Scenic Rim

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Where time slows and the views stretch to the horizon – for country escapes on an epic scale

Leave the rolling waves of the Gold Coast in the rear-view mirror and dive into another side of Queensland. One where your day could find you scaling rocky peaks for sunrise – or sleeping in before brunch at a nearby farm. This is Scenic Rim, where if anything, the name understates the take-your-breath-away views that wait around every twist of the trail. You may be barely an hour from Brisbane, but you’ll feel you’ve entered another world entirely.

Things to do

NATURE
Love collecting National Parks? You’ll have at least six to choose from here. Make for Main Range to climb Mount Cordeaux – the go-to spot for spellbinding sunrises and sunsets, with blazing skies glinting across distant lakes. Choose Mount Barney for a day following the Lower Portals Trail, taking you to crystalline swimming holes among sun-warmed rocks. Or for an atmospheric rainforest walk, head to Mount Tamborine to see Curtis Falls.

FAMILY ACTIVITIES
If you’ve budding hikers in your family, you’ll find popular walking routes for different abilities in all National Parks – Curtis Falls is only 1km, for example. Elsewhere in Tamborine National Park you’ll find magical glowworm caves on Cedar Creek Estate, with caverns lit with soft blue bioluminescence. For a change of pace, take on the daredevil rope walkways and clifftop ziplines at Happitat Adventure. Or enjoy a day exploring farms and meeting animals, from ducklings and chicks in springtime to fluffy alpacas and highland cows.

FOOD & DRINK
In Scenic Rim, rainforests, waterfalls and mountain ranges are interwoven with gentle countryside dotted with farms and vineyards. You’ll eat well here – whether that means a picnic of farm fresh produce packed for a hike, or wine and cheese tasting experiences guided by experts. Producers and restaurants here take pride in quality and champion a slow approach to food, with menus shaped around what’s growing that season. Taste your way around the countryside with privately arranged tours – or time your visit for Eat Local Month, a celebrated food festival held each June.