Duration:
Operated By:
Tour Highlights and Inclusions:
- Pickup & Drop off at select locations.
- Spot kangaroos, koalas, wallabies, reptiles and more, in their natural environment.
- Morning Tea at historic mountain top restaurant.
- Mt. Tamborine’s famous Gallery Walk, the hinterland’s arts & crafts centre.
- Guided Rainforest walk to Curtis Falls.
- Breathtaking views to both the East & West of the Mountain.
- Conservation Park fees included.
Our seasoned guides, true experts of the area, invite you to delve into the Gold Coast Hinterland’s rich tapestry of ecosystems, sharing their beloved haunts and the secrets of the region’s diverse plant and animal life.
Set off on a tranquil early morning meander through a Coombabah Conservation Park, basking in the sight of kangaroos at rest in their natural lounge, effortlessly striking poses for your camera. Keep your eyes peeled for the more elusive koalas, a common and delightful sighting.
Ascend Tamborine Mountain for morning tea, delicious oven-fresh scones, topped with jam and cream, and a selection of fine teas and coffees.
Time for shopping along Gallery Walk, the celebrated heart of Tamborine Mountain’s art and craft scene, featuring exquisite, locally crafted goods. The region is fast gaining acclaim for its boutique wineries—take this chance to savor an exquisite glass of the local red, white, or fortified wine, perhaps even selecting a bottle to cherish at home. If hops and barley are more to your taste, the local brewery welcomes you to savour their craft through a tasting flight (at your own expense).
Enjoy a serene guided Rainforest walk to the beautiful Curtis Falls.
The mountain top views are unforgettable as you see the Gold Coast skyline like never before, get your camera ready for the perfect Instagram shoot location.
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Despite the heavy rain on the day, the views were stunning! I actually prefer this kind of weather since it makes walking in the rainforest easier and cooler.
We saw an amazing selection of creatures, including a water dragon, huge panda(?) snail, giant (and I mean giant!) cricket, a selection of spiders, a cane toad, cute frog and a couple of leaf-tailed gheckos! The slaters curled themselves into a ball when picked up and were so metallic! We did see the glow worms too of course, but difficult to get good photos on my phone.
Highly recommend! 👌
Thanks Andy, for all the commentary.
Happy birthday.
The tour was awesome - we started at natural bridge and then did the Twin Falls track at Springbrook because that was top on my list and if you like to hike that is a great choice. We got to see multiple waterfalls and even stand under them. It was foggy and drizzling but quite nice in the rainforest. We had some extra time, so we got to stop at Purling Brook falls as well, and the views were nice even with the cloudy weather. After a stop for dinner, we went to see glowworms at Curtis falls and they were so bright! Amber told us about a lot of creepy crawly bugs along the way.
My one tip would be to wear long pants especially if it’s wet because my family wore shorts and got leeches on their legs😬
We loved Amber’s Australian music playlist too! Thank you Southern Cross!
At the tamborine mountain rainforest we saw the waterfall, lizards 🦎 , turkeys, and some birds.
Thanks again for the great experience!
Our guide, Bill, was superb. He mixed a wealth of local historical knowledge, with his botanic specialism delivered in a relaxed, often very humorous (lost on some in our group...there loss) manner. He really brought the whole tour to life in an easy to understand way, whilst tackling quite complex historical, geological, botanical and environmental subjects.
His passion for the wildlife, floral and forna really showed.
He made the trip !! Thanks Bill.
I loved how he explained a lot of the history as we were taking the hour drive into the mountains. He was very patient on the trails, leading the way to watch for danger. He showed us spiders as big as my hand, caterpillars that are very poisonous, centipedes that are very poisonous, frogs (not sure if their poisonous), geckos, giant crickets, bats, some type of rodent, leeches and finally the glow worms! Luckily we did not see any snakes!
Our first stop at the Mountain Manor Restaurant to have some refreshments before we start our hike. The hot chocolate and cheesecake was yummy! From 1882 - 1925 this building was a timber mill. It then converted into a cafe restaurant.
I learned so much on this glow-worm experience and that is all thanks to our excellent tour guide!
The stops are brief 10-20 minute viewings but beautiful. Includes a snack. If you want to actually hike around, might want to rent a car.
Tanya was the sweetest and greatest tour guide I have ever seen. She has an abundance of knowledge about Australian history and every phenomenon that's happening in the forest. I still wonder how she was able to point the animals in such dark. She made the tour more memorable.
It rained halfway through our tour. Although they provided an umbrella I didn't take one. Strom in the middle of the forest with glow warms and water fall around you. It's a once in a lifetime experience. If you love nature, you should definitely try this tour.
We stopped in Coombabah Lakelands Conservation Park both at the beginning and end of our day, and were able to see dozens of kangaroos from afar and up close. Our multiple stops in Tambourine National Park allowed for an appreciation of the views all the way down to the coast, and a short hike down to Curtis Falls was full of interesting biology.
The Gallery Walk was a reasonable experience, with multiple different craft and coffee shops.
Overall, a great way to spend the day learning and seeing. Many thanks to Amber for making the experience a fantastic one.
We start the day with a 45 min drive to the Manor for a drink and dessert, followed by a 1.5 hour walk in the rainforest with the glow worms and other lovely animals. The pace of the tour was good, and the weather was pleasant. It would be suitable for all ages though the uneven terrain might be challenging for elderly or young children.
The walk is quiet and peaceful. We loved it. We got lucky and managed to see some eels as well! Many animals blend in so well at night, so Tania was amazing at pointing them out to us. We did see quite a few spiders and snails, so if you're someone who's deathly afraid of spiders this might be hard for you.
Honestly didn't think that it would look as good as it did in the promotion photos but it did! The glow worms were out at full force. We rounded off the day with some stargazing, and of course it was beautiful as well. The tour was about 3.5 hours long in total, with a good spread of activities.
Ultimately I think good weather is the key for this, because it's so dry and cloudy, it was amazing and make the whole experience better. But regardless I would say the tour is well planned and one of the best ones I've been on.
Jamie shared so many interesting facts and stories that really brought the place to life. You could tell he is passionate about what he does. The tour was well-organized, fun, and never rushed. He also went out of his way to make sure everyone was comfortable and enjoying themselves.
If you're looking for a guide who is not only informative but also genuinely caring and enthusiastic, look no further. I would absolutely recommend Southern Cross tours (JAMIE ) to anyone visiting Gold Coast.
Thank you for an unforgettable experience! 🫶🏻💕
Both of them are very responsible and informative. They were eager to introduce the rainforest to us. See their passions on the birds and plants. We enjoyed the tours very much.
As a travel agent who regularly books Southern Cross Tours for my clients, I finally had the chance to experience the Tamborine Mountain tour myself — and I couldn’t be more impressed!
Our guide, Bill, was absolutely incredible. He’s not only knowledgeable but truly passionate about the region. From local history to rainforest ecology, he brought every stop to life with stories and insights that made the experience unforgettable.
The tour was well-paced with delicious tastings, scenic views, and charming local spots. As someone who recommends these tours professionally, it feels amazing to know that our clients are in such good hands.
I only wish I had more time — I’d do every tour they offer!
Highly recommend Southern Cross Tours, and if you get Bill as your guide, you’re in for a treat!
The bus was um, well we saw cockroaches inside. I suspect it was because we were allowed to eat on the bus. It's possible they came from outside, but it made me feel gross. Maybe we can spend 10-15 minutes eating outside the bus? It would mean finishing the tour 10-15 minutes later, but at least we wouldn't have to sit next to cockroaches.
I guess our guide was in a hurry to make sure we were on time and beat the rush, but I felt he drove unnecessarily fast, it's terrible for folks with motion sickness. The drive felt like I was on some sort of theme park ride, but it got us where we needed to go.
I think it should be universal practice for tour guides to give a time for when we need to get back. At our first stop, he said we could stretch our legs, but not walk too far, maybe a bit, but not too much. We didn't know what that meant. It would have been way less confusing to say "We'll meet back here in 10 minutes."
We saw the things we wanted to see and did everything we wanted to do, so it was all right. The walk is very easy, great if you just want a first impression of the sights.
If this tour were a third less expensive, I would have felt more positively about it. Our snack was a muffin and drink, the sights can be reached privately, and even factoring in profits for the company, I just don't see how it reached $100 per person.
Car was comfortable and the size of the group was small enough that it felt coordinated throughout.
The your was great and the tour guide was super friendly ,her name is Amanda.Highly recommend to go on tour with her and she shared with us useful informations and she kept offering to take pictures for us.
Definitely will use the tours again and highly recommend to others to not hesitate to explore the amazing nature of Australia 🦘🏞️

































































