Last year John and I decided to celebrate my birthday with a weekend of bushwalking at Binna Burra Lodge. We planned on a quiet weekend of hiking, photography and relaxation.
I packed my tripod to take advantage of the recent rain that would have the creeks and waterfalls flowing to capacity. I looked forward to improving my long exposure photography skills of blurring water to create that cool ‘wooshy’ effect.
Binna Burra Lodge is in a stunning location, perched at the end of a ridge line in Lamington National Park in the Gold Coast Hinterland. The Lodge has a paved area just outside the Clifftop Dining Room that has some really impressive views. It is lovely to sit there in the late afternoon and watch the sunset as well as meet other guests staying at the Lodge. We even got to watch an impressive lightning display over Brisbane one night.
Accommodation
We stayed in one of the historic cabins that date back to the 1940’s but there are plenty of options available at a wide range of prices.
The Rainforest Campsite is conveniently located near the start of most of the bushwalking trails. You can bring your own tent/caravan or hire a safari tent which is setup and ready for use. At the other end of the scale are the Sky Lodges which have stunning views over Coomera & Numinbah Valleys.
Activities at the Lodge
There are lots of organised activities for guests at the lodge such as the;
- bush tucker walk
- camp fire stories
- spotlight walk
- morning yoga
- flying fox
Alternately you can relax and enjoy the view with an afternoon cheese platter or book yourself in for a massage.
Bushwalking at Binna Burra Lodge
If you are feeling a bit more energetic then there are lots of hiking trails that suit a wide range of fitness levels.
On the first day we hiked the 17.5km Coomera Circuit and then did a few shorter walks on the second day. The Coomera Circuit is extremely enjoyable with several stunning waterfalls and lots of creek crossings. There were so many creek crossing and waterfalls that I soon got tired of putting my tripod away and just walked along with it fully extended and ready to go.
There is an abundance of wildlife on both the bush walks and around Binna Burra Lodge however you do have to be patient and wait for the animals to appear. If you are wanting a more touristy alternative with noisy parrots turning up en masse for their daily feed then you should head down the road to O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat.
For more things to do in Queensland read about the Best Picnic Spots in Brisbane and South East Queensland, 10 Big Things in Queensland for your Road Trip, the Best Beaches in Queensland and the big Queensland Bucket List.
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Where is your favourite location for a bush walking trail? Leave a comment below.
