers transfers your luggage between a series of remarkable eco-cabin lodges, each perched on a ridgeline with views extending across the volcanic landscape to the coast. The trail weaves through 180-million-year-old Gondwana rainforest, takes in Indigenous and European settler history, and ends each day with a proper dinner, a hot shower, and a bed. Queensland’s first designated Great Walk, and the benchmark for luxury guided hiking in the state.
Scenic Rim Wine Trail — Canungra Cellar Doors & Alpacas
The Scenic Rim is one of Queensland’s most exciting emerging wine regions. O’Reilly’s Canungra Valley Vineyards pairs cellar door tastings with 50 resident alpacas at adjacent Mountview Alpaca Farm. Sarabah Estate, Albert River Wines, Bunjurgen Estate, and Kooromba Vineyard and Lavender Farm all have cellar doors within a short drive of Canungra township.
Springbrook National Park Guide — Natural Bridge & Glowworms
The Natural Bridge — a cave with a waterfall crashing through its roof — hosts one of the most accessible wild glowworm colonies in Australia. Visit at dusk to see the ceiling illuminate for free. Purling Brook Falls, the cool-climate plateau forest, and ancient Antarctic beech trees make Springbrook the ideal companion to a Tamborine Mountain day.
Canungra Village Guide — Gateway to Lamington
Canungra is the last proper stop before Lamington National Park and more than a waypoint. The Canungra Hotel anchors the main street. Historic St Luke’s Church (sawmilling heritage timber). Summer Land Camels — Australia’s largest wild camel training centre and dairy — is nearby. The village also has the excellent Canungra Books & Art for antiquarian browsing before the mountain drive.
Scenic Rim Adventures — Balloons, Ziplines & Bikes
Floating Images operates hot air balloon flights over the Scenic Rim — the closest ballooning to Brisbane. Hidden Vale Adventure Park offers Australia’s largest guided zipline canopy tour. Mountain biking trails at Hidden Vale and the broader Moogerah area suit all levels. Lake Moogerah (near Boonah) is popular for watersports, kayaking, and fishing.
Scenic Rim Weekend — From Brisbane or the Gold Coast
Two perfect days: Friday evening check-in at Songbirds Rainforest Retreat or Witches Falls Cottages. Saturday: Tamborine Mountain Gallery Walk, glowworms at dusk. Sunday: drive to Canungra, Lamington National Park walk to Elabana Falls, cellar door lunch at O’Reilly’s Canungra Valley Vineyards, alpacas. Return via Tamborine Mountain lookout.
Every destination in the region with travel times from Brisbane.
From luxury rainforest retreats to Gondwana-edge glamping.
O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat
Inside Lamington National Park at Green Mountains. Rooms, villas, and the famous treetop walk steps from your door. The benchmark for Scenic Rim stays.
Lamington NPBinna Burra Lodge
The other Lamington access point — sky lodges, glamping tents, and campsites on a ridgeline above the rainforest. Co-founded by Arthur Groom, who named the Scenic Rim.
Lamington NPSongbirds Rainforest Retreat
Boutique luxury on Tamborine Mountain — private villas with forest views, fine dining, and a spa. The most polished hotel experience in the region.
Tamborine MountainWitches Falls Cottages
Self-contained heritage cottages on Tamborine Mountain, named for the national park next door. Consistently top-rated (4.8★ on TripAdvisor) and perfectly positioned for the Gallery Walk.
Tamborine MountainPethers Rainforest Retreat
Adults-only eco-luxury on Tamborine Mountain — elevated timber treehouses above a rainforest gully, with private decks and outdoor baths.
Tamborine MountainMt Barney Lodge
The base camp for Mount Barney — Queenslander homesteads, rustic family cabins, and a grassy campground 90 minutes from Brisbane. Guided expeditions depart from here.
Mount BarneyPlanning a Scenic Rim Escape?
Cooee Tours runs guided hinterland day tours from Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Talk to our team about custom Scenic Rim itineraries.