Binna Burra Weekend: Escape From The Gold Coast

Drive just one hour from the golden sands of the Gold Coast beaches and you can be in the middle of a rainforest.

Nestled in Lamington National Park is the Binna Burra Mountain Lodge, with space for campers, glampers, and the lodge itself, it makes a great choice for a mini weekend getaway. You can walk right from the Lodge into the National Park, or drive further afield to explore the nearby Springbrook National Park. This area is a mecca for anyone wanting to explore another side of Australia on a trip to the Gold Coast or Brisbane. There are walks of all lengths and levels and even a day trip would give you a chance to experience a little of this beautiful landscape. I am in love with getting out of the city and I’m always looking for awesome walks or ways to explore the area I live. You don’t always have to go far to holiday, there’s adventures nearby too!

Binna Burra Mountain Lodge Accommodation

My best friend and I decided to splash out for my birthday weekend and booked into the Binna Burra Mountain Lodge itself! In all honesty, our first choice was actually the Safari Tents, tents already set up within the camp ground with real furniture. We were a little late off the mark in booking, whoops. However, when it turned out to be a cold and rainy weekend and we overheard some guests of a wedding having to ask for extra blankets we were happy about that! Staying in the campground does mean saving on being able to cook your own food though, and if you bring the right gear or go in warmer months it would be great.

Our Room

We ended up with a Casuarina Room in the lodge itself, with a shared bathroom. It felt a bit like a school camp building from the outside but inside it was cosy and warm, with a sink and coffee facilities, plus a fridge. Our room came with the option to pay an extra $60AU between us for a buffet dinner and breakfast and it was WELL worth it. The food at the Binna Burra Lodge was delicious, the view from the dining room is amazing, and it saved having to leave the Lodge to find somewhere to eat in an area where there aren’t really a lot of options close by. The room also included biscuits for afternoon tea and a cheese platter in the evening. Our only regret was forgetting to bring some wine, but the bar was reasonably priced so we bought a bottle to drink in front of the fire in the Binna Burra Lodge Lounge while we scoffed more than our fair share of cheese. Bliss.

What to do in the Gold Coast Hinterland

Springbrook National Park – Twin Falls Circuit

The first day we drove into the Gold Coast Hinterland to Springbrook National Park. It’s not really on the way to Binna Burra, given the huge valleys dividing the area, but in looking for shorter walks to take in the area I found one here I wanted to do so we made the trip anyway.

The Twin Falls Circuit was a great choice for a fairly easy 4km walk, taking in waterfalls, rock pools and stunning rock formations. The track is narrow in places and can get a little slippery or muddy depending on the recent rain. We were lucky it was fairly fine, until it poured down on the last stretch! Allow 2 hours or even up to 3 depending on your speed and how often you’ll stop to take photos (a lot!).

Lamington National Park

After our delicious buffet breakfast with every option you could think of we explored around the Binna Burra Mountain Lodge, walking a short distance to the Bellbird Lookout. The views over the Numbinah Valley are just stunning. If you had more time and were staying a second night there are many longer walks in the area, or closer to this is a giant flying fox run by the Lodge, if that’s your thing!

Springbrook National Park – Natural Bridge

Back in Springbrook National Park we went to the very popular Natural Bridge, a cave that has been eroded by a waterfall to form a bridge rock formation. It’s easily accessible from the carpark with a paved path. There is an option for a nocturnal tour to see the glow worms in the cave, and fireflies in summer, but given it had rained on us the day before we stuck to going in the day.

A small bush wallaby hopped across the path in front of us as we were walking!

Even if you’re not the outdoorsy type, a visit to at least Natural Bridge is a chance to get away from the beach and see another side of South East Queensland. I can’t recommend a stay at Binna Burra Lodge enough though, given we didn’t even participate in all the activities on offer such as the free yoga in the lounge, and we had an awesome stay. Book with the dinner included! We found a good deal through www.lastminute.com, a site well worth checking out if you’re like us and leave things to, well, the last minute!

Sonja x

Have you headed somewhere off the beaten track near a popular destination? Or have you ever been to the Gold Coast Hinterland?

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P.S. All opinions are my own, keeping it real.