Discover Scenic Rim Regional

The Scenic Rim brings together striking mountain landscapes, rainforest, lakes, walking trails and cultural experiences. Across six national parks, options range from short circuit walks to multi-day hiking adventures. There are also places where local produce and traditions take centre stage. Which holiday rental makes the right base therefore depends above all on which of these aspects of the region you’d like to explore on your trip.

Areas, landscapes and walking trails

Seven distinct areas are presented: Beaudesert and Kooralbyn, Boonah and surrounds, Canungra and Beechmont, Kalbar and surrounds, Mount Barney and Rathdowney, Tamborine Mountain, and The Lost World and Christmas Creek. These names offer an initial guide to the diversity of the Scenic Rim; they are also useful reference points when choosing accommodation based on the places and experiences that interest you most.

For walks, Tamborine National Park has trails across six sections. Grading based on an Australian standards-based system helps you choose a suitable route. The 1.1-kilometre Curtis Falls Circuit leads to a lookout platform; glow-worms can be seen at night in the surrounding cliffs. The Lower Portals track in Mount Barney National Park is 3.7 kilometres long and leads to a deep pool in a rocky gorge.

The range of walking experiences is also broad: Binna Burra in Lamington National Park offers short walks and long hikes through forests with mountain streams, lookouts, cliffs and gorges. O’Reilly’s Tree Top Walk crosses nine suspension bridges along a 180-metre route, about 15 metres above the rainforest floor. For those seeking a longer trek, the Scenic Rim Trail offers a four-day hiking adventure with three nights’ accommodation for experienced hikers. It runs through private property and the rugged, remote mountains of Main Range National Park on the northern edge of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area. Three small campsites are designated exclusively for hikers on this trail.

Moogerah Peaks National Park encompasses four ancient volcanic peaks: Mount French, Mount Greville, Mount Moon and Mount Edwards. It is regarded as a bushwalking destination; the Scenic Rim is also considered a centre for natural rock climbing. Popular climbing spots include Frog Buttress in Moogerah Peaks National Park. Most of Mount Barney National Park lies within the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area.

Lakes, culture and regional discoveries

If you’d like to include water activities in your trip, Lake Wyaralong offers opportunities for kayaking and canoeing. Recreational boating, water skiing and jet skiing are possible at Lake Moogerah. Conditions at Lake Maroon are suitable for sailing, fishing, water skiing, parasailing and pedal boating. The activities available at each lake may therefore help determine the focus of your trip.

Yarriba Dreaming is a three-day experience that includes walks on Country. It connects nature and ancient pathways with learning about traditional Indigenous ways of life and survival practices. The Mununjali, Ugarapul and Wangerriburra communities, as well as the Yugambeh language group, are identified as connected to the Scenic Rim and as its Traditional Custodians. The Scenic Rim Story Trails use interpretive signage and public art to share the significance of place names and the natural and cultural heritage of places, villages and significant associated sites. The region also has a historical distinction: Witches Falls in Tamborine National Park became Queensland’s first national park in 1908.

Food experiences and choosing a base

Scenic Rim Eat Local Month takes place every June and features more than 160 events. These include vineyard and farm lunches, farm tours, hands-on workshops, masterclasses and exclusive dining experiences. Kooroomba Vineyard and Lavender Farm offers views of a six-hectare vineyard and lavender fields. Scenic Rim Farm Shop & Cafe serves espresso coffee and homemade dishes made with regional produce; Summer Land Camels offers a Farm Tour & Taste with samples of camel milk products. North Stores is a sustainability-focused precinct centred on real food, regional produce, specialty drinks, floral and ceramic art, ethical retail and holistic wellbeing.

According to regional tourism information, the Scenic Rim is about 80 kilometres, or roughly an hour’s drive, from Brisbane and the Gold Coast. When choosing your holiday rental, you could first consider whether walks, lakes, cultural experiences or regional cuisine will be the deciding factor. This lets you choose an area that suits the kind of trip you want, without allowing any one experience to define the character of the Scenic Rim.

For further exploration of the area: Morwincha.

More destinations at the same level: North Burnett Regional, Ipswich City, Moreton Bay Regional, Isaac Regional, Mareeba Shire, Sunshine Coast Regional, Longreach Regional.

To the main travel overview: Queensland.