I attended part oif the CAUDIT formal Members meeting from 9am Thursday, but most of my activity cetred on the Gala Dinner that evening.
Wednesday, 16-Sep-26:
We flew from Perth (Qantas) to Brisbane, arriving well after midnight and not getting to our downtown hotel till after 1am.
I attended part oif the CAUDIT formal Members meeting from 9am Thursday, but most of my activity cetred on the Gala Dinner that evening.
Friday, 18-Sep-26
We collected our hire car and drove the ~100km down to Springbrook, inland from the Gold Coast.
We stayed at the very end of Springbrook Road, in a cottage in the English Country Gardens. The gardens surrounding the cottage were beautiful, and at their peak right then. Actually, there were plenty of native flora as well*, so a blended country garden! Here are some views of the garden and out cottage.
*In particular, a grass tree (Xanthorrhoea, or balga): this specimen reportedly the largest in Queensland (or Springrook, or such...)
Our sojourn in Springbrook on 18 and 19-Sep included some attractions within easy walking distance of our cottage. Such as the waterfall that Mundora Creek (which flows through the Garden) became (Bilbrough Falls, at Goomoolahra Picnic Area), the view overlooking the Gold Coast, and some native fauna.
Close to where we were staying were several other waterfalls, viewpoints and forest scenery. There's plenty of walks along the ridgeway, several that are only for the fit, but still plenty of short walks to lookouts.
From our cottage in Springbrook it was not far to the "Best of All" Lookout, which looks out over the caldera of an ancient volcano South into NSW. Also nearby is a stand of Antarctic Beech, a relic from Gondwana days when we were joined to Antarctica. Then we had a relaxing brunch in the Gallery Cafe (Alberts on Lyrebird).
A little distance from our cottage, but still easily accessible was the Natural Bridge waterfall and glow worm cave and forest area. On the way, we stopped to check out the Hinze Dam and reservoir. The waterfall is formed by a stream falling through a hole in the roof of the glow worm cave; with the sun on the waterfall, it was most entrancing!
Finally, we departed Springbrook and took the round-a-bout way back to Brisbane, traveling via the Numinbah Valley and the Nerang River, entering NSW and the basin of the caldera (very fertile country!) before turning North on the motorway. But first we stopped at the Happy Apple Cafe in Crystal Creek and had a leisurely brunch, before passing close to Murwillumbah and through Currumbin.
And so we returned to Perth, arriving at about midnight on Sunday, 20-Sep-26 (2am Brisbane time!).
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Alex Reid
8-Oct-26