Just 30 minutes from the Gold Coast, this lush hinterland region offers panoramic vistas, rainforested national parks and chic new hotel offerings. Here are the best things to do in Tamborine Mountain.
An hour south-west of Brisbane/Meanjin and a mere 30 minutes from the hot and heaving Gold Coast, Tamborine Mountain is a very literal breath of fresh air. A volcanic by-product of erosion following the formation of Wollumbin (Mount Warning) in the Tweed some 20 million years ago, this rainforested region is hemmed by Lamington National Park and Tamborine National Park. Within the latter you’ll find Queensland’s first designated national park, Witches Falls, gazetted back in 1908.
These days, the many walking trails and hikes, some featuring falls or glow worms, continue to draw day-trippers and mini breakers alike. Off-track, you may notice a schism in the suburbs here. At the Eagle Heights end, the tourist-trapping Gallery Walk is a strip of cafes with jolly chef statues advertising all-day pancakes, folksy craft stores, fudge shops and, confoundingly, the German Cuckoo Clock Nest shop that has somehow remained solvent for more than 30 years.
But elsewhere in Tamborine Mountain, a new style of tourism is taking root, complete with chic eateries, architectural stays and deliberate style anchored by real substance. Keep reading to discover the best things to do in Tamborine Mountain.
Where to stay in Tamborine Mountain
The Tamborine comes with a heated mineral pool.
The pad is clad in
earthy tones.
And replete with mountainous views.
A gleaming white beacon, The Tamborine boutique hotel is an extraordinarily well-executed reimagining of its former ’70s-era self. Its restoration beautifully honours the original hacienda style of the building, while coaxing it into a more modern fit-out. But the real jaw-drop comes from the astonishing ridgeline view that can be absorbed from each of the 23 rooms. The soothing, minimal spaces keep the spotlight outside, but are perfectly elegant places to unwind when you’re not out and about or dipping into the heated mineral pool.
The best things to do in Tamborine Mountain
1. SOL Elements
SOL Elements offers a soothing respite. (Credit: Timothy Birch)
Seemingly submerged in a reed-fringed pond, it’s impossible not to connect to your serene self at this soul soothing bathhouse. A circular design of treatment rooms, flotation caves and private bathing suites leads out to SOL Elements’ pond-adjacent bathhouse with mineral pools and an ‘earth lab’, where you can lather up with infused salt rubs. A sunken firepit has you eye-level with the water as ducks glide by and you exhale with a cup of herbal tea post-massage.
2. Loborn
Head to the tasting bar on Main Street for a tipple.
A fan of negronis and the artful backstory of the classic Italian amaro, a robotics engineer decided to distil his own components of the cocktail using Australian botanicals. The result is Loborn’s range of amaro, vermouth and gin, each inspired by Tamborine Mountain and carefully crafted to be assembled in unison or sipped solo. Head to the tasting bar on Main Street on Friday, Saturday and Sunday to try these well-made tipples and chat about how amaro went from monks’ tonic to modern aperitivo.
3. Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk
Soak high above lush rainforest canopy. (Credit: Tourism and Events Queensland/Jesse Lindemann)
The region is famed for its lush verdant greenery, so naturally a visit to the Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk is one of the top things to do in Tamborine Mountain. The 1.5-kilometre experience blends forest floor, high-tech steel bridges and a 40-metre cantilever bridge allowing guests to stroll high among the tree canopy. A stop-in at the onsite eco gallery and cafe round out the experience.
Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.
AI Prompt
4. Potta Studio
Potta Studio is part of the sustainable North Stores precinct. (Credit: Sabine Bannard)
If you found yourself admiring the ceramics at The Tamborine, head to Potta Studio in the North Stores precinct on Main Street. Potter Andrew Moir shapes covetable organic forms you’ll find hard to leave in store. You can also join a workshop to create your own masterpiece.
5. Main St. Provedore Eatery & Espresso
Indulge in plated elegance. (Credit: Sabine Bannard)
Led by fine-dining chef Brenden Schutz, Main St. Provedore Eatery & Espresso is a quiet but applaudably high achiever. By day, pastries, good coffee and properly enjoyable sandwiches are on rotation at this petite diner, but come Friday and Saturday nights, 16 guests are treated to a five-course degustation of plated elegance. The menu is seasonal and may run in the vein of blackberries with stracciatella, squid ink risotto and black licorice ice cream with charcoal cake. It’s $125 very well spent.
6. Peddly Picnics
Let Peddly Picnics supply both the wheels and the meals.
Take to the mountain on an e-bike, but let Peddly Picnics supply both the wheels and the meals. Picking up your ride from Main Street, head to the Knoll Section in Tamborine National Park with a picnic of delicious gourmet accoutrements. You can even hire a carrier to take your doggo along – just make sure they’re allowed in the park.
7. Witches Falls Winery & Boxer Brewing Co
Witches Falls Winery is one of Queensland’s largest wine producers.
Sample wines at the barn-style cellar door. (Credit: @hausfrau)
Unwind in the beer garden at Boxer Brewing Co.
Tamborine Mountain has a collection of wineries and distilleries to tempt oenophiles, adding yet another layer to this mini break must-do. Among them is the pretty Witches Falls Winery, which happens to be one of Queensland’s largest wine producers. All wines are made onsite using minimal-intervention techniques and you can visit the barn-style cellar door to sample the output every day from 10am. If you’re more into hops than grapes, head next door to The Kennel, where you’ll find Boxer Brewing Co.
8. Curtis Falls Rainforest Walk
Cool off at Curtis Falls. (Credit: Tourism and Events Queensland)
This family-friendly eucalypt trail figures among the best things to do in Tamborine Mountain for very good reason. Expect to feel transported to an Avatar-esque realm as you meander beneath looming flooded gums and staghorn ferns, listen out for birdlife and spot basking turtles or glow-worms. The one-kilometre, Grade 3 walk leads to the namesake waterfall that may be a thunderous torrent or smooth flowing curtain, depending on recent rainfall.
Weekly travel news, experiences insider tips, offers, and more.
9. Saint Marthe Brasserie
Swing by Saint Marthe Brasserie to indulge in confit duck.
Perhaps you don’t expect a cosy French brasserie to be tucked into the Gold Coast hinterland, but here you will find a very excellent one. Wining and dining come apéritif hour, Saint Marthe rolls out the Gallic hits. Swing by after a hike for a fortifying cocktail and grazing plate or book for dinner to indulge in confit duck, steak frites and soufflé. The hospitality is welcoming, the setting effortless and without pretension, and letting the afternoon slip away as you sit outside is a worthy allocation of time.
10. Tamborine Cheese
Some of the best things to do in Tamborine Mountain involve kicking back and scoping out the impressively fresh produce, and Tamborine Cheese is no exception. Pop in to this Italian-owned deli for warm customer service and dairy delights spanning truffle burrata and authentic Italian ricotta to smoked scamorza.
11. Tamborine Mountain Gelato Co
Find comfort in familiar flavours of gelato.
While there are plenty of ice creameries along Gallery Walk, you’d do better to head to Main Street for your sweet uptick. At Tamborine Mountain Gelato Co the bright hues of the confections are secreted under stainless-steel pozzetti lids, but you don’t need to see them to know these flavours are next-level. Concocted by pastry chef Bec Leitner, expect flavours such as rosella and lime, salted caramel pretzel and caramel slice. All additions to the gelato, such as cookies and cakes, are made in-house.
12. Thunderbird Park
Embark on a treetop challenge at Thunderbird Park.
Welcome to Thunderbird Park, a choose-your-own-adventure destination packed with thrilling activities that make a visit among the best things to do in Tamborine Mountain for families. Perhaps you’d like to zoom above the forest canopy on a zipline; take on the TreeTop Challenge; meet adorable animals; or pan for crystals or fossick for Thundereggs.
13. Gallery Walk
Shop for a range of collectables along Tamborine Mountain’s famed Gallery Walk. (Credit: Tourism and Events Queensland/Jesse Lindemann)
More than 60 art, craft and nick-knack shops are found along Tamborine Mountain’s famed Gallery Walk, where tourists love to wander with little purpose but to be charmed and amused by the range of collectables and curiosities. Don’t miss Mumma Duck’s Sweets & Treats for chewy fudge or Charlie & Me for boutique gifts.
Want to see more stories from Australian Traveller in your Google search results?
Tick the box next to "Australian Traveller". That's it.
Working for many of Australia’s top publications, Lara Picone has had the distinct pleasure of writing, editing and curating content about the finer things in life for more than 15 years. Graduating from Macquarie University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, her editorial foundation began at Qantas: The Australian Way magazine, before moving on to learn the fast-paced ropes of a weekly magazine at Sunday Magazine and picking up the art of brand curation at donna hay magazine. Pivoting a near-problematic travel lust into a career move by combining it with storytelling and a curious appetite, her next role was as Deputy Editor of SBS Feast magazine and later Online Editor of SBS Food online. She then stepped into her dream job as Editor of Australian Traveller before becoming Online Editor for both International Traveller and Australian Traveller. Now as a freelancer, Lara always has her passport at-the-ready to take flight on assignment for the Australian Traveller team, as well as for publications such as Qantas Magazine, Escape and The Weekend Australian. As ever, her appetite is the first thing she packs.
From poolside bites and tasting flights to seafood plates and dry-aged steaks, a foodie adventure on Hamilton Island is worth every bite.
Hamilton Island’s sun-lacquered shores have long magnetised travellers craving an escape from reality. But what’s less expected – and more interesting – is just how assuredly this Whitsundays idyll delivers on the culinary front. Dialling up the flavour as much as the barefoot allure, the Hamilton Island food scene offers world-class dining and drinking options, spanning slick fine-dining moments to just-caught seafood served within sight of the sea. Let’s dig in.
Catseye Pool Club
Catseye Pool Club offers stunning beach views. (Image: Kara Rosenlund)
Framing the electric blues of Catseye Beach from The Sundays hotel, Catseye Pool Club is Hamilton Island’s latest culinary prodigy. Shown to our table, we thread through rattan chairs, Zellige tiles and tumbling greenery that opens up to Coral Sea shimmer.
The poolside restaurant is the brainchild of Sydney-based chef duo Josh and Julie Niland, who have brought their relaxed yet elevated dining ethos north. The menu – designed to bring people together – is made for sharing, each hero ingredient orbited by a palette of sides to mix, match and layer as you please.
My thyme cocktail – woody with scotch, lifted by lime leaf – pairs perfectly with the charcoal grilled prawns entree, which is served with tumeric and lemongrass marinade, macadamia satay sauce and a thai-leaning sour green mango salad. Each forkful lands differently, but all are a delight. Then comes the coral trout. True to Josh Niland’s ‘scale-to-tail’ philosophy, the fish is presented whole in a theatrical crescent, a tiny fork stuck into its cheek in a nod to Niland’s declared prize cut. Ribbons of zucchini resembling gauzy curtains bring brightness and snap, while kasundi lends depth and warmth. It’s tongue-tantalising, special occasion dining with humanity.
Sails Restaurant
Settle into casual poolside dining. (Credit: Nikki To)
A more casual poolside dining scene awaits at nearby Sails Restaurant, where Eastern Mediterranean flavours are dished up with an island twist. Chermoula chicken skewers and barramundi souvlaki lie on the more filling side of the menu, while the sumac squid and stone-bread flatbread with za’atar – arriving alongside pomegranate molasses, beetroot hummus and crushed macadamias – are perfect light bites after a dip in the pool. And don’t miss the garlic lemon scallops.
The setting is equally part of the draw. Sunlight floods the high-ceilinged dining room, while outdoor tables look out across the glittering expanse of Catseye Beach. Holidaymakers in oversized sunglasses sip spritzes beneath umbrellas, the gentle clink of plates mixing with splashes from the adjacent pool. It’s the kind of place you’ll want to linger long after lunch.
Bommie
Head to the Hamilton Island Yacht Club for a taste of Bommie. (Credit: Nikki To)
Tucked into a sleek curved wing of the Hamilton Island Yacht Club, Bommie delivers experiential fine dining with a sense of occasion. Led by award-winning Executive Chef Ryan Locke, the seasonal menu champions local and native Australian ingredients whipped up into a modern display of creative precision.
Inside the dim-lit dining room, guests can choose between the Tasting Menu or Chef’s Signature Degustation. Sourdough with pine oil sets the tone for the six-course tasting menu, beautifully presented in a bed of pine needles alongside smoked paperbark butter. I love how the squid ink choux pastry is served with flavour-popping native finger lime, which our waiter encourages us to eat caviar-style. Standout moments continue with the wattle-seed-crusted venison elevated by red fruit and pickled beetroot swirls; the meat is perfectly pink in the middle and an homage to the island’s history as a deer farm.
Pebble Beach
qualia Resort guests can dine at Pebble Beach. (Credit: Lean Timms)
Exclusive to qualia Resort guests for lunch and dinner, Pebble Beach is Hamilton Island’s most serene expression of seasonal island dining. Ocean-facing chairs dot a timber deck that spills straight onto the resort’s private beach, while crystalline turquoise waters stretch to meet distant islands – a scene far prettier than any postcard could capture.
The recently refreshed menu doubles down on seasonality and bright, layered flavours. While the more substantial T-bone steak with hazelnut honey carrots tempts, we go lighter: Coffin Bay oysters with Champagne foam and keffir lime dust kick us off splendidly, followed by Byron Bay burrata served with balsamic and caramelised figs. The fennel and orange salad topped with succulent grilled chicken is utterly delectable, but it’s the zingy, oh-so-fresh soft shell fish tacos that I can’t stop thinking about. It all goes down a treat with a glass of delicate Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve Champagne.
Beach Club Restaurant
Book in advance for Beach Club Restaurant. (Credit: Nikki To)
A lunch or dinner table at Beach Club Restaurant is best booked in advance – and it’s easy to see why. Looking out over the hotel’s palm-fringed infinity pool, the restaurant spotlights elegant contemporary Australian cuisine with a stellar (also Aussie-leaning) wine list to match.
I am completely enamoured by the grilled Queensland prawns, which are brought to life with a smoked compound, local fried curry leaves and lime. Digging into the butter-soft lamb rump served atop pea ragout and parsley Paris mash feels like a warm, nostalgic hug. And dessert – vanilla bean ice cream drizzled with hot salted honey and apple gel – ends the night on a high note.
Expect warm and discreet service; our waiter Marco tells us that the tiny decorative starfish on our table are there to help the staff remember whether we prefer sparkling or still water, so they don’t need to bother us by asking multiple times.
Talk & Taste with Courtenay Morgan-Fletcher
Join this immersive wine experience. (Credit Eleanor Edström)
There’s more to Hamilton Island’s foodie scene than restaurant reservations alone. For wine-curious travellers seeking something a little more immersive, Beach Club has recently introduced Talk & Taste – a tutored tasting hosted by Bommie Assistant Manager and wine enthusiast Courtenay Morgan-Fletcher. Held twice weekly for a maximum of eight guests, the experience explores Australian wine culture through four thoughtfully selected drops paired with native-inspired bites.
We opt for the white wine and seafood option. Alongside pours from Eden Valley and Launceston, a nibbling platter arrives featuring sashimi, salmon roe, Mooloolaba prawn ceviche and palate-cleansing ginger. The seafood is pristine and pared back, allowing the wines to take centre stage.
The real highlight, however, is discovering just how nuanced winemaking can be. Courtenay speaks of viticulture as both art and science: harvest grapes a week too late and ripeness tips into ruin; plant the same varietal on different elevations and the sun, slope and water flow will shape entirely different expressions. Pinot noir, she explains, with its delicate skin and high water content, yields lighter fruit-forward wines, while thicker-skinned shiraz delivers depth and structure. I leave feeling fascinated and inspired by Courtenay’s evident passion.
coca chu
Get a taste of Southeast Asian flavours. (Credit: Nikki To)
Sweet and hot. Sour and salty. Dining at ever-popular coca chu is a sensation-swirling experience that’s not to be missed if you’re a sucker for punchy Southeast Asian flavours. Located at the Main Pool end of Catseye Beach, this lively hangout is all swaying lanterns, driftwood, high beamed ceilings and giant open windows that let in the balmy ocean breeze.
Drawing from hawker traditions, the grilled betel leaf is a neat, vibrant mouthful of chilli fried cashews and spiced beef. The tofu surprises – soft beneath a tumble of dill, mint and coriander, and glossed in moreish peanut sauce. The massaman curry is pure comfort: creamy, fragrant, fall-apart meat. It’s generous and expressive cooking that I, for one, cannot get enough of.
Marina Cafe
Take in harbour views and comfort food.
Sometimes, all you crave on holidays is a bacon and egg roll done properly and a creamy fruit smoothie. Boasting harbour views, an easygoing atmosphere and clean modern interiors, Marina Cafe is a popular local haunt for a reason. The casual menu lures families and couples alike with its all-day brekky, seasonal salads and sandwiches – from a roasted pumpkin bowl to prosciutto and rocket on herby focaccia.
The acai bowl, topped with toasted nuts and berries, is a refreshing start to my day. Whether you sit in or takeaway, it’s a good-vibes-guaranteed place to refuel before or after your Whitsundays adventures.
