Witches Falls on Tamborine Mountain

Witches, what witches? Read the article to find out more!

I

f you’re holidaying in the Gold Coast, Brisbane, or any surrounding areas, you must include Tamborine Mountain on your itinerary. 

Or even if you’re a local resident of SEQ, a day trip to Tamborine Mountain is always a fine idea.

It’s because Tamborine Mountain is like its own little paradise with its own little villages in their own little eras. Some places in the town seem to be fixed in time; whether it be the cafes which preserve history in their old-style cottages, or the rainforests that seem to belong to a Jurassic world.

Tamborine Mountain is a unique and tropical universe of its own kind, high above the rest of the world.

Or at least it feels like that.

It may boast some exciting attractions such as Thunderbird Park with its Treetop Challenge, Thunderegg Crystal Mine, and Horse Riding Hinterland, but the mountain is also a place where you can walk trails, stop at breath-taking lookouts, and immerse yourself in nature at your own pace.

That’s how we spent our last visit on the 1^st of January, and I want to share with you the wonderful things you could see and do if you take a trip similar to ours!

Firstly, remember that every effort must be made to preserve the natural ecology and be as environmentally-friendly as possible! That way, people in the future can also enjoy this beautiful location.

So, let’s begin!

Witches Falls National Park Walking Track

Read if you want to find out how Witches Falls got its name, why the lagoon was completely dry, and the story of how I got stung by a tree!!!

If you’re looking for a nice way to explore the surrounds at your own pace whilst also getting some great exercise, then the Witches Falls National Park Walking Track is perfect for you!  

We walked a circuit of about 3km and it was quite rugged and rocky in some places. The good thing was that there was no shortage of shade thanks to the generous canopy from the trees which offered plenty of protection from harsh sunlight – as you’d expect from a rainforest.

Are there witches?

A name so spooky as Witches Falls might render one hesitant upon entering the forest. I can assure you that there are no cackling witches or bewitched curses to haunt the lone hiker. 

How does this happen? Is it the lagoon water levels? Are they tree twins?!

The story behind the name is that when Mrs Hilda Curtis was a young girl living on the mountain, her family’s cows would sometimes disappear off into the rainforest. She would have to go in and find the cows and to an eight-year old, the rainforest in the late evening can be dark, eerie, and full of suspicious sounds. Believing it was haunted, she named the place Witches Falls, and so the name was born.

A gigantic fallen tree ripped from the earth

We visited the waterfall and the seasonal lagoon too. The waterfall was trickling and the lagoon was depleted of its water as a result of the dry season. This time, we were able to march on through what would have been quite a depth of water if it had been the rainy season.

Trickling waterfall

In the wet season, this lagoon would be full of water, and frogs too!

Memories of my high-school camp flooded back to me as I spotted on the forest floor those unmistakable old friends from the past – the leaves of the notorious stinging tree.

One quick Google search of ‘stinging tree’ and I find titles like:

“Once stung, never forgotten”

“Beware the stinging tree”

“The worst kind of pain you can imagine”

Well, upon further research I realise they’re referring to Gympie Gympie, or Dendrocnide moroides, from North East Australia. It must hurt pretty badly but I don’t think they’re here on Tamborine Mountain.

Not to scare you or anything! I actually got stung by a stringing tree once. I think it was a different species, Dendrocnide excelsa – Australian nettle tree, or Giant Stinging Tree.

The notorious stinging tree. Dendrocnide excelsa - you can tell by how the leaves have wide holes in them. 

On a school camp, we were hiking through a rainforest when one of these leaves stroked my ankle and I clearly remember feeling the electric shock-like sting shoot up my leg. I hid the pain as best I could because I didn’t want to cause a ruckus in front of all my peers. I kind of half-limped, half-waddled my way down the mountain again. Luckily, the leaf had just tapped me slightly because if it was any more, I would have had to be piggy-backed down the mountainside for sure!

The sting of Dendrocnide excelsa is not as severe as Dendrocnide moroides, thank goodness. Don’t worry though! The leaves are either high up on the tree branches or completely trodden over on the ground so they won’t be brushing past your legs!

The view from the lookout was simply stunning. It felt like you were Tarzan in the jungle standing atop the highest tree branches, looking out over an endless sea of green. The photo really does not do it justice. You’ll have to go see for yourself!

What makes Witches Falls rather special as well is that it was the first national park in Queensland!

I absolutely loved walking through nature! The hike gives you some invigorating exercise as well as picturesque views all along the way! The entire walk took us 2 hours.

I highly recommend the Witches Falls National Park Walking Track if you’re visiting Tamborine Mountain!!

Our adventures on the mountain didn’t stop there! We actually visited the magnificent Glow Worm Caves afterward, but I’ll write all about that in another post coming soon! There’s also more I want to tell you about what you can do on Tamborine Mountain so stay tuned!

Love, Young and Unheroic

All photos by: Young and Unheroic

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