gold coast hinterland

Gold Coast Hinterland

An easy 30 minute drive from the coast is all that is necessary to enter "The Green Behind The Gold", the vast mountainous and rural backdrop known as the Hinterland. The area provides a magnificent contrast to the coast's golden beaches and is a popular day trip destination for Gold Coast holidaymakers, providing a change from the sun, sand and surf. 

This is an area of country crafts, cottages and friendly guest houses, art galleries and tea houses, colourful country markets, historical buildings and pubs, working farms and fruit plantations. Activities to be enjoyed in the Hinterland include hang-gliding, abseiling adventures, wilderness treks and 4WD tours along rainforest tracks.

Scenic drives wind through the area, taking in the rainforest oasis of Tamborine Mountain, Numinbah Valley, Hinze dam, the pioneering history of Beaudesert, the Springbrook plateau and Purlingbrook Falls. Campervans are a common sight on the secluded hinterland roads.

The countryside is rugged with narrow, steep and winding roads and caution is recommended if driving to the scenic lookouts,  lodges, quaint towns and villages.

National Parks and rainforests are home to native wildlife that is unique to Australia. This is a wonderful opportunity to see and hear native animals and birds in their natural environment. There are 160kms of walking trails providing access to spectacular views and cascading waterfalls.

The parks provide picnic areas and conserve remnants of the area's original subtropical and eucalypt forests.

A great hinterland day trip is a circuit starting at Coolangatta, south to Murwillumbah and the Tweed Valley in New South Wales, then swinging north through Crystal Creek, Chillingham, Numinbah, Natural Bridge, Nerang, Mudgeeraba and back to the coast.

Another excellent option is to take a detour from Nerang and head west through Tamborine National Parks taking in Wilson's Lookout, Thunderbird Park and Cedar Creek Falls before rejoining the highway at Beenleigh.

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Official Gold Coast Tourism Sites >>  Gold Coast Holidays Guide  :  Gold Coast Tourism