Gold Coast Hinterland Traverse walk
A 3 day guided walk
The Gold Coast Hinterland suffered from significant bushfires in October 2019. Some residents lost their homes and for many, they will also lose their livelihoods relying heavily on tourism as their main source of income. At Life’s An Adventure we believe it is important to support this community in their hour of need, by continuing to run our tours here. We have created a new itinerary showcasing a range of walks and experiences which have NOT been impacted by the fires. There is still much beauty and wildlife remaining in the region to be enjoyed and we would love to show this to our guests.
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This 3-day pack free walk traverses the spectacular Lamington National Park in the Gold Coast Hinterland, a unique World Heritage Area comprising of Australia’s largest remnant of ancient subtropical Gondwana Rainforests. On this walk, you will explore misty forests of 2000-year-old Antarctic beech trees, rugged mountain scenery, lush palm-filled gullies and cascading crystal clear streams. A bird lover’s paradise, this area is home to more than 230 species including the rare Albert’s lyrebird and regent bowerbird as well as Australia’s largest collection of subtropical birds. This unique and special region is not to be missed.
A Pack-Free walk
Walk with as little as your water and camera
Our speciality is providing pack free walks, our guests can walk with as little as their water and camera. This allows our guests to enjoy the scenery without the burden of carrying a heavy pack each day.
O'Reillys Rainforest Retreat
2 night stay
For two nights you will spend the night at wonderful O’Reilly’s Retreat set amongst the rainforest with stunning views over the western McPherson Ranges. This is a bird lover’s paradise where you can connect with nature, with Regent and Satin bowerbirds often visible from the main dining room. Our guests stay in the lovely Mountain View chosen for their close proximity to the main lodge building featuring restaurant, bar and interpretive centre. Your room features a queen and single bed, en-suite bathrooms and private balcony.
Celebratory Winery Lunch
The extra "Wow" Factor
On the final day enjoy a celebratory lunch at a local vineyard where you will enjoy a superb lunch and wine tasting, a fantastic way to finish our journey.
Fabulous wine and dining
Featuring fabulous local produce
During your stay at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat, you’ll enjoy your meals in the main dining room featuring large wooden bay windows surrounded by an outdoor sanctuary. During breakfast, you will enjoy a flourish of colour as regent and satin bowerbirds frolic whilst you dine and at night you may be lucky enough to spot a brushtail possum.
Flexible Itinerary
To suit a range of fitness level
As we have two guides on this walk we are able to offer both easier and more challenging walking options for our guests catering for a range of abilities and fitness levels.
CEO Guides
Chief Experience Officer
We are very proud of our guides, we call them our CEOs – Chief Experience Officers and it’s their job to ensure your tour exceeds your expectations. Each has an amazing balance of a caring attitude and amazing story-telling ability will make your tour a relaxing, fun and informative experience.
Personalised Tours
Maximum of 12 guests
We keep our walking groups small and personalised with a maximum of 12 walkers. This allows our group to get to know each other forming new friendships and with minimal impact on the environment.
Genuinely all-inclusive
You wont even pay extra credit card fees!
When you travel on one of our walking tours, you won’t be asked to put your hand in your pocket for extras along the way. All meals and wine during our dinner are included in your walking tour with nothing more to pay. You won’t even be charged extra for credit card fees!
To find out more click on any of the below links:
Why should you choose us?
Tour Itinerary
This is an all-inclusive tour with no hidden extras:
- 3 day Pack Free Walk
- 2 nights in Mountain View Rooms at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat
- Celebratory Lunch and Wine tasting in a local winery
- 2 x dinners featuring local produce
- 2 x breakfasts
- 2 x packed lunches to enjoy whilst walking
- Fresh fruit and trail mix to enjoy during your walk
- Professionally guided – Our CEO’s – Chief Experience Officers are locals who are passionate, well trained and enthusiastic with the ability to bring to life a depth of information
- Return transfers from the Gold Coast
- National Parks Fees
- Regional boutique wine and non-alcoholic drinks served with dinner.
Please note: we advise drinking in moderation as walking can be strenuous. Wine is served to enjoy with your dinner only if you would like to enjoy alcohol after dinner you will need to purchase your own.
REVISED ITINERARY DUE TO BUSHFIRES:
Please note day one’s Binna Burra walk was affected by the October 2019 bushfires. When this walk is re-established we will add this back into our itinerary.
12kms. 4 hours. Moderate Grade.
Meet your guides in the hotel foyer at the Meriton Suites Broadbeach on the Gold Coast at 7.30am. Today we will head to the Green Mountains region of Lamington National Park to start our walking adventure. Our walk begins from O’Reilly’s and takes us past peaceful streams creeks and pretty subtropical rainforest of brush box. From here we continue on passing Balancing Rock and then descending to another saddle before reaching the exposed end of Castle Crag where the views are spectacular. Take in views of wedding-cake-shaped Mount Lindesay and Mount Barney with the main escarpment in the background. Following the crest of ridges we walk through a vine forest to Orchid Grotto with its pretty orchid and crows nest ferns. We walk directly from the trail into our accommodation at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat. This superb mountain lodge is a place to connect with nature and will be our home for the next 2 nights. Enjoy dinner in the main dining room feature a wonderful a la carte dining, accompanied with regional wines.
ORIGINAL ITINERARY: Meet your guides in the hotel foyer at the Meriton Suites Broadbeach on the Gold Coast at 7.30am. Today we will head to Binna Burra in Lamington National Park to start our walking adventure. We believe our walk today is one of the best in this area and the most botanically diverse with beautiful wildflowers all year round. Winding through rainforest, eucalypt forest and open heathlands, passing panoramic lookouts, this walk takes you to the remote eastern escarpment for great views into the Numinbah Valley. Standing here you feel like you are on the edge of the world with mist racing up from valleys below. It’s not uncommon to hear the song of lyrebirds reverberating around the hills as you descend through this stunning rainforest. We also offer an exceptional side trip to the spectacular Upper Ballanjui Falls. (2.5kms extra) for those keen for the extra challenge. Tonight we stay at the charming mountain retreat of Binna Burra Lodge. Guests will stay in the luxurious Sky Lodges with stunning views. Enjoy a hearty dinner in the Clifftop Dining Room accompanied with wine.
As we have two guides easier options walks are available or 5-6kms. (Note two guides on each 3-day tour is subject to 8 or more passengers).
Photo and map from original itinerary.
REVISED ITINERARY DUE TO BUSHFIRES:
Please note day two’s walk from Binna Burra to Green Mountains was affected by the October 2019 bushfires. When this walk is re-established we will add this back into our itinerary.
Enjoy an early buffet breakfast in the Retreat’s main dining room. The large gallery window of this room overlooks a haven for birdlife which surrounds the building and you can often see the flourish of the striking black and yellow regent bowerbirds whilst enjoying your breakfast. Today’s walk is one of the prettiest walks at Green Mountains and is most beautiful after rain when the waterfalls are at their best. We follow the main Border Track and then branch off on a trail admiring the Antarctic beech with their massive exposed roots systems. As you walk through these majestic forests you’ll have the feeling you are walking through a land inhabited by elves and fairies. We zigzag downhill past moss-covered banks and tree-fern filled gullies enjoy the sounds and smell of this lush rainforest. Before long we hear the rushing waters of West Canungra Creek, deep in the valley below and head towards the much-photographed Elabana Falls. This area has a succession of stunning waterfalls including Triple Falls, Gwonggurai Falls, Chalahn Falls and Toolona Falls, surrounded by gorges covered with ferns, mosses and lilies. Afterwards we return to O’Reillys Rainforest Retreat for a relaxing dinner, perfectly matched with wines.
ORIGINAL ITINERARY: After a hearty breakfast in the Cliff Top Dining Room, we head out on our adventure. Today’s one-way walk on the famous Border Track is absolutely gorgeous, though the track is a lengthy 21.4kms the effort is definitely worth it! This beautiful and captivating walk weaves its way through deep and lush rainforest with amazing views overlooking Lamington National Park and the Gold Coast. You will be taken back from the beauty of the foliage, the calling of the birds and the sheer tranquillity of the rainforest. Cross small streams and discover misty forests of 2000-year-old Antarctic beech trees. The views are out of this world, especially in the latter part of the walk where you are looking over the Tweed Valley and Mt Warning. The track crosses the New South Wales and Queensland border several times along the walk and also follows sections of Roberts and Rowland’s original survey route! We walk directly from the trail into our accommodation at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat. This superb mountain lodge is a place to connect with nature. Enjoy dinner in the main dining room feature a wonderful a la carte dining, accompanied with regional wines.
As we have two guides easier options walks are available or 10.9kms or 4.4kms. (Note two guides on each 3-day tour is subject to 8 or more passengers).
Photo and map of original walk.
NO CHANGES TO DAY 3 ITINERARY
Enjoy an early buffet breakfast in the Retreat’s main dining room. Today we walk to Moran Falls and Python Rock Lookout. Walk through forests of lichen dappled coachwood and through fern-filled gullies. We eventually reach a magic spot for spectacular views over Moran Falls, where we stop to take a photo of this stunning waterfalls set amongst a backdrop of lush greenery. This idyllic location was the home of the bark hut, the first home of the O’Reilley brothers. We head to Python Rock through the amazing rainforest, a great track for bird watching with superb panoramic views. Apart from the lush rainforest, another feature of this walk is a large number of leaf-tailed geckos you’re likely to encounter along the track. This small gecko is endemic to the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia. After our walk, we visit a local vineyard for a celebratory lunch and wine tasting a remarkable way to finish our adventure. Afterwards, we head back to the Gold Coast arriving at approximately 5.00pm. Note we can drop off our guests to Coolangatta (Gold Coast) airport if required.
To find out more click on any of the below links:
Tour Availability
We run regular weekly departures during the months late May to August. Dates are listed below however availability changes by the hour – to see real-time availability click on the monthly calendar at the bottom of the page and select the month you require. We will also consider opening up a new departure date if we have enough demand. Email us at walks@lifesanadventure.com.au
SPECIALS
Check below to see if your preferred departure has a special savings. Conditions apply see pricing page.
| Departure Dates | Tour Availability | Specials / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 21 May 2021 | Available | Super Earlybird Savings |
| 18 June 2021 | Available | Super Earlybird Savings |
| 16 July 2021 | Available | Super Earlybird Savings |
| 20 August 2021 | Available | Super Earlybird Savings |
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PRIVATE GROUPS:
Date of your choice is available for groups of 10 -12 people. Subject to availability. Free Group T’shirts also available – see details.
Please contact us for more details on (02) 9975 4553 or email: walks@lifesanadventure.com.au
Tour Prices
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FIRST TIME TRAVELLER SUPER EARLYBIRD
$
1599
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Prices for those doing their first walk with us |
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DEPARTURES Super Earlybird Price*…..$1599 *See conditions on our special book now and pay later offer below. |
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Past Passenger Super Earlybirds
$
1499
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Guests that have travelled with us before |
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DEPARTURES Super Earlybird Price*…..$1499 Guests that have completed at least one Life’s An Adventure walk in the past. Email us for your special promotional code. |
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Private Groups
$
1499
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Departure of your choice |
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PRIVATE GROUPS DEPARTURES Super Earlybird Price*…..$1499 Additional past passenger discount not available for groups. |
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OPTIONAL
$
Xtras
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SOLO TRAVELLERS Single Supplements are for those solo travellers that don’t want to share a room. To have your own room. Accommodation will either be at Tombolo Lodge or close to the lodge. Add $260 |
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Book Now Pay Later Offer
For terms and conditions on our special COVID-19 Book Now and Pay Later offer click here.
Discount Information
PAST PASSENGER DISCOUNT: Those who have travelled with Life’s An Adventure previously, receive a past passenger discount of $100. In order to receive this discount please email us for your special “promo code” to use when booking. In your email, you should outline what Life’s An Adventure tour you have done with us in the past so we can cross-check.
EARLYBIRD CANCELLATIONS: Cancellations are not permitted for Earlybird Deals or Spot Specials, however, transfers to another date are permitted 8 weeks or more prior to departure. We advise taking out travel insurance, in case unexpected circumstances prior to the trip, prevent you from joining this tour. Early bird or Spot Special discounts cannot be used in conjunction with another offer. To receive these special discounts, full payment must be made at the time of the initial booking.
Exclusive Private Group Departures
Exclusive departure dates can be organised for groups of 10 or more subject to availability. For private groups we also offer discounted rates and FREE walking shirts – click here for details
Travel Insurance
We advise taking our Travel Insurance to cover items such as cancellation of tour due to minimum numbers not met, or adverse weather conditions, injury, evacuation, delayed flights, illness, etc. We have organised through NIB Insurance for you to purchase travel insurance directly with them – please click here for details.
Additional Information
- Prices are per person in Australian dollars and include GST.
- A deposit of $300 per person is required to secure your booking. (unless taking advantage of Earlybird or Spot Specials in which full payment is required at time of booking).
- Note: If you are booking within 90 days of your departure date – we will require full payment at the time of booking
- Prices are based on twin share of rooms. If you are travelling solo you may be required to share with someone of the same gender. If this is not suitable you can request to pay a single supplement, however, limited single rooms are available per trip so are on a request basis.
- Payments must be made online via our NAB (National Australia Bank) secure payment page via credit card (Visa or Mastercard) or over the phone.
- NO Credit Card fee applies.
- We advise taking our Travel Insurance to cover items such as cancellation of tour due to minimum numbers not met, or adverse weather conditions, injury, evacuation, delayed flights, illness, etc.
Booking Terms and Conditions
Before you book please read our Booking Terms and Conditions. Click here.
Click here to view the Cancellation Policy and Conditions of Travel.
To find out more click on any of the below links:
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