Is the Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk worth doing? The Gold Coast Hinterland has no shortage of beautiful rainforest to explore, and you don’t have to pay to walk around them. You could go to the nearby Tamborine Mountain Botanic Gardens or the Curtis Falls walk in Tamborine Mountain National Park.
Even so, the Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk has a lot going for it. There’s no doubt this easy to access, informative, and wonderfully designed rainforest experience will appeal to a lot of people. If uneven tracks or long walks aren’t your thing, this is the perfect way to get a taste of this ancient landscape.
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Contents
- Location and Opening Hours
- Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk Prices
- About the Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk
- Rainforest Eco Gallery
- Onto the Rainforest Skywalk
- Cedar Creek Lookout
- Cantilever Lookout
- Historic Hut
- Butterfly Lookout
- Good Value & Great Fun
- Day Trips to Tamborine Mountain
- Tamborine Mountain Accommodation
Location and Opening Hours
The Mount Tamborine Skywalk is about a one hour drive from both Brisbane and the Gold Coast. The road gets a bit windy towards the end of the journey so take it easy and enjoy the scenery. There’s no rush either. The Skywalk opens at 9.30 and the latest you can start a walk is 4.00pm. Gates close at 5.00. The Skyalk is open every day except Christmas Day.
Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk Prices
Entry to the Rainforest Skywalk starts at around $20 for adults and $49 for a 2 + 2 family. Children 5 years and under are free and there are concessions for seniors, students and YHA members. Children 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult.
One of the features of the Skywalk is its accessibility. Sturdy strollers can get around most of the track with ease; there a couple of steps to negotiate. The first section of the path along the bridge is also wheelchair friendly.
About the Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk
The entire walk is a comfortable 1.5 kilometres in length; a relaxing 45 minute walk from start to finish. From the entry point you make your way straight on to the elevated section of the walk along a 300 metre long bridge. After the bridge, the loop trail takes you out to Cedar Creek and back via the cantilever bridge and along the forest floor to the entry point.
There are no slopes to negotiate and only a few steps near the viewing platform at the Cedar Creek Lookout. Otherwise, you make your way around either along the bridge or smooth, wide gravel paths. Any flat soled walking shoes will get you around without any problems.
Rainforest Eco Gallery
Before you even begin the walk, the Rainforest eco gallery sets the mood for what you are about to see. It has lots information about the biology and geology of the Tamborine Mountain rainforests.
You can read about everything from the plants that are still in the forest today that dinosaurs once grazed on, to the lifecycle of the local glow worms. One of the features of the gallery was the framed butterfly collection. Little did we know, but there was an impressive live collection waiting for us outside. More on that later.
Onto the Rainforest Skywalk
From the eco centre you step straight onto the Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk and it is an impressive sight. You’re immediately taken above the forest floor. You find yourself looking down on trees, walking amongst the canopy and staring at the trunks of trees that are reaching for the sky.
There is a huge wow factor to the Skywalk and if rainforests are your thing, you’ll find yourself stopping often to take everything in. There is amazing variety in the forest, the more you look the more different types of plants and trees you see.
A feature of the Skywalk is the signage. There are panels describing the forest and particular plants and animals along the length of the walk and they add a lot of value to the experience. For people like us that love the forest but aren’t great with tree names the information was fantastic. There are plaques with tree names, arrows and how far away you should be looking to find them. These were another nice addition to walk.
Cedar Creek Lookout
From the bridge, you descend to the forest floor. You get a teasing look up at the cantilever bridge that is still to come as you make your way to the Cedar Creek Lookout. The forest is no less amazing from ground level. You walk past enormous green tamarind trees and strangler figs with their vertical buttress roots.
After crossing a couple of wood bridges you find yourself at the Cedar Creek Lookout. It is a pretty spot but for our visit there wasn’t a lot of water flowing. Even so, the promise of spotting a turtle, crayfish or, by some miracle, a platypus was enough to make us stop and take in the views for a few minutes.
Read More : If you are up for a longer walk try the Warrie Circuit
Cantilever Lookout
This is one of the features of the Skywalk experience. The 40 metre long viewing platform is set 30 metres above the forest and gives you fantastic views. Prepare yourself for a bit of height and a little movement in the platform but don’t be put off. We could have spent hours taking in this bird’s eye view of the rainforest.
As you walk out, look for the huge ghost gum on the left and one of the best names for a tree on your right – the hairy three-veined laurel. You can see birds darting about and butterflies flitting between the trees. You can spot elkhorn and staghorn ferns growing on the trunks of trees and, from above, you get a great view of the geometry of the forest’s foliage.
Historic Hut
The next stop on the path is the Historic Hut. Here you’ll find an interpretive display describing European settlement in the area based on the hunt for red cedar and later tourism. There is a collection of old forestry tools to look at and a bench with local animals carved into it. A little up the path, was one of our favourite parts of the walk.
Butterfly Lookout
We’d had brief butterfly encounters throughout the walk; first in the eco centre then again at the cantilever lookout. Not far past the historic hut you’ll find the Butterfly Lookout. It’s a small shelter surrounded by plants and vines with views across the rainforest. There are information boards about the stunning black and green Richmond Birdwing butterfly.
They are such a beautiful thing we figured there was no chance we would see one. We took a seat, watched and waited and a few minutes later we spotted one. Then, suddenly, they were everywhere! We ended up sitting at Butterfly Lookout for thirty or forty minutes. Every time we went to leave more butterflies would appear.
We saw lots of male and female birdwings and a few other types of butterflies. Several groups of visitors arrived and left the Butterfly Lookout stopping for less than a minute. If you have the time, it is certainly worth relaxing here for a bit longer, you never know what you might see.
Read More : Stop in at the Tamborine Mountain Glow Worm Cave
Good Value & Great Fun
The final part of the walk takes you along the forest floor, under the Skywalk, across a creek and back to the entrance. Keep an eye out for wildlife, we caught a glimpse of a little red neck pademelon along here. Back at the entrance you can grab a drink from the Birdwing Café and there is a gift shop to look around too.
We had a great time at the Tamborine Mountain Skywalk. It’s an easy and informative way to experience a rainforest habitat. We ended up there for a couple of hours although we did spend a while watching butterflies and taking in the views on the Skywalk and Cantilever Bridge. If you’re spending some time exploring Tamborine Mountain, it is a lovely spot to spend a morning or afternoon.
Read More : While in Tamborine Mountain check out the Gallery Walk
Day Trips to Tamborine Mountain
- Explore Tamborine Mountain with a Mystery Picnic Experience
- Explore Springbrook Natural Park and visit the Tamborine Mountain Glow Worm Caves & Skywalk
- Book a Natural Bridge Skywalk and Mt Tamborine Adventure
- The Best of Tamborine Mountain Day Tour from the Gold Coast
Tamborine Mountain Accommodation
- Pethers Rainforest Retreat – The air-conditioned, 1br bed and breakfast with kitchenette and ensuite
- Witches Falls Cottages – Adults only retreat nestled amongst flower gardens and native trees. Each bathroom has a glass roof, allowing guests to watch the stars from their double spa bath
- Southern Sky Glamping – patio with pool views, this tented camp also has a well-equipped kitchen & ensuite
- Wallaby Ridge Retreat – spacious suites with access to a shared patio with views of the Great Dividing Range. Enjoy a swim in the pool or relax in the heated hot tub, which overlooks the vineyard
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