Sustainable travel: Eco-friendly experiences in the Gold Coast

By Anna King Shahab

NZ Herald·

7 Mar, 2023 05:47 PM8 mins to read

Lamington National Park is just one place in the Gold Coast you can commune with nature. Photo / Queensland Tourism

Only an hour’s drive from both bustling beaches and Brisbane, the Gold Coast hinterland offers a refreshing contrast with its quaint villages, wineries, and national park walks. Here are some of my highlights from a few days rambling through the rainforests in the rich, volcanic-soiled Tamborine Mountain and further south into Lamington National Park. Known as the Scenic Rim, the area lives up to its name.

Glamping by the river

Ancient “thunder eggs” – prized volcanic geological formations, rough spheres of rock containing crystal, lend their name to Tamborine Mountain’s Thunderbird Park, a 112-hectare rainforest property encompassing various types of accommodation, wildlife and leisure activities – the latter including mining for thunder eggs.

For families with young children or teens the park offers a unique stay-and-play vibe, whereas for the sole traveller like me, the glamping option at its Cedar Creek Lodges felt perfectly tucked away, the rush of the river and birdsong my soundscape for a few nights.

I soon learned the local birdlife isn’t shy – kicking back on the deck with my delicious antipasti platter delivered from onsite Rainforest Restaurant, a kookaburra I was admiring in an overhanging tree swooped in to grab its share of the feed.

Glamping at Cedar Creek Lodges offers peace amongst nature. Photo / Supplied

Gallery Walk

It wears its tweeness on its sleeve, but there’s enough charm to the leafy, colourful avenue of eateries and shops on Long Rd known as Gallery Walk that it’s worth a detour. If clock collections and crystals aren’t your thing, there are plenty of cafes to relax in, a great brew bar at one end, and a plethora of clothing boutiques to peruse. It’s also paradise for the sweet-toothed, with several fudge and candy specialists, and excellent gelato at Mumma Duck’s (salted lime was excellent on a muggy day).

Wineries, breweries and distilleries

Dotted around the Scenic Rim are a number of producers of things alcoholic. At the far end of Gallery Walk, Fortitude Brewing Co. boasts a great list of beers brewed onsite, and woodfired pizzas. A Bellini peach and Champagne pilsner was the perfect thirst-quencher post-bushwalk, and the next-door Tamborine Cheese Shop is the excellent for picnic-sourcing.

Walking under a wonderfully fragrant archway of star jasmine was an auspicious way to kick off at tasting at Witches Falls Winery, its cellar door opening out on to a breezy lawn and courtyard overlooking vines. The majority of the wines made here are from grapes grown in Queensland’s cooler Granite Belt to the south, with some also coming from South Australia’s Riverlands.

From a tasting through mostly whites and a few reds, I particularly loved the verdelho and the jammy saperavi, both wild-ferments using lesser-known varieties, as well as the Prophecy, a Granite Belt cabernet sauvignon only made four times since 2004.

The Rim hasn’t escaped the gin craze, and juniper fans should put Cauldron Distillery on the list – its Five To Five Sunset Gin wooed me with citrus, green tea and native honey notes and hibiscus-pink hue.

Juniper fans should put Cauldron Distillery on the list of places to visit. Photo / Supplied

Mt Tamborine Coffee plantation

A tour of this crop-to-cup specialist run by the Williams family will no doubt leave you, as it did me, with a newfound appreciation of the effort and skill that goes into growing, processing, and roasting coffee beans. Coffee bushes are hard to grow, the cherries (ripe fruit, inside which are the beans) take hours to pick by hand, and then months to dry – it takes five kilograms of coffee cherries to make a kilogram of coffee.

Tony Williams and his son Sam had many decades between them working in and running cafes before buying the coffee farm – so it’s no surprise their estate coffee has won prestigious awards. Do allow time for a meal in the handsome Queenslander onsite cafe – my Skagen prawns on toast were scrumptious.

Hit the ground

Getting out into nature is a key reason to head to the hinterland, and there are walks to suit all fitness levels. At the cruisy end of the scale, Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk, 30 metres above the ground, offers a unique view of verdant Cedar Creek.

I wasn’t lucky enough to spot platypuses, which are regulars in the clear streams, but there were plenty of butterflies and birds among the flora, and it was here I learned that the name Tamborine likely came from the local Yugambeh people’s name for the abundant finger lime tree, jambreen.

Just around the corner en route to Gallery Walk, the Curtis Falls walk is another easy-goer that offered me a refreshing shaded stretch of the legs on a hot day. As I walked through lush picabeen palms, I was joined by a host of Australian bush turkeys.

Leave the ground

The alarm piercing the thick bush dark at 3.30 am brought a jolt of excitement and a little nervousness as I changed, left behind my cosy glamping setup, and navigated the winding road to the sleeping town of Canungra to meet my Hot Air shuttle. It was my first time hot air ballooning and I’m not amazing with heights, but driver Kelly put me and my fellow passengers at ease as he talked us through what to expect on the drive to the launch paddock.

As Kelly guided us into our positions in the plush-padded wicker basket, the sun began to reveal the landscape. Pilot Dhawal worked the flame, inflating the balloon and readying us for takeoff. The lift-off was smooth and gradual and we were soon floating way above farmland, casting a distinct shadow across the golden earth.

Morning bird calls and the lowing of cattle drifted up to combine with the intermittent whooshing of gas, creating a soothing soundtrack. Following a remarkably steady landing, we drove to O’Reilly’s Vineyard where we enjoyed breakfast, complete with sparkling wine.

Lamington National Park

Continuing south from Tamborine, you soon enter Lamington National Park, a hiker’s paradise comprising 160km of tracks of various grades. It’s a good place to go against TLC’s advice, with 500 waterfalls to chase. The Binna Burra property within the park has been welcoming guests since the 1930s, and is a great base for exploring the ancient Gondwana rainforests all around. My safari tent was basic but comfortable, with a verandah overlooking the lush valley.

Lamington Park is a must visit spot for travellers. Photo / Supplied

I took myself off for an afternoon walk on one of the dozens of nearby trails. Walking solo with annoyingly sketchy cell roaming I was fairly cautious about not venturing too far, however – I’d love to head back in company to be able to make the most of the tracks.

Bird life is prolific here; look and listen out for the Albert lyrebird (which often mimics kookaburras) as well as the distinctive call of the satin bowerbirds - you might even chance upon their blue-spangled nests if you’re very lucky.

The heritage Groom’s Cottage was a great spot to settle in for a local craft tap beer and watch the sun set – the outdoor fire pit is also a great place to chat with fellow guests and walkers. The property’s best food and views are at the Tea House, which is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Over a delicious brekkie of smashed avocado and halloumi on sourdough I could see miles of bush and blue sky, with the jagged highrises of the built-up coast punctuating the horizon.

Lamington National Park is a hiker's paradise with more than 500 waterfalls to chase.Photo / Supplied

Pitstop paradise

A few hours in the late afternoon in Burleigh Heads at the end of my trip gave me a taster of the coast proper. It was Friday, and folk were peeling off the beach’s white sand and clean breaks to fill up local restaurants and bars. I loved the hip but friendly vibe at Apres Surf, along with the delicious guac I enjoyed while watching Weekend at Bernie’s play on a projector.

At handsome Burleigh Pavillion, The Tropic elicits a healthy queue at the door: bookings are a must. The service was slick as well as friendly, and the menu was Mediterranean-influenced with plenty of seafood to complement a fantastic view - and the misting of sea spray I got while seated on the balcony.

Don’t miss the puffed spiced bread and the swimmer crab linguine (packed to the hilt with sweet, juicy crab) – but do try to have someone to share the feast with, the portion sizes are huge!

Get a proper taste of the coast at Burleigh Heads. Photo / Supplied

Tessa’s on the Beach was everything I could wish for a red-eye stay. Less than five minutes’ drive from the airport, this renovated mid-century motel boasts a relaxed, Palm Springs vibe – order a cocktail at the bar/reception while checking in to kick things off the right way.

A magnesium-rich swimming pool nestles in the courtyard, and across the lawn dotted with sun loungers, a gate in the picket fence opens out directly on to Bilinga Beach, which is as wonderful as any of the popular local beaches, without the throngs of people.