Beautiful Springbrook National Park - Gold Coast

In late January 2025, my wife and I were off on another adventure - this time to the Gold Coast. We had been there many times and wanted to see something new, so we joined a day tour out to the Springbrook National Park.

Having researched the park in advance we could see there were many potential walking tracks revealing waterfalls and other natural landscapes and wonders. As we wanted to target waterfalls we found a day tour that would bring us to several, as well as the Natural Arch also known as Natural Bridge.

Here are some shots of the various waterfalls and Natural Bridge.

Some angles were limited due to the locations we were brought to and growth of the surrounding forest. If we do a self-drive tour in the future we'd plan to have time to walk some of the tracks to get better angles - even if it requires a 4km trek. This was still good to get a feel for the area so we can plan to do more walking next time.

When you get to the Natural Bridge there is a walk to get to the waterfall and there is a cave you can go in to see where the water has broken through the rock over time. This was also great to get out of the heat for a while. Here's a quick video from inside the cave.

Planning tips

If you are thinking of heading out to the Springbrook National Park in the Gold Coast, consider the following tips:

1. Do research: Get a feel for what you can see there by looking up some videos on YouTube where people walk some of tracks and take in the sights.

2. Check distances: Be sure to check the distances of the tracks. While some require a short walk to reach a waterfall eg from 500 metres to a few kilometres, other tracks are 10, 15kms and longer.

3. Amenities:

   1. While only an hour or so from the Gold Coast, once you are inside the National Park you won't find much in the way of petrol stations and shops.

   2. There are only a few cafes that offer a limited menu. We had a toasted sandwich and a coffee at one such place which was great, but be prepared to wait a little over peak times. Consider taking your own food to save time and make the most of the environment.

   3. Restrooms are dotted around, particularly near carparks and the start of walking tracks.

4. Parking: If you are travelling into the park on the weekend, be prepared to park back along the road away from the start of the more popular tracks as it can get pretty busy. We were there on a glorious summer Saturday and it was busy with people walking and accessing swimming locations.

5. Check tour options: If you only have a day, consider a day tour.

   1. Be sure to check your tour options carefully as not all companies travel to the area daily, some have dedicated days of the week to experience the various parks.

   2. Minimum numbers may also apply and the tour could be cancelled or rescheduled. We originally planned to go on a Thursday then it was rescheduled by the tour company to the Saturday. Fortunately our itinerary allowed for this.

   3. If you join a tour be prepared to have limited time at each location and try to walk quickly ahead of the group to maximise your photography time.