Tamborine Mountain Escape

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Sunset on Tamborine Mountain near Hilltop on Tamborine Guesthouse

Overview

Nope, that’s not a name misspelt. Nor is it any relation to a musical instrument. Tamborine Mountain is named after the Anglicised version of the Aboriginal word Jambreen from the Yugambeh language. Early records also have the name written as Tchambreem and Goombireen, a word meaning ‘wild lime’, referring to the many finger lime trees which grow on the mountain.

There are 3 villages on top of this 8 x 4 km mountain in the south east region of Queensland, Australia:

Mount Tamborine
North Tamborine
Eagle Heights.

With a population of 7500 locals, life on the Mount is far removed from the hustle and bustle of the Gold Coast below. You’ll feel as if you’ve stepped back in time as you take in the stunning views of the Scenic Rim portion of the Great Dividing Range of Australia to the west, and glistening views of the Gold Coast coastline and its buildings to the east. Mount Tamborine is actually part of an ancient volcanic rim. With rainforest and hinterland surrounding you, this is truly the best place for a long weekend escape. Life is a slow pace here and you won’t find anyone in a hurry. Real estate doesn’t frequently become available but with a little nouse, you’ll find some real crackers up here.

Most visitors find themselves on the touristic ‘Gallery Walk’ but the mountain has so much more to offer: art galleries, breweries, wineries, incredible viewpoints, secluded accommodations, fine dining, waterfalls, hikes, motorbike cafes, hang gliding, glow worm caves, wildlife and mornings waking up to the sounds of native birds. You’ll also find every Tom, Dick and Harry with an avocado stall outside his home due to the fertile red volcanic soil and high rainfall that also allows for rich crops of kiwifruit, passionfruit, rhubarb, apples and mangos.

Be sure to pack a warm jacket: Queensland has the notorious catch phrase, ‘beautiful one day, perfect the next‘ however up on Mount Tamborine, nights can get colder than expected.

Here’s my recommended itinerary for a 3 day weekend getaway to Tamborine Mountain, however you could easily spend a week here for a true escape from life. The top of the mountain is more of a plateau than a peak, so you’ll need to travel to the edges for the best views. Keep reading for some insights and tips on the back roads with the best views and the places with the greatest wine and cheese!

Witches Falls Winery, Tamborine Mountain

Views overlooking the Gold Coast Hinterland on Tamborine Mountain

Itinerary

Note that this is a jam packed itinerary and if you’re to do this place justice and have the luxury of time, it’s worth spreading these activities out over a week.

Nearby Travel Options

If you are keen to check out more of what Australia has to offer close by, then see my posts on:

Brisbane CBD and Southbank
The notorious Fortitude Valley, Brisbane
The glamorous Gold Coast
Hipster Burleigh Heads
The relaxed southern tip of the Gold Coast: Coolangatta
The Northern Rivers of NSW
Beautiful Byron Bay and the quaint town of Newrybar

Feeilng brave with Spiced Gold Rum at the Tamborine Mountain Distillery

Accommodation

Pethers Rainforest Retreat – for the indulgent luxury treetop stay
Eagle Heights Mountain Resort – for stunning views over the Gold Coast
The Polish Place – for expansive views across Scenic Rim
AirBnB eg. Hilltop on Tamborine – for homely rooms and views across the Gold Coast

View across the Gold Coast from Eagle Heights Mountain Resort

Friday

Cedar Creek Estate Vineyard & Winery + Glow Worm Cave

There’s an old world charm wrapped up in the tree-lined entrance and wooden interior of Cedar Creek Estate which is the only winery to grow their own grapes on the mountain. (Other wineries grow their grapes in the Stanthorpe region approximately 2-3 hours away). The family feel oozes from the moment you step inside and you’ll find a fine array of whites, reds and fortifieds for tasting and purchase. Don’t miss their Cedar Creme, made from white wine, brandy and cream which is an alternate to Baileys, with wonderful chocolate, vanilla and candy notes: best paired with hokey pokey icecream!

L: Cedar Creek Cellar Door
R: Views at Cedar Creek en route to the Glow Worm Caves

Pro Tip!
Allow some time to visit the custom built Glow Worm Cave at Cedar Creek Estate for one of nature’s most impressive bioluminescent light displays! Tours are 30 minutes where you will take a short walk through the rainforest and into the cave system and learn about the behaviour and biology of the thousands of twinkling glow worms.

Look out for the hilarious booze bags for sale at the cellar door: the classy accessory to every event with a hidden cooler wine bag within and side tap for easy pouring!

‘Booze bags’ available at Cedar Creek Estate

Witches Falls Winery

One of the most aesthetically pleasing wineries on the Mount, this innovative winery and its jovial staff maintain a careful balance of the old and the new with regards to their wine making process, with all products made on site.

We were lucky to experience rain on the day as it meant being privvy to a table in their famous back shed amongst the wine vats and barrels! Our wine tasting came with a cheeseboard of locally made triple cream brie and camembert. The sprawling grounds are stunning, with green everywhere you look and an impressive tree-arch entrance.

Pro Tip!
Don’t leave without purchasing the divinely creamy triple cream brie on offer! There is also a wide selection of other cheeses and artisanal produce on offer.

Entrance to Witches Falls Winery, overlooking the vineyard

Lunch: Mason Wines

The restaurant at Mason Wines is located on an idyllic vineyard estate overlooking the vines and a large lake. There is also a decking area adjoining the cellar door with the same unparalleled views for wine tastings. On those cooler mountain days, find yourself a place by the log fire to enjoy these award winning wines.

The menu at Mason is sourced from local fresh produce and includes dishes such as beef brisket, chilli chicken salad and my choice: the barramundi! Finished with their almond orange cake with cream and paired with a glass of viognier, I was in a dream state.

The oldest vines on Tamborine Mountain are at Mason Wines

Gallery Walk

A tourist mecca, this ‘main street’ of Tamborine Mountain is where you’ll find most visitors but fewest locals. It’s worth an afternoon walk to acquaint oneself with the myriad artisanal and creative outlets along this street. It’s full of quirk and fun and of course, plenty of culinary treats.

Pro Tip!
Don’t miss one of Tamborine Mountain’s signature activities: glassblowing. You’ll find some creative and unusual pieces of glass art that make for a statement on the fireplace or home entrance!

Dinner: Hampton Estate wines

From the minute one walks across from the parking area to the old world Queenslander-style building at Hampton Wines with its wide wrap-around verandahs and sweeping views across the Gold Coast hinterland, there’s an instant overwhelming feeling of awe. Formerly a church at Burleigh Heads, the Infant Saviour Catholic Church was saved from demolition, restored and reinstated in its current position as Hampton House in 1999 to act as the function centre for the winery. This is where you can enjoy wine tasting, delicious food from their kitchen or visit the upstairs art gallery on the mezzanine. With seating for up to 120 guests, it’s a popular wedding venue and event space, with a gorgeous white rotunda on their back lawned terrace which takes in their famous views. On those rare cold Queensland days, there’s also a large open fireplace to snuggle up next to.

With a few collections of versatile boutique wines, Hampton Estate source grapes from the Granite Belt of South East Queensland, one of the hidden gems of Australia’s wine industry. The region is high altitude with free-draining Granite soil, providing ideal conditions for grape growing.

This was one of my favourite wineries to finish a delightful weekend: ‘the special house on a hill’.

Views across the terrace at Hampton Estate

Pro Tip!
Head downstairs to Hampton’s Whisky Bar: the perfect location for a smaller functions or just to escape for a nightcap.

Saturday

Breakfast: Eagle Heights Mountain Resort

For breakfast on a sunny day overlooking the Gold Coast hinterland, be sure to stop in at Eagle Heights Mountain Resort. Their large outdoor terracing is something to behold and provides views from Stradbroke Island all the way to Coolangatta. After your meal, take a walk down to the dam where some chairs and tables are set for a more private and quiet experience. For the sports enthusiasts, you’ll find big screens in the main bar showcasing popular events. The Mountain Resort also offers motel rooms to cater for couples and families.

View across the Gold Coast Hinterland from Eagle Heights Mountain Resort

Scenic view over the Gold Coast

You’ll find some very special views over the Gold Coast from Tamborine Mountain. Take your camera with zoom features. Before lunch, I’d highly recommend driving to one or more of the viewpoints below for some fabulous photography. It’s likely that a lazy unplanned morning drive to anywhere on the mountain will find you some wonderful vistas.

Views from the decking at Hilltop on Tamborine Guesthouse

For my best suggestions, try:

Eagle Heights Mountain Resort – for 180 degree views from their back lawns and beer garden
Hilltop on Tamborine guesthouse – beautiful views from their back decking with hinterland in the foreground
Eagles Close – accessible through some back streets but imagine living at the famous Casa Mia private home on the corner of Eagles Close and Eagles Retreat Place!
Golf Course Road
Guanaba Road

Tamborine Mountain Distillery

As the recipient of over 3000 international awards, it’s not hard to see why on entrance to Tamborine Mountain Distillery and on first casting ones eyes across the magnificent display of liquers, rums, vodkas, gins and schnapps varieties. Their Moulin Rooz range also perfectly captures an Australian natives flair. With flavours such as wattle toffee, apricot brandy, ginger, lychee & elderflower, wild forest plum, butter whiskey, turkish delight, choc mint and limoncello, there’s a liqueur to suit everyone!

Pro Tip!
Pick up a few souvenirs from Mount Tamborine Distillery to take home to family and friends! There are cute little liqueur bottles and Australiana themed gift cards for sale.

Gifts and souvenirs from Tamborine Mountain Distillery

Lunch: Bavarian Grill Haus & Brewery

Go no further for hearty German food and beer at the Red Baron Brewery! You’ll find dishes such as Pork Knuckle, Pork Belly, Wiener Schnitzel, German Sausages and Bavarian Pie!

Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk

It’s time to walk off a delicious lunch with a walk in the clouds! Starting in the Eco Gallery which houses a comprehensive array of Australian rainforest flora and fauna displays, this 45 minute walk along is set in a magical privately owned rainforest beside crystal clear rock pools of Cedar Creek. You’ll traverse 1.5 kilometres of forest floor trails, a 30 metres high steel walkway through the canopy and a 40 metre cantilever bridge overlooking the beautiful rainforest below.

Dinner: Pethers Rainforest Restaurant

As a self confessed foodie, it wasn’t long before I started googling ‘degustation restaurants on Tamborine Mountain’. Turns out there’s one standout: Pethers Rainforest Restaurant. As the culinary home of Pethers Rainforest Resort and set amidst five hectares of private and pristine rainforest, this is not to be missed.

If you’re headed to Tamborine Mountain for a romantic getaway, you’ll also want to book yourself a private treehouse complete with a spa for two, fireplace, air conditioning, king bed, entertainment system, lounge and dining area with 5-metre high glass windows that lead to an outdoor balcony, overlooking spectacular sub-tropical rainforest. Pethers is designed exclusively for adults, allowing for only the melody of the rainforest to soundtrack your stay.

Decking in the rainforest at Pethers Restaurant

I digress. My experience at Pethers Restaurant was second to none. After walking through the impressive front doors into the open and dimly lit space, my attention was first drawn to the warmth of the open log fire in the centre of the room. Surrounding this were a variety of tables and chairs, as well as stylish couches with plush cushions, leading out to a wide decking decorated in fairy lights beneath the rainforest canopy.

The warm fire inside Pethers Rainforest Restaurant

A valued feature of Pethers is their staff, who were pleasant and extremely considerate and added to an informative and enjoyable visit. When your Amuse Bouche is a 67 degree egg with Jerusalem artichoke, you just know that the evening is going to be a little ripper! Each course was lingered upon as I savoured each morsel!

See below for the menu and paired wines.

Pethers Rainforest Retreat Degustation Menu and Paired Wines

Pro Tip!
If you plan on the paired wines with your degustation menu at Pethers Restaurant (highly recommended!) then consider staying overnight at Pethers Retreat to avoid the hassle of driving home or be sure to book in Tamborine Mountain’s only available taxi early to avoid disappointment.

Thank you to Pethers for a wonderful evening!

My comfortable dinner seating for the evening, overlooking the lush rainforest at Pethers Restaurant

Sunday

Rotary Lookout – Scenic Rim & Great Dividing Range

On the opposite (west) side of Tamborine Mountain, is the incredible and expansive Scenic Rim of the Great Dividing Range (also referred to as the Eastern Highlands). This range is the fifth longest land-based range in the world and spans 3500 km along the whole east coast of Australia.

Scenic Rim is a local government area in South East Queensland and the main town is Beaudesert.

Views of the Scenic Rim and Great Dividing Range of Australia at Rotary Lookout

Bright yellow region indicates the Great Dividing Range (source link)

The Rotary Lookout on Main Western Road has phenomenal views across the Scenic Rim albeit a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it turn off and small parking area. Schedule a sunset at this striking outlook.

Robert Sowter Park (Hang Gliders Lookout)

A short drive east and up the road from Rotary Lookout is Robert Sowter Park, or ‘Instagram Hill’. During the day, come and watch the hang gliders launch themselves off of the cleared section of escarpment to the Scenic Rim below (providing weather conditions allow); and in the evening, join up to hundreds of instagrammers finding their perfect sunset capture.

Views of Scenic Rim and the Great Dividing Range at Hang Gliders Hill

Breakfast: visit the markets!

In true Tamborine style, there is never too few occasions to showcase local arts, crafts, food and produce. See details below for opening times of these popular local markets.

Tamborine Mountain Country Market (2nd Sunday of each month, 07:30 – 13:30 @ Tamborine Mountain Showground)
Local Producers’ Market (Every Sunday, 07:00 – noon @ The Green Shed, Tamborine Mountain Showground)
Tamborine Mountain State School Market (last Sunday of each month, 07:00 – 13:00 @ cnr of Long & Curtis Roads)

Scenic drive

Granted this has been a relatively packed schedule and you might fancy just heading straight to lunch to relax. I don’t blame you and if you’ve got the time, definitely spend some more R&R moments. You’ll have traversed much of the Mountain in following this itinerary.

However, if you do find yourself with some time to kill, a drive around certain other, less well known parts of the mountain is a must. It’ll strip away all that anxiety and stress from the week whilst the mountain air and trees will replace it with a feeling of complete calm and escapism.

Sunset hues on Tamborine Mountain near Hilltop on Tamborine Guesthouse

To be fair, I found some of these places in a slight panic after I realised my petrol tank was on empty and needed to find the closest gas station. This was a momentary and fleeting sense of impending doom however, as the towering trees, cute shops and roadside cafes soon chilled me out.

Take a moment to travel around the Curtis Falls region (check out the Tamborine Mountain Teapots and Curtis Falls Lolly Shop & Ice Creamery!) Wongawallan region (note the stunning forest surrounds), as well as Kinabalu Drive and Wongawallan Road in the back streets of Eagle Heights which move up and down like a rollercoaster underneath the world’s most incredible canopy of tall trees.

Lunch: Fortitude Brewing Company

With 15 taps each pouring something different from the range of Fortitude and Noisy Minor beers, this local and independent Australian brewing company is THE best way to spend a Sunday arvo, with all options brewed on site. Virtually an arm’s length away from Gallery Walk, you’ll find a haven of full bodied, bold and balanced brews. They’re a self proclaimed brewery that suits Australia’s rugged exteriors and soft-hearted interiors. The beer is a balance between crafty and mainstream as signified by their claim as the ‘Goldilocks of beer: we’re just right‘. At this much loved venue you’ll find live music on weekends, pizzas to munch on and membership options which grant free beer on birthdays, a free Fortitude cap, special offers and invites to brewer talks and first tastes. Sit down with your favourite pizza for lunch (there are 13 options including spud & rosemary, the Stilton, Greek lamb and greedy pig) and enjoy all this place has to offer! Also available are sweet potato wedges, crumbed camembert, panko crumbed calamari and flathead fillets.

Pro Tip!
For takeaway beer, fill up ye growlers to continue the arvy.

Beer tasting paddle at Fortitude Brewing Company

Witches Chase Cheese Company

If you’re not a pizza person and decline the offerings at Fortitude, then you’re in luck. Witches Chase Cheese occupies the same site as the brewery, and here you can experience the ultimate indulgence in fresh, quality cheese produce, all made onsite. With options such as Clothbound Cheddar, St Morr aged goats cheese, L.I washed rind, Longmans Leicester, Misty Mountain Blue and Sweet Chilli Fromage Frais, as well as multiple dips and pastes, you’ll feel compelled to utilise their delivery service, to any location within 4 hours of the factory.

Dinner: Fox & Hounds Country Inn

There’s nothing quite like a hearty English meal to mop up all of the beverages from a day of wine tasting and Fox & Hounds is one that delivers. Touted as ‘Australia’s only authentic English pub’ you’ll find authentic British ales and an interior that has been imported all the way from the UK. This cosy pub offers grub such as Toad in the Hole, Beef and Guinness Pie and weekend roasts, as well as delicious golden Yorkshire Puddings. It’s cute as ever and can’t be missed due to the big red bus outside! Don’t forget to wander through the four differently themed rooms: English, Irish, Tudor & Scottish!