Witches Falls and Palm Grove Sections, Tamborine NP

Tamborine National Park is comprised of 14 separate parcels of land and is located virtually on our doorstep. Originally known as Witches Falls National Park it was declared in 1908, making it Queensland’s first national park. Over the years additional reserves over the Tamborine Mountain plateau and surrounding foothills have been added.
The park protects remnants of plant communities and includes areas of rainforest with distinctive piccabeen palm groves, wet eucalypt forest dominated by tall flooded gums, open forest with bracken fern understorey and woodland. These plant communities provide wildlife habitat in a landscape almost entirely surrounded by urban and rural development.
Some common animals seen in the national park include brush-turkeys, scrub wrens, Albert’s lyrebird, pademelons and one of the world’s largest skinks, the land mullet. The Richmond birdwing butterfly and the noisy pitta, migrate to the park from nearby higher altitude rainforests.
Basalt columns, cliffs and rocky outcrops are a lasting legacy of volcanic eruptions 23 million years ago. Tamborine is the most northerly remnant of the flows from a volcano centred on Mount Warning.
Our walk will take in two circuit tracks in the national park starting with Witches Falls Circuit which will include Witches Falls and the rainforest lagoons. The second circuit will be Jenyns Circuit in Palm Grove section. The total distance we will walk will be about 9 kilometres.
Meet at the picnic ground at Witches Falls Section, Tamborine Mountain, UBD Gold Coast map 13 L18 GPS coordinates 27 56’16”S 153 10’47”E
What to bring: Bottle of water, sun screen, hat, folding chair, small backpack, morning tea to have after the Witches Falls Circuit and lunch to have after the Jenyns Circuit.
This activity will be conducted in keeping with current Covid-19 health department guidelines regarding social distancing and good hygiene practices. Be aware that, if you are over 70 (over 50 for people of indigenous background), and/or have co-morbidities, you are at greater risk of Covid-19.
If you are feeling unwell, please do not attend this activity.

Activity Report. Four members signed up to do this activity. It was Father’s Day and with the prediction of showers, we were not expecting a big roll-up. The group set off clockwise on the Witches Falls Circuit in pleasant walking conditions. We stopped at “the seasonal lagoons” which are an unusual feature for the rainforest. The lagoons were dry from the extended drought but have a good stand of tall reeds and bull rushes. The track in this area has recently been upgraded with some extensive earthworks. We heard the call of the Alberts Lyrebird and were privileged to witness the full repertoire of a male’s calls and performance. We diverted to the lookout and Witches Falls which had only a trickle of water. On our return to the picnic ground we made use of a picnic table for morning tea.
For the second part of our walk, we avoided the crowds with a short drive to the Curtis Road entrance to Palm Grove Section. We walked part of the Palm Grove Circuit before branching off onto the Jenyns Circuit. We exited at the easement to Palm Grove Avenue before re-entering onto the Palm Grove Circuit to return to the cars. After a short drive, we arrived at a small park in Eagle Heights where we again made use of a picnic table for lunch and to share stories. A very sociable and enjoyable walk with no rain but some windy conditions – approximately 10 kilometres. To Sue and Ron – thanks for your company.