View a selection of the videos that showcase the Scenic Rim Region.
Must Do – Ask A Local
While You’re Here
Tamborine Mountain
Canungra, Lamington and Beechmont
Beaudesert and the Lost World Valley
Rathdowney, Mt Barney and Mt Lindesay
Boonah
Kalbar, Roadvale and Peak Crossing
Harrisville, Rosevale and Aratula
Ask a Local: Things you must do while you’re in the Scenic Rim
WE could tell you how great this area is and what you should do while you’re here but we thought it’s better coming straight from the mouth of Scenic Rim locals. Here’s what some of our locals reckon you should do while you’re in the region.
Gina Firth
“THE first thing I suggest visitors do is visit the Lamington National Park. We are the gateway to the park and there are two locations to enter the park, at O’Reillys (Green Mountains), or at Binna Burra. I also suggest visitors do a walk around the town, visit the historic Lahey’s Tramway Tunnel which is about half a kilometre from the town. You can walk the length of the 100m tunnel. I also suggest a picnic or BBQ in the DJ Smith Park, or a walk through the Lion’s Park along the creek. Visit the Marian Valley retreat on the Binna Burra-Beechmont Rd, about 10km from town. It’s the home of the Pauline Fathers and features the 12 Stations of the Cross. They have an open air church there and a shrine to all denominations. Of course your first stop in Canungra should be at the Visitor Information Centre, where I have been volunteering for 7 years. The VIC is open seven days a week from 9.30am to 4pm” – Wonglepong
Jodie Noack
“MY usual spiel to visitors is to drive 36km up to O’Reillys, stop at the O’Reilly’s Winery where you might see a platypus in the creek, do some wine tasting and then drive up the mountain. Stop at all the lookouts because they’re worth it. Visit the alpaca farm and have a nice cup of tea and when you reach O’Reillys do the rainforest walk and feed the birds.” – Boyland
Russell Harrison:
“VISITORS to this area should take a drive down the Lions Road, it starts just before Rathdowney and goes through northern NSW to Kyogle. It’s a nice drive, the scenery is beautiful, it’s relaxing and you’ll see everything. There’s plenty of horse studs along the way and the Tamrookum Church is great, it’s over 100 years old, you can’t miss it, it’s a big timber church with big timber beams.” – Beaudesert
Nicola Cooke and Lee McIntyre
“VISITORS to the area should go to Moogerah and Maroon Dams where you can fish, have a picnic and waterski. Climb Mt French which is great if you’re into photography and wildlife. Art & Soul Café does really nice food and great coffee. You should have some Belgium waffles at the Art Café du Kalbar and the Kalbar Pub also does very nice food.” – Boonah
Betty McCullough
BETTY has lived in Harrisville for 76 years, all of her life. She lives in the house she grew up in and is a member of the Harrisville Historical Society. Her father was the first bulk fuel agent to operate in south-east Queensland, and she used to work part-time on the Harrisville telephone exchange. She met her late husband Stan at one of the regular Harrisville dances. These are her suggestions for visitors to Harrisville: “First of all I would say go to one of the wineries, you could go to Mackaways Café in town and the Historical Society is open on the first and third Sunday of each month. We established a lovely lookout at Colleyville Gap, just out through Warrill View, it’s a quite nice view of the range. “I also really enjoy the drive from Harrisville to Rosevale and then up Tarome Road and back to Aratula, it’s a pretty drive.” – Harrisville
Simon Walsh and Paul Thompson
“VISITORS to Canungra should visit O’Reillys Plateau, walk the Lahey’s Tramway and stop at one of the area’s great wineries. On the way home they should stop at the pub for a cold beer and a great meal, we’ve got a children’s games room so we’re a favourite with families.” – Canungra
Cheryl Murray
“I LOVE going camping and four-wheel-driving. You can head into the Kerry Valley towards Rathdowney and Darlington Park. It’s an amazing drive with wonderful scenery, mountains, streams and that sort of stuff. It’s lovely and really not that far from town. Darlington Park is about 25 minutes and it’s beautiful out there. There’s also Bigriggen which is great for kids, you can go camping, they can ride their bikes and play in the creek.” – Beaudesert
Tim Brosnan
“I HAVE been a patron of the Dugandan Pub for many years and they have great meals there, it’s an old country pub. The same applies to the Mt Alford Pub and the Rosevale Pub. Drive out towards Maroon, it’s a beautiful drive, up Carneys Creek Road and through to Queen Mary Falls, I travel that road regularly and I never get sick of the views. Drive out to Harrisville and have a coffee at Mackaways, or you could take the drive up Tarome Road at Aratula, it’s lovely out there too. This really is a great spot, I’m used to friendly people but I think Boonah is terrifically friendly.” – Roadvale
Christine Titmarsh:
“I WOULD recommend visitors to the area go to Art Café du Kalbar and also to the Wiss Emporium at Kalbar, they have wonderful things there clothing, jewellery and some furnishings. Drive up Greenhills Road and you will get marvellous views back over Boonah. Climb Mt French, there are some great viewing spots, you can see over Boonah and back to the Gold Coast.” – Boonah
Sarah MacGinley, Kerry
“CEDAR Creek Falls is good, The Centre has some great art and shows and the Beaudesert Showgrounds are nice. Visitors should also check out the Kerry Hall because there’s often old-style dances held there. The dances are held once a month at different halls throughout the region, they’re for all ages, you’ll meet the locals and you can do all the old-style dances, the waltz, the foxtrot and that sort of thing.” – Beaudesert
Paul Raven and Mick Tynan:
“GO horse riding at Gumnuts, visit O’Reillys, have a meal and a beer at the pub and have a look at the Canungra Showgrounds. There’s a camping ground there, caravans and it’s on the banks of the Creek. We also have two great wineries, O’Reillys and Sarabah.” – Canungra
Jaime Strauss:
“VISITORS should check out the shows and the art at The Centre, they should enquire about any local rodeos and there’s some good local drives. Beaudesert is a nice little regional town.” – Beaudesert
Olive Harvey
“THERE are so many beautiful drives out here, we just think it’s lovely. When you go away and come back over Gnech’s Hill and look out over Boonah, the town just looks so welcoming. You should stop at Glenn’s Diner in Boonah and you will receive service with a smile. You could take in some kid’s sport at Coronation Park, I like to follow the vigoro.” – Boonah
Joseph Faulkner, known to his friends as Ted
TED Faulkner was Harrisville’s bootmaker for many years. He arrived to the town following the war with 300 pounds in his pocket. He expected to stay just five years but he never left. That was 60 years ago. He’s a well-known face around town and inspite of failing hearing and eyesight, he’s still quite a character. The 90-year-old remembers the days when Harrisville was a booming town with three pubs, a bank, a general store and of course his shop – Faulkner’s Footwear and upholstery. He was a member of the first Harrisville Fire Brigade, which was trained by the Ipswich brigade. Ted remembers fondly the night he and his colleagues successfully battled a blaze at the Railway Hotel. “If those officers from Ipswich hadn’t have trained us well we would have lost this town,” says Ted. “The Railway Hotel had 32 rooms and she went up at 3am. There were only seven of us and we held it, we beat her.” Ted recommends visitors to Harrisville visit The Commercial Hotel for a pint and a meal. He also likes Mackaways Café and The Scenic Drive. Ted says visitors should also take a walk down the main street, they may even bump into him. “I always make it my business to go around, to walk around,” he says. – Harrisville
Ann Andrews
“YOU should follow the Cultural Centre Shows they put on some wonderful shows for seniors particularly, lots and lots of them. It’s worth coming out for, I have a relative who comes down from the Coast for the shows. It’s really worthwhile, they’re very good. For my birthday we went to Kooroomba Winery, there are beautiful views out there and either of the dams are really good.” – Boonah
Tony Groom
“THERE are three walks which visitors to the area should do while they’re here. The first if the Coomera Circuit, in my opinion the best overall walk here. It’s an 18km round trip, starting at the Binna Burra Tea House and winds down the Beechmont Range through dense rainforest. The second walk, Dave’s Creek Circuit is a 12km round trip and has a total range of vegetation, rainforests, beech trees, malley gums and open heath country. Finally there’s Ship’s Stern Circuit, a 20km walk with views of the Numinbah Valley, waterfalls, eucalypt forest and wildflowers. Visitors should also go to Rosin’s Lookout at Beechmont where you’ll get views over the Numinbah Valley to Mt Warning in northern NSW.” – Binna Burra
Dell Timms
“VISITORS should definitely go for a drive in the country, there are some lovely drives around here. If you want a meal the RSL does a good meal, whenever there’s a birthday in our family we go to the RSL for dinner. We also have Chinese once at week at the Happy Valley Chinese restaurant.” – Beaudesert