Gold Coast: Mt Tamborine Rainforest Night Walk with Glow Worms & Waterfall

Experience the Gold Coast’s nocturnal rainforest on a 3.5-hour guided tour, featuring glow worm viewing and a torchlit walk to Curtis Falls.

Getting started

Your evening begins with pick-up from select Gold Coast locations. After meeting your guide and receiving a short briefing, settle in for a scenic drive to Tamborine Mountain National Park—Queensland’s first national park, established in 1908.

What to expect

Home to over 85% of the region’s animal species and 65% of its plant life, Tamborine Mountain offers a rich glimpse into Australia’s subtropical rainforest. As night falls, follow your guide through torchlit forest trails, uncovering the sights and sounds that emerge after dark. Along the way, discover Curtis Falls, learn about its Aboriginal significance, and witness one of Australia’s few naturally visible glow worm colonies.

Features

Scenic drive & guide briefing

• Travel in a small-group vehicle from the Gold Coast to Tamborine Mountain, with en route commentary from your local guide.

• Get a preview of the evening’s walk and learn about the park’s significance as Queensland’s oldest protected rainforest.

Torchlit rainforest walk (1.2 km Grade 3 trail)

• Follow a guided trail through lush subtropical forest alive with sounds of the night—crickets, frogs, and rustling leaves underfoot.

• See towering strangler figs, piccabeen palms, and ancient ferns that thrive in the park’s cool, elevated climate.

• Your guide will help you spot nocturnal wildlife such as short-eared brushtail possums, brush-turkeys, and microbats darting through the canopy.

Curtis Falls (Joalah Section)

• Arrive at Curtis Falls, a basalt-column waterfall that cascades into a quiet rock pool.

• Hear about the area’s Aboriginal significance and look for signs of Albert’s lyrebird, a local species known for its elaborate mimicry.

• The viewing platform provides a peaceful, moonlit vantage point, often with the sound of water as the only background.

Glow worm colony viewing

• Walk beside a rock wall where native glow worms (Arachnocampa flava) emit a magical bioluminescent glow.

• These tiny larvae spin silk threads and use their light to attract prey, creating an ethereal scene—only visible in wild, moist environments like this one.

• Your guide will explain their life cycle, behaviour, and how local conservation protects this delicate species.

Local dessert stop

• After the walk, relax with a sweet treat and hot drink at a nearby Mt Tamborine café—an ideal way to warm up and unwind after your forest adventure.

Convenient Return

• You’ll be dropped back to your original pick-up point in the Gold Coast, with plenty of new stories and photos to share.

Gold Coast: Mt Tamborine Rainforest Night Walk with Glow Worms & Waterfall

Explore Tamborine Mountain's rainforest on fully guided night walk representing one of Gold Coast's only authentic nocturnal nature tours conducted in wild environment far from staged artificial cave displays, featuring Curtis Falls visit under moonlight hearing indigenous cultural stories associated with waterfall while observing natural glow worm display along misty fern-lined forest walls creating bioluminescent spectacle, native nocturnal wildlife spotting including secretive lyrebirds, possums, and microbats observed in natural element guided by torchlight with expert providing rich storytelling connecting observations to ecological relationships, relaxing dessert and hot drink at Mount Tamborine café providing cozy atmosphere setting tone for comfortable return journey, and comprehensive small-group experience including hotel transfers, expert naturalist guides, National Park fees with no hidden costs creating seamless immersive night adventure, crafted for explorers of nocturnal ecosystems, devotees of natural phenomena, and seekers of authentic wilderness experiences. With exclusive nighttime timing revealing species and behaviors invisible during daytime when most tourists visit, genuine wild setting contrasting with commercialized glow worm venues using captive colonies in constructed environments, and expert interpretation connecting wildlife observations to broader ecological concepts including predator-prey relationships and habitat requirements, this rainforest night walk weaves biological discovery and cultural heritage, offering enlightening encounters to forge deep appreciation for subtropical rainforest ecosystems' nocturnal dimension often overlooked in conventional nature tourism focusing primarily on diurnal species and activities.

Visiting Curtis Falls and Natural Glow Worm Display

Approach Curtis Falls Viewing Platform under moonlight creating atmospheric experience where waterfall's sound intensifies in darkness while limited visibility enhances auditory dimension, with 12-meter cascade plunging into pool surrounded by ancient rainforest vegetation including tree ferns, palms, and flowering plants creating classic Gondwanan flora assemblage characteristic of Australian subtropical rainforests, demonstrating ecosystem continuity with ancient supercontinent's vegetation before continental separation. The waterfall visit enchants explorers with nocturnal ambiance. Hear cultural stories associated with waterfall from indigenous Yugambeh people for whom rainforest and water features held spiritual significance, with guide sharing respectfully how traditional owners understood landscape through creation stories, seasonal resource usage, and ceremonial practices, providing cultural context enriching purely natural history interpretation while acknowledging Aboriginal peoples' deep connection to Country predating European settlement by tens of thousands of years, captivating devotees with indigenous heritage. Take in natural glow worm display along misty fern-lined forest walls where bioluminescent larvae of fungus gnat Arachnocampa create blue-green lights attracting prey insects toward sticky threads, with moisture-rich rainforest environment providing optimal conditions for glow worm survival while darkness reveals luminescent displays invisible during daytime, enchanting seekers with biological wonder. The natural glow worm viewing represents authentic encounter with bioluminescent insects in wild habitat contrasting with commercialized caves where captive colonies displayed in controlled environments, with wild populations demonstrating natural distribution patterns where suitable microclimate conditions including high humidity, darkness, and prey availability concentrate larvae creating impressive displays, while guide explains fascinating life cycle including luminescent larval stage, pupal phase, and short-lived non-feeding adult stage completing remarkable adaptation using light for predation.

Spotting Nocturnal Wildlife and Café Relaxation

Search for native nocturnal wildlife including lyrebirds, possums, and microbats observed in natural element using torchlight revealing animals active after dark, with expert guide's trained eyes detecting subtle movements and sounds identifying species while rich storytelling connects observations to ecological relationships explaining dietary preferences, habitat requirements, and behavioral adaptations enabling nocturnal lifestyle, transforming random animal sightings into coherent narrative revealing ecosystem complexity. The wildlife encounters enchant explorers with behavioral ecology. Spot lyrebirds including superb lyrebird known for extraordinary vocal mimicry reproducing other species' calls, human-made sounds, and mechanical noises with remarkable accuracy, with nocturnal observation potentially revealing roosting behaviors and nighttime vocalizations different from daytime territorial singing, while understanding lyrebird ecology including ground-foraging habits disturbing leaf litter revealing invertebrate prey and elaborate courtship displays performed by males demonstrates species' ecological and cultural significance as Australian icon, captivating devotees with avian charisma. Observe possums including common brushtail and ringtail species representing marsupial folivores feeding on eucalyptus leaves and forest fruits, with nocturnal activity patterns avoiding diurnal predators while spotting microbats using echolocation hunting aerial insects demonstrates mammalian diversity, while guide explains ecological roles including possums' seed dispersal and bats' insect population control, enchanting seekers with functional ecology. Wind down with dessert and hot drink at Mount Tamborine café, with cozy stop providing comfortable environment for social interaction among tour participants sharing experience impressions, warming beverages appreciated after hours in cool rainforest environment, and sweet treats providing energy for return journey, while relaxed atmosphere sets tone for peaceful conclusion rather than abrupt tour termination, demonstrating thoughtful experience design attending to physical comfort and social dimensions enhancing overall satisfaction beyond purely wildlife viewing focus.

Tour Highlights

• Explore Tamborine rainforest on authentic nocturnal nature tour
• Visit Curtis Falls under moonlight with cultural storytelling
• See natural glow worm display on misty forest walls
• Spot lyrebirds, possums, microbats guided by torchlight
• Wind down with dessert and hot drink at mountain café
• Travel in small group with transfers, guides, Park fees included
• Experience wild setting far from staged artificial displays

Crafted for explorers of nocturnal ecosystems, devotees of natural phenomena, and seekers of authentic wilderness experiences, this Mt Tamborine night walk delivers an immersive journey through rainforest darkness and bioluminescent wonders. Join this guided adventure to uncover nighttime wildlife and glow worm magic, crafting memories that glow like larvae on ancient forest walls.