We had visited Mount Tamborine previously but only to see the villages and produce for sale. This time we focused on the great range of walks and waterfalls in this area. We were not disappointed – it was a great day out!
We visited Tamborine Mountain on 22nd (Canungra) & 25th February 2020.
Kerry’s snippets in fuchsia
Getting There
We were staying at the Cedar Lake Resort, near Nerang – an ideal base to explore the Gold Coast hinterland. It is a short drive to Canungra and there is easy access to the northern parts of Tamborine Mountain from the M3 (Exit 57).
The resort is very nice. We have a 2 bedroom apartment which is quite spacious. The resort has a heated pool, games room and a par 3 golf course to muck around on and get our golfing skills back again. Its a bit rough but lots of fun.
History
Mount Tamborine is a remnant of a crater rim of a volcanic explosion that happened about 22 Million years ago. The principal high point of the area is Mount Warning, a volcanically created mountain. It is believed that most of the features around it are actually a result of the lava eruptions. The Tamborine Mountain plateau has rich reddish volcanic soil, and is very fertile.
Tamborine Mountain was inhabited by indigenous communities for tens of thousands of years, and was the territory of the Wangerriburras people. The Yugambeh language is the origin of the name Tamborine, which means wild lime and refers to the finger lime trees that grow on the mountain.
Today Tamborine lends its name to a cluster of three villages that have settled on the mountain ridge over the years. The Tamborine district was included in the Bunton Vale pastoral run (1843) which was renamed Tambourine. In time the name was applied to the parish and the plateau. The area was opened for selection in 1878 and in that year the first white settler, John O’Callaghan, selected a parcel of land on the mountain.
In January 1893 auctioneers Arthur Martin & Co offered 128 blocks of land, mostly 2-acre (0.81 ha) lots, in the St Bernard Estate. The lots were described as suitable for gentlemen’s residences with “scenery unsurpassed in Australia” and for the shooter “turkeys, pigeons, wallabies and kangaroos abound”.
Mount Tamborine was initially farmlands, with citrus, other orchards and vegetable crops, and the St Bernard’s Hotel. A village settlement, on farms much too small, started in 1888 and a short-lived provisional school was opened in 1893. North Tamborine was more easily accessible from the Logan Village railway station, and in 1898 a Brisbane family, the Geissmanns (Swiss and German) built Capo di Monte, serving as a residence and guest house. They succeeded in having a school opened in 1900 and a store was added to their guest house in 1909.
The arrival of the Geissmanns coincided with a growing clientele of nature related holiday-makers, and Queensland Governors lent their patronage to the Capo. The first of several sections of the Tamborine National Park (and Queensland’s first), Witches Falls, was reserved in 1908. The gradual growth in population justified the opening of a second school in 1914, named St Bernard. The increase in population mirrored a decrease in the acreages of rainforest timber, as the Big Scrub was cut out and hauled down to saw mills.
Today the park is made up of 14 sections of land on the Tamborine plateau and surrounding foothills. The park protects remnants of Tamborine Mountain’s plant communities and includes areas of rainforest with distinctive piccabeen palm groves, wet eucalypt forest dominated by tall flooded gums, open forest with bracken fern understorey and woodland. Basalt columns, cliffs, rocky outcrops and waterfalls are a lasting legacy of volcanic eruptions. Tamborine is the most northerly remnant of the flows from the volcano that was centred on Mount Warning
Canungra
The name ‘Canungra’ is thought to derive from an Aboriginal expression describing a small owl.
Canungra owes its European development to the timber industry and once boasted one of the largest stands of timber in the colony. Timber was taken from the surrounding ranges in the 1860s, but the first intensive exploitation of the timber reserves came with the Lahey brothers who had several timber leases in the 1880s and established a mill at Canungra. However, by the 1940s most of the timber had gone and sawmills were closing. The historic Laheys Tramway Tunnel is the only remnant of the past sawmilling activities in the area. Logging was progressively replaced by beef cattle and dairying.
In 1942 a Land Headquarters Training Centre (jungle warfare) was established at Canungra for training troops destined for combat in the Pacific region, the building complex later named Kokoda Barracks. Closed soon after 1945, the centre re-opened in 1954, and was used intensively for training of troops for service in Viet Nam during the 1960s. Further military activities included intelligence training (1994) and the Command, Staff and Operations Wing (1997).
Today Canungra is a horse-breeding and training centre. In 2002 the Wadham Park training complex opened, a $10 million facility situated on 200 acres on the town’s outskirts, which includes the country’s largest equine hospital. The town is also the gateway to the Lamington National Park, including the Binna Burra and O’Reilly’s holiday resorts. It is a thriving tourism destination. Sadly, in the horrific fires late in 2019, Binna Burra Lodge burned to the ground.
At the 2016 census, Canungra had a population of 1229.
We went up the Henri Robert Dr to get to Canungra from Cedar Lake, rather than take the more direct Beaudesert- Nerang Rd. The drive up provided some great scenery including views back to the Gold Coast. A very enjoyable windy and at places steep drive. With great views on the way. Everything is so green after the rain.
The town was very busy, being a Saturday, including loads of motorbikes. We struggled to find a parking spot and ended up near the Hotel. The Lahey family built the Bellissima Guest house in 1916 to provide overnight accommodation for people doing business with the sawmill. The guesthouse was sold in 1927 and become the Canungra Hotel, with the addition of a bar on the eastern side. The hotel was destroyed by fire in 1937 and rebuilt in its present form. What a beautiful building – very busy though.
Opposite the Hotel was a lovely little old church, which was unfortunately locked.
Back on the main street we had a good look around the town and had a pretty good pie in the pie shop. We went into The Shoe Vault which had lots of shore. But as it was the weekend the market in the rear of the sop was open. Well worth a visit.
After that we returned to Cedar Lodge on the Beaudesert-Nerang Rd through some pretty country. It is a delightful part of the world.
Northern Parts of Tamborine Mountain
It was a quick drove up the M3 to the Oxenford turn off (Exit 57). We kept to the Tamborine-Oxenford Rd until we got to the roundabout at the northern end of “The Gallery Walk” and went through that to Wongawallen Road. From there it was an easy drive to the various Sections.
The MacDonald Section
This tract of subtropical rainforest was named after Miss Jessie MacDonald, who generously donated part of this area to become a national park in 1933. The car park is on Wongawallen Road. There are no facilities at this site.
The circuit is short – only 1.4km return. The literature told us that this walk features towering strangler figs and lush groves of piccabeen palms. Any they were not wrong – the trees are magnificent. It is a very pleasant and enjoyable circuit walk on a good track.
Joalah Section (Curtis Falls)
Joalah is located at the headwaters of Cedar Creek and is accessible from both Eagle Heights Road and Dapsang Drive car park. A toilet block and large-vehicle parking is provided at the car park, but no picnic facilities.
We took the Curtis Falls track, at 1.1km return. The literature told us that the walk begins in wet eucalypt forest beneath towering flooded gums and that we should notice a drop in temperature as the wet eucalypt forest merges into lush rainforest. We were also told to look out for beautiful birds nest and staghorn ferns in the canopy above (which we did).
The trees are fabulous with the criss cross of the strangler figs and the buttress root systems stunning. The tops of the buttress roots are a rich reddish colour.
After the recent spate of wet weather we had experienced, Curtis Falls were really working well – a beautiful place and rock pool. We were told that the rock pool and surrounding basalt rock face provide important glow-worm habitat. To protect this habitat, access to the Curtis Falls rock pool and surrounding area is not permitted.
The walk up and out was through more beautiful trees.
The Knoll section
Access to this section is via Knoll Road. The parking area is small and not suitable for large vehicles. There are great views to Flinders Peak from the northern edge of the picnic area. We took the Sandy Creek circuit to Cameron Falls lookout – a 2.6km circuit.
The literature told us that this walk features lush rainforest with towering trees emerging through the canopy. A 100m track branches off through open eucalypt forest to Cameron Falls lookout. On a clear day there would be views across the valley to the southern suburbs of Brisbane and D’Aguilar Range. This is what we saw.
We saw some more brilliant trees on the way down to Cedar Creek, which was bubbling along nicely after the recent rains.
The fallen tree that Des is standing in front of is one of the biggest we have seen.
It is difficult to see Cameron Falls as the lookout is just to one side of where the falls cross over the edge of the escarpment, and there is plenty of bush. We crossed the creek and got near the edge where the river takes the plunge. Great views across the valley.
Not surprisingly, we saw many more trees on the walk out.
Witches Falls section
Witches Falls was Queensland’s first national park, declared in 1908. Access is via Main Western Road and parking is suitable for larger vehicles at the southern end of the picnic area. Kerry was suffering from a sore hip and decided to sit out this walk as it was the most difficult of the day.
The literature told us that this 3.1km circuit zigzags down the mountain side, through an open forest of banksia trees and then into rainforest with giant strangler figs. No surprises there, and that is what I saw on the way down to Witches Falls, steep in places, but a lovely walk. I went around anti-clockwise.
Witches Falls only flows after recent rain and is best viewed from the lookout platform, accessed via a 200m detour from the main circuit. The Falls is a bit like Cameron Falls – the lookout is to one side at the same level of where the falls plunge over the edge of the precipice. Again I could get to where the creek made its way to the head of the fall.
After that I came to a magnificent tree – the colours of the root system are awesome. Take a look at these photos.
The circuit passes some seasonal lagoons surrounded by piccabeen palm groves. After heavy rain the lagoons fill with water and spring to life and I soon came across these lagoons.
The main track was flooded and a diversion around the lagoons can be used during wet conditions. Thankfully, this was clearly signposted with red discs as it would be easy to get lost in this terrain.
Many stunning trees on the way back up – it was steep in places – but then I passed a landslip area with the sign as shown.
Emerging from the forest, there are good views over the valley.
Cedar Creek section
Access to this section is via Cedar Creek Falls Road – a good drive. Near the start of the track are two large picnic areas surrounded by tall eucalypt forest. The carpark is very small and there is no access for large buses and motorhomes. There no free parking spots when we arrived so we parked in a zone for tourist buses and I stayed in the car. Finally, some people returned to their vehicle and I parked the car properly and joined Des.
The literature told us that the walk to Cedar Creek Falls lookout is only 500m return to admire views of the gorge, waterfalls and rock pools. The track is suitable for stollers and assisted wheelchair access. There were some great views of the falls.
From Cedar Creek Falls lookout, you can descend through eucalypt forest to the rock pools below. I went about half way down – and later wished I had gone all the way. But that’s life.
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