A rainy weekend in South East Queensland makes for the perfect recipe to chase waterfalls. We decided to spend our Saturday with family following the Cambanoora Gorge trail from the Dirty Weekends edition 4 book in a 4wd convoy. Heading west, we quickly passed through Beaudesert before stopping for a bakery treat in charming Boonah. A quaint little country town with a busy little main street, we easily could have enjoyed more time here. With little time to waste, we continued west and onto the Falls Drive.

Climbing the range up to Main Range National Park is usually a visual treat of rugged ridge lines, scars of an ancient mega volcano. Unfortunately for us, our view was a sea of white cloud which thickened the higher we climbed. Once at the top of the range, the waterfalls pass one after the other. Trivot falls, is the preview, far in the distance, silently dropping into the void below. Queen Mary Falls is the first major stop, With a lovely picnic area and graded paths at both the top and bottom of the falls, we made this our stop for lunch. The  swollen river was a beautiful sight falling dramatically over the edge of the escarpment.

The cafe at the Queen Mary Falls caravan park sells birdseed and for a bargain of $2, you can have a whole bag to entice the local king parrots. I am not sure who enjoyed it more, Charlotte or Rob?

Next stop was Daggs falls – a simple viewing platform makes this a quick stop for a pic and a breath of fresh air.

Continuing a little further takes you to Browns falls, my favourite of the park. Smaller than the bigger Queen Mary and Daggs, the 20 minute (each way) walk is a beautiful path along the creek right up until you can feel the mist falling on your face at the base. We really enjoyed rock hopping along the creek, ducking in and around fallen trees and making our way over the muddy banks. The reward at the end is as beautiful and interesting as the walk itself.

With most of the day now behind us, it was time to begin returning home. In contrast to the bitumen road in, we followed the 4wd track through the Cambanoora Gorge. The road zig zags over the Condamine River, one of the longest rivers in Australia. It was another world inside the gorge – lush, dense and completely hidden away from the modern world. There were only a few properties along the way and the 4wd only access kept the crowds at bay. We drove slowly, waded through the creeks and enjoyed soaking up the beauty around us.

With the shadows growing longer we continued East towards home. The roads grew wider and busier and eventually we found ourselves back in civilisation. I can’t wait to take this beautiful drive again and next time spend a night camping along the way.