Lamington Park is treasure trove of unique flora and fauna of Queensland, Australia. Several exciting activities are possible here like bushwalking, abseiling, wild parrot feeding, treetop walk and even rejuvenating in a Spa on a mountain lodge. Some of the species found in Lamington Park cannot be found anywhere else on Earth. Lamington Park with its rainforests, exotic wild life, cool mountain air and waterfalls will leave a lasting impression on any nature lover. No wonder David Attenborough shot here for his series “Life on Earth”.
Reaching Lamington Park
Lamington National is a 2 hours’ drive from Brisbane towards south near the Gold Coast. Part of the Scenic Rim Lamington Park is 900 meters above sea level and just 30 Kms from the Pacific Ocean. It’s a wonderful drive through the hilly road with beautiful scenic views from top.
What to do at Lamington Park
You have lots of activities to do here but the ones not to be missed are bushwalking, tree-top walk, bird watching and feeding.
Lamington Park is a Bushwalkers paradise with more than 150 kms of tracks to walk on. The path was designed by Romei Lahey after studying patterns of Dairy Cow movement on the hills to ensure walkers do not run out of breadth. For beginners the best paths to try are the 11 km Box Forest Circuit which can be covered in 4 or the 17 km Toolona Creek Circuit which is a 6 hour affair.
Wild Parrot feeding is an exciting activity. Upon paying $4, you can feed King and Rosella parrots off your hand, shoulders or even your head!
Abseiling has made Binna Burra the adventure capital of southern Queensland. Rappling down a volcano with just an 11mm diameter rope can be really thrilling.
The tree top walk is really awesome as you go through the thick rain forest. The huge trees up to 30 meters high from the ground are stunning. The tree top walk gives that unique experience of walking high above the ground. The most enchanting experience here is a close encounter with some rare and exotic rainforest animal life! The observation deck at 100 feet above the ground provides a surreal view of this unique world teeming with life.
Flying on top of the tree tops is another exciting opportunity at Bellbird Clearing. Flying Fox is an adrelin pumping experience for both adults and kids.
If you love Waterfalls, you have 500 of them to choose from! My favorites are Elebana and Running Creek falls.
Rejoove is a Day Spa at the Binna Burra mountain lodge. You can choose from hot rock massage, grounding body scrubs, nurturing organic facials, manicure, pedicures or waxing for a soothing experience.
Kids would love the adventure playground. It has been innovatively designed so while the kids have fun, they also get to learn about the environment through interpretative signage.
The sheer beauty of Lamington Park provides a romantic backdrop for wedding ceremonies. The Binna Burra mountain lodge has become a popular wedding destination. The Lodge provides a dedicated wedding coordinator to take care of all the wedding arrangements.
Brief History of Lamington Park
The plateau around Lamington Park has been home to the Aborigines especially the Wangerriburras and Nerangballum tribes, for more than 6000 years. In the early years of European settlers, large scale lumbering was a prominent practice. It took the efforts of two gentlemen Robert Collins, a local pastoralist and Romeo Lahey, a saw-miller & engineer from Canungra to help declare the area a national Park. The park was officially formed in 1915 and named after Lord Lamington a former governor of Queensland.
The Exotic
Lamington Park is home to some plant species that are no longer seen anywhere else on Earth. Pittosporum oreillyanum, the Lamington Peach, the Mt Merino Eyebright and Everlasting Daisy are relics from the last Ice Age and exotic to Lamington Park. Lamington Park is also famous for its exotic fauna. The Blue Lamington Crayfish is found only at Lamington Park. Some of the other rare species are Coxen’s fig parrot, Eastern Bristle bird, Albert’s Lyrebird and Richmond Birdwing butterfly
A Discovery at Lamington Park
Renowned Naturalist David Attenborough had filmed Lamington Park during his famous 1979 Television series “Life on Earth”. The beech trees and bowerbirds of the series were shot here at Lamington Park.
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