Tamborine Mountain Rainforest and Glow Worms with Kids
Tamborine Mountain is just an hour away from Brisbane and is the perfect place to explore with kids. The Tamborine Mountain Rainforest Skywalk and Glowworm caves make for a fun day out of the city.
While there are plenty of places to hike on Tamborine Mountain, and I recommend them, the Tamborine Mountain Rainforest Skywalk is one-of-a-kind. It is an easier walk than most, fully paved, and the scenery is beautiful.
The Glow Worm Caves have a charge, as does the rainforest skywalk, but it is a guided tour. While you can find glow worms in tunnels throughout the area, you need to find them on your own.
For an easy day in Tamborine Mountain, check out the rainforest walk and glowworm caves. Keep reading for more information.
Tamborine Mountain Rainforest Walk
Located about an hour south of Brisbane, Tamborine Mountain is the perfect getaway for a change of scene.
Our first stop was the Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk. There was a temperature change, but not one that was large enough to warrant more clothes. It was sprinkling when we arrived and through most of our walk, but it is the rainforest.
The walk is 1.5 kilometers. The beginning of the walk is on 300-meter-high steel bridges. They were slippery due to the rain, but thankfully, the kids listened when we said don’t run. There was a bar to hold onto if needed.
We walked through pretty quickly and did not see any animals (besides a bush turkey near the parking lot). There are a few benches throughout the walk, and some of them have shade.
You can hear the water in the stream, and you can see it after you get off the bridge and walk down the dirt trail.
There is a butterfly area, and there was a staff member there pointing out the large golden orb spider. We did not see any butterflies, but we did not stay long as M does not like spiders.
Exploring the Tamborine Mountain Area
We had not planned the day out, and my internet was not working, but I had taken a brochure from the skywalk on the glowworm caves, so we headed there next.
Of course, you will be better prepared because I have now visited Tamborine Mountain countless times and have written this guide on the best things to do there with kids.
We got take-out from the restaurant at the glowworm caves but still had a while before our tour, so we drove to Hang Glider Launch and Lookout, which had a beautiful view.
The glow-worm cave is at a winery, and it looks as though there are a few wineries and winery bus tours in the area. They also have an area called Frog Hollow, which is a short walk to a building filled with aquariums and different types of frogs.
It is easy to find enough to do for even a weekend trip from Brisbane, but in our case, taking day trips will do.
Glow Worm Caves
I thought our guide said glow worms are only in Australia and New Zealand, but I was spending most of my time making sure the kids were okay, as it was just the 3 of us, and they were nervous to be in the dark.
We wore glow necklaces to see each other.
Maybe he said this type of glowworm, as I see that there are glowworms in Europe as well.
I saw glow worms in New Zealand in 2004, but you are not allowed to take pictures, and I did not remember them well.
This cave was man-made to protect the glow worms, which guarantees that you will be able to see them.
There are around 7000 in the small cave.
They look like stars in the night sky, which is their goal. They mimic stars so that bugs think they are outside and they can catch them and eat them.
Our guide told us that they like to be close to each other but not too close, and if they are too close, they will eat each other.
Because it was so dark in the caves, we could not make out the worms, but could only see their glow.
Around Town, Tamborine Mountain
After the caves, we drove to Gallery Walk, which is a street filled with shops and restaurants. We had a quick treat and drove back to the city.
Since that first trip to Tamborine Mountain, we have been back quite a few times. Tamborine Mountain is a great family-friendly day trip from Brisbane. While we have yet to stay the night, it would also make for the perfect weekend getaway.
- Things to do on Tamborine Mountain with Kids
- Ziplining on Tamborine Mountain with Kids
- Gem Mining and Rock Fossicking on Tamborine Mountain
- Dig It Excavator Park on Tamborine Mountain
More Mountain Day Trips from Brisbane
- Glasshouse Mountains
- A Quick Country Mountain Escape
- Getaway to Stanthorpe and the Granite Belt with Kids
- Springbrook National Park
- How to spend a beautiful day outside near Brisbane with kids
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