Lamington National Park had been sitting on my bucket list for years, the kind of place you keep promising yourself you will get to one day. When I finally did, I realised just how much I had been missing out on.
Lamington National Park is in southeast Queensland, and as I was on the Gold Coast at the time, the trip was far easier than expected, roughly a 90 minute drive. The road climbs steadily, narrow and winding, with rainforest closing in around you. Make time for the drive, because the journey sets the mood long before you arrive.
Being my first visit, one thing I hadn’t realised is the park has two separate trailheads, about 40 minutes apart by car. It sounds inconvenient, but it speaks to the scale of the place. Over the same weekend, I visited both sides and quickly saw how much variety Lamington offers, from gentle walks to longer hikes, waterfalls and quiet forest tracks.
I stayed at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat, and it is easy to see why people base themselves here. Fun fact, if you are staying at the resort there are a few sneaky short cuts and internal tracks that give you easier access to some of the walks. It feels like a small insider bonus that adds to the experience – plus the pool is amazing!
What surprised me most was just how much there is to do at O’Reilly’s.
The Discovery Program opens up a whole range of experiences you cannot access on your own. There are Birds of Prey shows where raptors fly free against a mountain backdrop, wildlife encounters that let you get close to native animals, and flying fox adventures that launch you high above the rainforest canopy.
After dark, the options continue with guided glow worm experiences, nocturnal wildlife spotting and stargazing tours that take full advantage of the clear night skies away from city lights. During the day, guided e bike tours run in both morning and afternoon sessions, covering rainforest and eucalypt forest, historic routes, and some of the park’s best lookouts.
There are also 4WD tours, from scenic drives to deeper explorations of the plateau, including the Billy Tea history tour where stories are shared over a fire with damper and tea. For families, the Eco Rangers program keeps kids busy with animals and activities while parents take a breather.
Out on the tracks, the variety of walks stood out. From short, accessible rainforest trails to longer hikes that reward you with waterfalls and cooler pockets of forest.
One of the most powerful parts of a visit is the rescue story tied to O’Reilly’s and the family. In 1937, a Stinson aircraft crashed in the nearby McPherson Ranges. After official searches failed, Bernard O’Reilly set out on foot through dense, rugged rainforest, convinced the plane had gone down within what is now the national park. Against the odds, he found the crash site and two survivors in urgent need of medical help. He cared for them before walking back to organise a rescue party, returning with a doctor and local helpers to bring the men to safety. Today, a replica of the Stinson stands at the retreat, alongside bronze statues capturing the rescue moment.
By the end of the weekend, it was clear why Lamington National Park is a bucket-list favourite. Whether for a short break or a week, there’s always more to explore.
