Fancy a day of beauty inhaling nature's freshly scented air and feeling truly invigorated? Pack yourself a BBQ lunch, start the vehicle and head to Springbrook, just a one and a half hour drive from Brisbane.
Park the car at Gwongorella Picnic Area Car Park, leave the lunch in the boot and get the hiking shoes moving. Follow the track to the left for the 4 km circuit to see the best of Purlingbrook Falls. The water drops from such an incredible height, you can watch it slowly descend and keep descending a very long way before its thunderous crash to the bottom.
See the track at the bottom of the rainforest valley.
After gazing in awe for a good while at this magnificent beast of a waterfall, walk along the cliff and further down the track where you will eventually start descending and winding until you reach the very bottom of the lush rainforest valley.
Don't hesitate to ease yourself through a nice dollop of mud and a haze of atmospheric mist until you are actually standing behind the cascading falls. Here you will be lightly smattered in cool mountain water and almost deafened by the wonderful roar of nature being fully unleashed. Now you really know you are alive.
Continue along the loop track on the other side of the mountain through impossibly green luscious rainforest and the track starts climbing soon after. The track winds and climbs until the rainforest suddenly gives way to eucalypt forest and leads steeply up above the top of Purlingbrook Falls. Here you step carefully over the rocks and stop for while to watch the crystal clear stream which surrounds you, as it flows silkily over the rocks and down to the top of the Falls.
Once you are over the rocks, the track leads back up to the car park and the BBQ area. It's time to get out those drinks and the Esky. Wander over to Gwongorella BBQ/picnic area which is a decadent fairytale green with a heavy sense of 'age' and old world beauty about it. If you look closely enough you are likely to spot a variety of lovely birds and kookaburras in this area.
Gwongorella Picnic Area
Luxuriate in air so pure you will feel cleansed and fresh inside and out. Of course all this fresh mountain air is just crying out to be complemented with the irresistible smoky smell of a BBQ. Eat, observe, read, or just laze the day away with a drink and a chat.
Leave around mid -afternoon feeling re-energised. You will be back home in time to admire your photos, wipe a streak or two of mud off your shoes and have time to breathe before work on Monday.
