After two months of city life, I wanted a break, a real break. I really needed to escape the hustle and bustle of Melbourne. My little holiday to the Gold Coast was already a big step in the right direction, but after some good time on the beach, huge parties and a scenic sunset kayak tour (check out more about this here) I still wanted more. Kaylene from Rainforest Tours Australia appeared to be my soul saviour. She invited me to “Come and see the Green behind the Gold”. The endless forests and national parks in the Hinterland.

 

The Hinterlands

A lot of people see the Gold Coast as the Miami of Australia. Great parties, clubs, beaches, and good surfing are attracting thousands of schoolies and backpackers each year. And boy how much fun it is indeed. Maybe it's because of this, that I never realised the pure beauty of the green hills around the city.

These green hills, also known as the hinterlands, are a real outdoor wonderland, consisting of various national parks, endless windy trails, rainforest, Antarctic Beech Tree forests and numerous fairytale waterfalls. Two of the national parks: Lamington & Springbrook, are World Heritage Listed. And for good reasons!

Early start

As I had a severe lack of outdoor, hiking and nature, I decided to get the most out of the day and signed up for the full day hike crossing the spectacular Coomera Gorge Circuit.

A whole day in the wilderness is better with an early start. So I beat my hangover, resulting from the previous night, found out I was smart enough to pack my bag the night before and had plugged in all my cameras to charge overnight. Luckily Bunk Hostel appeared to be one of the rare hostels in Gold Coast where you can get a perfectly good night rest. So after a quick shower, I was ready to rock the day! (at 6:30 AM)!

Kaylene was spot on, on time, waiting for me in her beautiful white 'Rainforest Spirit' boot in front of my hostel. The 1,5-hour drive to the start of the trail was already worth to go on a trip for. Passing different viewing points, mountain villages and forest, I just didn't allow myself the time to take a little nap. I just simply did not want to miss a single thing.

In a hinterland far, far away,

The trail starts on top of the mountains and kicks off with a breathtaking lookout from the restaurant. There's nobody around yet when we arrive, not even in the parking spot. I take a couple of seconds to suck it all in. The air feels so incredibly fresh. It smells fresh eucalyptus, flowers and a bit of forest that just had a nice rain shower. The number of birds singing is almost unbelievable. Kaylene tells me that this area is an absolute must go for bird lovers. There's a countless number of bird species, and some of them are even endemic to this area.

The walk appeared to be a true gateway to heaven, passing perfect lookouts over valleys, cliffs and the gorge. The number of waterfalls we passed along the way was so much that I lost track of counting. And when you thought you had seen the best one of the day, the next one appeared to be even more beautiful. The forest is full of majestic trees, green mosses and endless other plants. I've seen a lot of national parks around the world, and this one is definitely in the upper bit of my top 10. The area is so peaceful and beautiful that you would almost expect fairies to appear from behind the broad green leaves.

Kaylene patiently takes her time to answer all my curiosities about the bird sounds I hear, the plants we come across, the trees and where the next stop will be. Her knowledge about the area and its living beings go above and beyond. Before I know it, we're already back at the car. Gosh, how I just wish this day would never end....

Easier than it seems:

The trail is almost 18 kilometres in length, which sounds like a fair bit, but appeared to be way easier than I thought. The trail remains on the upper part of the valley and is more or less flat the entire way. The trails are perfectly maintained and easy to walk on. It is doable for anybody with a decent condition. It takes about 6 hours to finish the tour, 7 hours if you're just as addicted to photography as me 😉

Can't wait to come and see it with your own eyes? All visitors of Backpacker Deals get a 10% discount! Check it out now! 

Want to take it a bit easier? The Half Day Hike to Purling Brook Falls gives you the opportunity to explore the hinterland without sour calves.

 

Born and raised in the Netherlands I basically breathe water. So what do you do when you get the opportunity to join in on a kayak tour? Ow yes count me in please! And what if this tour includes delicious wine, beautiful sunsets and (my all-time favourite) tasty cheese! Then you got me hooked. It's time to hit off and explore the inland waters of Queensland; it's time to Kayak the Gold Coast!

Easy peasy

As a real backpacker, I'm not a massive fan of planning. So one hour before kicking-off I decided that it might be time to figure out where the tour was leaving from (ahum). A call to my tour guide Leana appeared to solve the 'problem' in now time. The tour left only a 2-minute walk away from the tram stop. As easy as life can be: It took me less than half an hour from Bunk Hostel in Surfers' Paradise to the starting point of the tour.

Let's Go!

Leana was already awaiting me with her van and trailer filled with kayaks. I'm teamed up with Ilona, another traveller from Sweden, to sail a double kayak. The double kayak appeared to be the best thing ever: The tie was causing quite a strong stream. At least with the double kayak, I had my life saviour Ilona with me to compensate for my endless amount of paddle-breaks to take pictures and videos. (thanks chick, you're the best!)

 

The water maze

Whoever takes a look at a map of the Gold Coast, must have noticed that there's almost an endless maze of rivers and canals in the city. The kilometres and kilometres long network of water stretches out to the far end of the suburbs. "Do you know that Gold Coast has more waterways than Amsterdam and Venice combined?", Leana asks me, while we're slowly paddling along one prestigious waterfront real estate after the other. "Wow? Seriously?". Coming from Amsterdam myself, I can hardly believe it. Although I have to admit, the further the tour the more reality starts to kick in. The Australians definitely beat us on this point.

We paddle on a relaxed pace through the various landscapes of the outer suburbs of this vibrant city. We cross mangrove forest, private little islands, Miami-worthy-villa's and a beautiful view of the skyline of Gold Coast. Leana explains all she knows of the area. From the birds we see, to the history of the area, to the current way of life of the 'Coasters'.

Water fanatics

It doesn't take a long time to figure out that Gold Coast and water are irreversibly connected with each other. All the houses on the canals have pontoons, kayaks or at least a jet ski.

"The first canals were built in the 1950s and construction of new canals continues up to this day" Leana explains when we reached a massive water-crossing-point. "Nowadays we have more than 890 kilometres of constructed waterfront land within the city. Housing over 80.000 residents."

Wining and dining

We stop at a little inland beach and pull the kayaks on shore. Leana came fully prepared and pulls out a coolbox, or as I should say it in proper Australian: an eski. There's a delicious bottle of wine, some drinks for those who aren't in an alcoholic mood, all sorts of tasty nibbles to catch up with the calories we burnt and....CHEESE! Honestly, you cannot make a Dutch girl any happier!

Here comes the sun

After some seriously satisfied tummies, we push the kayaks back in the water and continue our little journey. The sun starts to set, causing a scenic colour show in the sky. People start to come back home from work, filling up their gardens with family dinners and little home-picknicks. Some residents pull out their boats to enjoy the last hours of sun of the day. There's no doubt about it. Here in Gold Coast the people definitely know how to live the good life.

The tour is perfectly suitable for everybody. The kayaks are really light what makes paddling very easy. Leana and Alicia keep the amount of participant in the tours small, which makes the tours relaxing and a perfect outdoor activity. It's a great way to explore the city and enjoy the skyline and picturesque sunset. For those travelling as a couple: trust me you'll score big points with your other half booking in this tour ;).

Want to come and explore the inland waters of the Gold Coast as well? Kayak the Gold Coast has offered Backpacker Deals a unique discount of $10 per head! Check out here! 

Looking for a wildlife adventure? Check out the full day kayak to Burleigh Wildlife Park.