Gold Coast hinterland facts for kids
.jpg)
The Gold Coast hinterland is a beautiful area in South East Queensland, Australia. It includes mountain ranges like the Tweed Range and McPherson Range, valleys such as the Numinbah Valley, and parts of the Gold Coast suburbs like Mudgeeraba.
This special region is famous for its amazing tourist spots. It has rainforests, stunning lookouts, and many national parks. You can find a huge variety of plants and animals here. It's like a green, natural background to the busy Gold Coast beaches. Places like Springbrook, Binna Burra, and O'Reilly are all part of this wonderful area.
Contents
History of the Hinterland
People didn't fully explore this area until 1842. Later, in the 1860s, surveyors tried to map the border between Queensland and New South Wales. They found it very hard because of the rough mountains and high plateaus.
Soon after, people who cut down trees (timber-getters) found a way through Numinbah Gap. This opened a path from the Tweed region to Brisbane. This path was later used by coaches and bullock teams. In 1908, a place called Witches Falls became Queensland's very first national park. This helped protect its natural beauty.
In September 2019, the area faced a big bushfire season. Sadly, Binna Burra Lodge, a well-known place, was destroyed by these fires. In December 2023, strong storms hit the area. These storms included a tornado that caused a lot of damage.
Fun Things to Do in the Hinterland
The Gold Coast hinterland has many beautiful sights and cozy guesthouses. This has helped create a lively tourism industry. It's a major draw for visitors to the Gold Coast and for people who live nearby. Surveys show that the parks and forests here are some of Queensland's most important tourist spots.
You can enjoy many activities in the hinterland. These include wine-tasting, feeding birds, eco-tourism (which means traveling in a way that protects nature), and bushwalking. Other popular places to visit are O'Reilly's Guesthouse, the Natural Bridge, and Binna Burra Lodge.
In March 2008, the Gold Coast Hinterland Great Walk opened. This walking trail connects the Lamington and Springbrook plateaus. It's a moderately difficult walk, about 54 kilometers (34 miles) long. It takes about three days to walk the whole trail from start to finish.
Geography and Nature
This high area is part of the Great Dividing Range. It's where many rivers and creeks begin. These include the Coomera River, Nerang River, Pimpama River, Tallebudgera Creek, and Currumbin Creek.
Some of the tallest mountains in the hinterland are Mount Nimmel (489 meters or 1,604 feet), Tamborine Mountain (525 meters or 1,722 feet), Mount Cougal (739 meters or 2,425 feet), Tallebudgera Mountain (664 meters or 2,178 feet), and Springbrook Mountain (900 meters or 2,953 feet). To the south, in New South Wales, are the Tweed Valley and Border Ranges.
Towns and Villages
The land in the hinterland is used for protected natural areas and for homes in the countryside. On the eastern side of the hinterland, you'll find Gold Coast suburbs like Mudgeeraba, Tallebudgera, Guanaba, Cedar Creek, Wongawallan, Mt Nathan, Maudsland, and Nerang.
There are also several small villages that are part of the hinterland. These include Advancetown, Beechmont, Lower Beechmont, and Canungra. At the base of Mount Nimmel is Austinville. Beyond that, you'll see the tall plateau of Springbrook Mountain, which has a small town with the same name on top.
Protected Natural Areas
The region has important natural heritage that is kept safe in national parks. These parks are a big reason why so many tourists visit. Much of these national parks are part of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Gondwana Rainforests of Australia. They are also listed nationally as important heritage sites.
Springbrook National Park covers 2,720 hectares (6,721 acres) of rainforest. Many parts of it can be explored using walking trails. You can still see signs of early logging history here. There are several waterfalls, including the famous Purlingbrook Falls, and many deep gorges and lush rainforest.
Lamington National Park covers 20,590 hectares (50,880 acres) of rainforest. It has two main sections: Green Mountains and Binna Burra. The longest walk you can do there is 24 kilometers (15 miles), which takes about 8 hours. Tamborine National Park covers 1,160 hectares (2,866 acres) of Tamborine Mountain. This mountain is what's left of a huge ancient volcano called the Tweed Volcano.
Closer to the coast, though not technically part of the hinterland, is the Currumbin Valley Reserve.
