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10 Tips For Curtis Falls In Mount Tamborine Gold Coast

Discover everything you need to know about the Curtis Falls track in Mount Tamborine in the Gold Coast Hinterland so you’ll know what to expect and whether it’s going to be a worthwhile walk for you.

As one of the most popular day trips from Brisbane, Mount Tamborine packs a punch for so many things to do to keep your day active. Known as one of the best day trips from Gold Coast as well, enjoy everything from wineries, waterfalls, walks, epic views, and so much more! Did we mention it is home to the oldest national park in Queensland called Tamborine National Park?

When we first came to Mount Tamborine, we were blown away by the beauty of it. The light and air sent me right back to England as there’s something similar about it for me.

We have been to Mount Tamborine a few times but hadn’t been able to do the Curtis Falls walk until recently because we always had our dog with us. Unfortunately we struggled to find much to do in Mount Tamborine with our dog in tow, so this time we put her in puppy day care so we could tick off our bucket list places we’ve wanted to visit for a while now.

Up first is Curtis Falls. Here’s everything you need to know about doing this Tamborine Mountain walk.


1. Where Is Curtis Falls?

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Curtis Falls is situated in Tamborine Mountain which is located 45 minute drive from Surfers Paradise and exactly 1 hour from Brisbane. Don’t get Tamborine and Mount Tamborine confused. They are different places, but located near each other. Plus there’s North Tamborine too which is the locals side of Mount Tamborine.

Tamborine Mountain is a 28 square kilometre plateau which is 580 metres above sea level. I definitely suggest planning your day out because some of the Tamborine attractions are located slightly down the mountain and the few times we’ve been to the area, we found it a bit exhausting driving up and down the windy roads.

Curtis Falls is located in the Joalah Section of Tamborine National Park which is just on the edge of town.


2. Highlights

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Want to know why Curtis Falls is so popular? Here are our highlights for why you should do this Mt Tamborine walk.

  • This walk will take you into the oldest National Park in Queensland – Tamborine National Park!
  • It’s a short and easy to follow walk, perfect for everyone
  • The waterfall looks so perfect, it looks almost like a movie set
  • Come at night time to see the glow worms

3. Where To Park

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Because Curtis Falls is the number 1 Mount Tamborine attraction, it can be difficult to find parking. If you punch in Curtis Falls into Google maps, it will take you to the entrance where there is a car park which will probably be full.

If you’re lucky, you might parking on the street before you enter the car park on Dapsang Drive. Otherwise there is a little bit of parking down at the shops on Eagle Heights Road. If you park here, there is a walking track adjacent to the road which will add on another 800 metres.


4. Where is the start of the track?

When you reach the Curtis Falls car park, you’ll see the Pavilion Garden bar on the left hand side which is worth popping into for a coffee before or after you finish the walk. The track is on the opposite side to this cafe as you’ll see a sign for the Jonalah Track. It doesn’t actually say Curtis Falls, but you’ll soon realise it’s the way to go as you’ll see more signs when you walk through.


5. How Long Is The Curtis Falls Walk?

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The Curtis Falls walk is only 1.4km long and took us just 12 minutes to walk down to this Tamborine Mountain waterfall. The track will take you through the wet eucalypt forest before it transforms into a lush rainforest. It’s an enchanting walk that isn’t particularly difficult.

You can continue the track along to the Lower Creek Circuit if you like which will bring you back to near to Curtis Falls, before walking back up the same way you came down.


6. Do You Need To Wear Hiking Boots?

Please dont graffiti on the trees in the oldest national park in Queensland

I actually put my hiking boots on for this walk and I’m glad I did because it’s not a walk I would do in my thongs. I always recommend wearing hiking boots for any walk in Australia to avoid from slipping over because the terrain can be unpredictable. Ladies, if you need some inspiration, I wear SCARPA hiking boots which have taken me to Everest Base Camp. The trick is to buy half a size up and wear decent hiking socks (I learnt the hard way!).


7. Can You Swim At Curtis Falls?

I thought we would be able to swim at Curtis Falls, but it turns out you can’t. There’s a big sign up at the falls saying you can’t swim because they are protecting the local platypus that call it home here.

But, if you continue down the creek, you’ll find some rockpools to swim in there.


8. It’s Noisier Than You Think

One thing that surprised me about this Tamborine Mountain walk is that it’s quite noisy. Although there are a lot of local wildlife and birds in this park, you can hear the drones of cars and noisy motorbikes chugging up the mountain on this walk. When we got to the falls, we could actually see the main road is just above it with cars going past.

Surprisingly, I had no idea that I had probably driven past Curtis Falls so many times and hadn’t realised it.


9. Respect The Glow Worms

When you reach Curtis Falls, you’ll see a path on the left which will take you right over to the waterfall itself. There’s a sign up saying don’t walk over to there because of the local glow worm population. Please be respectful and don’t do this. Instead, come back at night time to see them light up the waterfall and go and check out the glow worm caves in the area. We went and found it absolutely fascinating!


10. More Mount Tamborine Hikes To Consider

Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk

There are plenty of Mount Tamborine walks to consider! If you’re looking for more places to explore, here are some of the hikes you might like to do.

Mount Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk

We actually did the Tamborine Skywalk before we did the Curtis Falls walk which took us about 20 minutes in total. One thing to note is you have to pay to get into the Skywalk which cost us around $20 each. While that walk is nice, you won’t see anything different than what you’ll see on the Curtis Falls track which is free!

But, the Mount Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk is fab for families or anyone looking to go on an easy walk which doesn’t require any navigational skills.

Cedar Creek Falls Circuit

This is one of Mount Tamborine’s most popular walks to a series of rockpools you can swim in on the Cedar Creek Falls Circuit on the outskirts of town. We tried to do this walk but there was no parking available. Get here early, otherwise you’ll have to park at the top of the hill.

Witches Falls Track

The Witches Falls Circuit is about 3km long and takes around 1hr return. The switch back route will take you to the waterfall if there’s been a lot of rain and it kinda feels like a hidden gem as parking is just off the main road, Main Western Road.

Sandy Creek Circuit to Cameron Falls

If you want to find a lesser known Tamborine Mountain waterfall, head over to The Knoll Walking Track on the Sandy Creek Circuit. The 2.4km loop trail will take you to Cameron Falls in Mount Tamborine and takes around 30minutes to complete.

Knoll Walking Track and Cameron Falls is a 2.4 kilometer moderately trafficked loop trail located near Mount Tamborine, Queensland, Australia that features a waterfall and is good for all skill levels. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round.

Lamington National Park

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If you’d like to do some more challenging hikes in Gold Coast Hinterland, we strongly recommend going to Lamington National Park which we’ve totally fallen head over heels for! There are so many spectacular walks to consider, so make sure you check out some of our recent guides which include videos as well!

Everything You Need To Know About Toolona Creek Circuit – this is a 17.4km (6h30m) walk but it’s known as being one of the best in Lamington National Park.

15 Things To Know About The Box Forest Circuit – a 10.9km (4h30m) walk that takes you through the beautiful rainforest, along loads of waterfalls, especially the famous Elabana Falls.

Both hikes are fantastic and we strongly recommend doing them.

Watch Our Video On The Toolona Creek Circuit Below!


Where to stay in Mount Tamborine

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  1. Witches Falls Cottages – right in the heart of the action with excellent breakfast hampers and cosy fire places
  2. English Style Cottage – blink and you’ll feel like you’re back in England in this 3 bed Tudor style cottage!
  3. Curtis Falls Cottage – perfect escape for a couple!

10 Things To Know About Curtis Falls Walk In Tamborine Mountain

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