Tucked away in the hinterland of the Gold Coast, Australia, far away from the theme parks, discount outlets, and skyscrapers alongside the beaches, is the Lamington National Park. This pristine example of ancient rainforest is a World Heritage listed National Park, and is home to the famous O’Reilly’s Guesthouse in the appropriately named Green Mountains.

Getting to Lamington National Park

The Lamington National Park is about 119 kilometres south-west of Brisbane. From Brisbane you will drive down M1 and take exit 34 for Beenleigh, then follow the signs to Tamborine, and from there to the historic town of Canungra.

From the Gold Coast you leave Broadbeach via Nerang and follow the signs to the inland town of Canungra, approximately 40kms.

Once you arrive in Canungra it is another 36 kilometres to the Lamington National Park. This part of the journey will take you roughly 50 minutes. The road is extremely winding and steep in parts. Caravans are not suited to this road.

Canungra is the closest town for a good selection of provisions and diesel fuel.

Camping at Lamington National Park.

A campervan can be a great way to see and stay in this region. Extremes in climates can make the night time temperatures chilly for even the most rugged camper if they are camping outdoors in tents.

All campers need permits and must pay fees to be able to able to legally camp. Permits must be displayed at camp sites. Permits can be arranged online or at the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) office at the Green Mountain section. Holiday, weekends, and peak seasons require bookings in advance.

Campsites are non-powered and caravans cannot be accommodated. Open fires are not allowed so bring your own stove. If your have a campervan all your facilities will be within the campervan but there are some coin operated BBQ’s.

Facilities are provided for hot showers & toilets.

Things to see and do at Lamington National Park

There are 500 waterfalls and 160 km’s of walking tracks of varying degrees of ruggedness. The canopy rainforest walk at O’Reilly’s provides a bird’s eye view of the rainforest.

The park contains the largest sub-tropical rainforest in Australia, home to orchids, ferns, and many rainforest trees including hoop pines. The local wildlife includes over 200 species of native birds, pademelons, and glow worms.

Hand feed native birds while enjoying the majestic scenery looking out over South-East Queensland and Northern NSW.

Careful!

Let someone know where you are going and when you plan to be back when bush walking. Stay to the tracks. It is easy to get lost or inadvertently fall off a cliff. Follow the maps, and signs, and take heed of the ranger’s reports. Children should not be allowed to run ahead on the tracks, as the tracks can go quite close to the sides of cliffs and sheer drop offs.

Take clothing for all weathers including hats, sunscreen, wet weather gear, and warm clothing, no matter what time of year.

There is limited mobile, or cell phone, reception and there is no diesel available at O’Reilly’s Guesthouse; unleaded petrol available only.

No domestic pets are allowed in the National Park

Conclusion.

The Lamington National Park is an ideal location to visit for the traveller with a motorhome or campervan. For those tourists visiting Brisbane or the Gold Coast, this is a most worthwhile detour. Staying one or two nights in this park is a great idea, as many of the walks are quite long and arduous. The drive up and down the mountain should probably only be done in daylight hours. There are many great activities to do both at dusk and dawn, making an overnight stay even more worthwhile.