Located in the backyard of Gold Coast locals and just an hour’s drive for Brisbanites, Mount Tamborine is the perfect place for a weekend away with a lot more to offer than you might think. There’s nature, culture, foodie and adventure activities to keep every type of traveller happy and definitely more than enough here to keep you busy for a good few days.
We recently spent a couple of nights enjoying the best of what the region has to offer. Here’s what we got up to:
Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk
If there’s one thing that should be on your ‘things to do in Tamborine Mountain list’, this is it. The Tamborine Forest Skywalk is an eco-adventure of epic proportions!
The entire walk totals about 1.5kms and is a combination of forest floor trails, 300 metres of steel bridges through the highest points of the upper canopy and a huge 40 metre cantilever bridge that soars a breathtaking 30 metres above the creek and the rainforest below. This walk is suitable for almost anyone that can walk on their own two feet and handle a few steps and sloping paths. Allow at least an hour here to ensure you get it enjoy it in all its glory.
Pro tip: Hop over to the neighbouring Cedar Creek Falls when you’re done to cool off before heading onto your next adventure.
Check out the Tamborine Skywalk here: https://skywalktamborine.com/
Fortitude Brewing Company / Witches Chase Cheese Co
Beer & Cheese Time!
One of the newer foodie destinations on the mountain is the Fortitude Brewing Co, which is co-located with the Witches Chase Cheese Co. If you’re a lover of these two delicacies, then a visit to Fortitude Brewing and Witches Chase Cheese Co. is in order.
This venue, with a cheesery out front and a brewery out back, was created after the owners saw a gap in the market. No places combined their two favourite things, beer and cheese, so, wanting to change this, they designed a venue to celebrate both.
It’s not just beer and cheese though there’s other tasty gourmet foods on the menu. The brewery has pub staples such as pizzas and fish and chips, and you can choose from six kinds of beer to complement your meal. When it’s cheese time, take a seat at the cheesery; all cheeses are made onsite so expect fresh, high-quality cheeses, made with love. Our favourite was the truffled cheddar – it was delicious!!
If you come on a Sunday, there’ll also be live music, which starts each week from 12pm. It was really busy and despite its size seems like it books out, so make a reservation to ensure you get to enjoy!
Check out the fortitude Brewing Co here: https://fortitudebrewing.com.au/
Check out the Witches Chase Cheese Co here:http://www.witcheschasecheese.com.au/
Tamborine Mountain Distillery
The origin story of Tamborine Mountain Distillery resembles that of many other successful distilleries—it was somewhat of an accident. A happy accident as it turns out, as it is now Australia’s most awarded distillery and liquor brand.
Tamborine Mountain Distillery produces liqueurs, vodkas, schnapps, eaux-de-vies, rums, gins and more; each of which take on modern Australian flavours (think lemon myrtle, eucalyptus and macadamia). There are over 50 different flavours and types to choose from, so you are sure to find something you like.
If there are less than six people in your group, you can arrive any time to enjoy a tasting without a booking. If your crew consists of 6-15 people, you’ll have to book ahead.
Check out the Tamborine Mountain Distillery here: https://www.tamborinemountaindistillery.com/
Songbirds Rainforest Retreat
Our accommodation for the weekend was a luxury villa at Songbirds Rainforest Retreat. I had booked this in a rush on the day the new Ekka public holiday was announced, so I hadn’t done much research and only had a few options available as I wasn’t booking with a lot of notice, so I didn’t really know what to expect.
OMG – it was so nice here! There are only six (very spacious) villas on site and they are spread out over 51 acres of rainforest. They cost less than you might imagine, and the setting is so nice and tranquil. There are several walks around the property and they even have some alpacas that live on site that you can feed and pat.
I would 110% recommend this place for a romantic weekend away.
Check out Songbirds Rainforest Retreat here:https://www.songbirds.com.au/
Songbirds Restaurant
We didn’t have far to go to dinner, as we had booked into the on-site restaurant.
The restaurant only recently reopened after being closed for 12 months and has had a facelift. We don’t often go to fine dining restaurants, as we find them a bit wanky and Noel always needs a cheeseburger after anyway LOL.
However, at Songbirds the food was delicious, and the service was fantastic. You don’t need to be staying here to be able to dine at the restaurant, so if you are looking for a bougie dinner to celebrate a special occasion or place to hold an event, then keep Songbirds Restaurant in mind.
Check out Songbirds restaurant here: https://www.songbirds.com.au/restaurant/
Included breakfast
Breakfast was included in our stay, but we didn’t know what we would be getting. Around 8.30am a man in a little golf cart zipped up to our door and dropped off our brekkie pack. It had everything you could possibly want for breakfast in it (cereal, yoghurt, juice, croissants, smoked salmon, bacon and egg quiche, banana bread and I am probably forgetting something else). It was seriously impressive and delicious. They throw this in for free as an added incentive for booking with them direct. However, if you book through a third party you can add it on for $22 per person, per day.
Curtis Falls Walk
After indulging in our delicious breakfast, we decided we should probably go for a walk to burn some calories! Curtis Falls is a fairly short (around 1.5km return) walk through a eucalypt forest that is bursting with crows nest, staghorn ferns and strangler figs that leads to a waterfall. Depending on the season and the recent weather you’ll either see a raging torrent or gentle curtain of water tumbling over basalt columns. It is a really pretty spot and definitely worth the effort. Before you head back up to the top, find a spot to sit down and enjoy watching turtles, fish and eels swim while you breathe in the fresh air.
Check out Curtis Falls here: https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/tamborine/about#curtis_falls_track
Tea & Niceties
The carpark for the falls also happens to be the car park for Tea & Niceties, which is a tea house with a garden pavilion café. We were pretty thirsty after our walk so we headed in to find a shady spot to sit in the garden and to get a cold drink.
If you know Noel, you will know that he can’t resist a good scone and these guys offer some of the best. We both enjoyed our drinks with two of the fluffiest, softest, freshest scones we’ve ever had that ended up being lunch. I made friend with a bush turkey that I nicknamed Trevor and he helped me finish my scones as I was still pretty full from breakfast.
If you want to participate in the full high tea experience, you will need to book in well ahead of time as it is very popular.
Check out Tea & Niceties here: https://www.teaandniceties.com.au/
Scarecrow Festival
Every year, the community of Mount Tamborine has a Scarecrow festival and we happened to be there on the weekend it was being held. I am not sure why they do it, but it is lots of fun and some of the scare crows are fantastic and obviously had a lot of time, effort and love go into them.
It had been pretty rainy, so some of the scarecrows were looking a bit worse for wear, so some of these pics are from last year’s festival.
Gallery Walk
When people think of Mt Tamborine, I bet you that most of them think of Gallery Walk.
Gallery walk is a collection of over 70 speciality shops and cafes/restaurants and is a must visit destination if it is your first time coming to Mount Tamborine.
It was a bit rainy when we visited and we had been before, so we didn’t have a look in the shops this time around. If you have a friend or family member that is hard to buy presents for, there is a good chance that you will be able to find them something special and unique here. If not, there is a great fudge shop anyway!
Check out Gallery Walk here: https://visittamborinemountain.com.au/gallery-walk-shopping/
Tamborine Coffee Plantation
The Tamborine Coffee Plantation is a small but mighty farm really starting to make a name for itself in the world of coffee.
The plantation has a coffee house cafe and a roastery door, where you can try and buy the freshest beans available. There is also the option to pick your own coffee beans if that is your kind of thing. They also offer plantation tours and brewing classes 5 days a week. I don’t like coffee, so this wasn’t really my kind of thing, but Noel seemed to like it.
Check out Tamborine Coffee Plantation here:https://www.tamborinemountaincoffee.com.au/
Hickory Low and Slow Restaurant
Dinner tonight was at Hickory Slow which is a new restaurant that has quickly become a favourite with locals and travellers alike. They specialise in American BBQ featuring slow-smoked meats, delicious sides and cocktails.
Everything was absolutely delicious and there was a really great range of sides available to accompany the perfectly cooked meats. Surprisingly, they have several vegan options and promise that everyone can enjoy a good meal here.
This restaurant is very small and constantly booked out in advance. If you want to have dinner here, you will need to book at least a week or so in advance.
Check out Hickory Restaurant here: https://hickoryslow.com.au/
Sunday
After enjoying yet another delicious breakfast at Songbirds, we decided to hit the road early and beat the traffic home as we were missing Bettie and George (not sure they missed us though) and the weather was not looking too promising.
If you are staying on the mountain for longer and are looking for things to do I can recommend:
Glow worm caves
These are really great tours through the glow worm cave and 100% worth doing. You must be very quiet in the caves, so probably not something for little kids but everyone would probably love it.
Thunderbird park
Thunderbird park offers heaps of great activities such as a high ropes/zipline course, mini golf, laser skirmish, bird feeding plus heaps of other cool stuff to keep you busy for hours!
Sunday markets
There are different markets held each week, depending on the time on month you are visiting. You can find out what will be on when you visit here: https://visittamborinemountain.com.au/markets-on-the-mountain/
Mt Tamborine Botanic Gardens
If it’s a nice day you could pick up some picnic supplies from a local café or supermarket and head to the Mt Tamborine Botanic Gardens for a picnic and a nice walk.
O’Reilly’s vineyard / Mountview Alpaca farm
Just down the mountain in Canungra is the O’Reilly’s vineyard and Mountview Alpaca farm. You can enjoy a Sunday breakfast in their restaurant or book a picnic pack or get a freshly made pizza and enjoy it around the grounds. The wine tasting here is also really good value, just make sure you have a designated driver.
Three Little pigs for lunch
If you’re after a fantastic lunch on Mount Tamborine, our pick would be Three Little Pigs.
What did I miss? Let me know in the comments and I’ll make sure I check it out next time I’m in the area!