Queen Mary Falls is located in Main Range National park, approximately a 2.5-hour trip from Brisbane or 40-minutes from Warwick.
The drive takes you through beautiful country, up winding roads with mountain views, to an elevation of 800 metres above sea level. The family-friendly walk to the waterfall is a must-do, as well as a leisurely picnic or barbecue in the peaceful surroundings.
There’s a privately-run campground next to the national park, should you wish to extend your stay in this beautiful region.
Walk the Queen Mary Falls circuit
Queen Mary Falls is part of Spring Creek, which flows from the Condamine River. The 2 km walk begins at the car park, and the full circuit takes about 40 minutes to complete. If you begin the circuit anti-clockwise, you will first be taken to the viewing platform, the perfect vantage point to marvel at the spectacular 40-metre drop of the falls.
Recommendation: If you love waterfalls then check out our collection of Waterfalls near Brisbane
It’s fun to get this bird’s eye view of the falls first; however, completing the walk in a clockwise direction will be a little easier on the legs.
The entire walk is child-friendly, although supervision with heights and water is always required. However, it is not suitable for prams, strollers or wheelchairs.
Walking to the base of the falls, which includes stairs, is worth the effort: the sound of the water crashing to the bottom and the fine, misty spray on your face is an exhilarating experience.
Tip: You can’t swim at Queen Mary Falls but if you do fancy a dip, nearby Browns Falls offers a swimming hole.
If you’re pushed for time, you could walk the 570-metre Cliff Circuit instead, which takes approximately 20 minutes to complete and includes the lookout over the magnificent falls.
Feed the wild birds
At the cafe, located in front of the campground, you can purchase bags of birdseed to feed the wild birds, including colourful king parrots and lorikeets. It’s a good idea to wear a hat and long sleeves, as the birds will land on your head, shoulders and arms. They are friendly, and will happily eat out of your hands, making for excellent photo opportunities!
There are toilets in the national park where you can wash your hands afterwards. There are plenty of other animals, reptiles, birds and insects to look out for too, including blue-tongued lizards and fireflies at dusk.
Picnic or barbecue in the national park
Pack a picnic or some snags to enjoy in the beautiful picnic grounds within the national park. There are chairs and tables, electric and wood barbecues, but no bins, so take your rubbish with you.
Another option is to purchase takeaway meals from the cafe open seven days for breakfast and lunch. In addition to burgers and hot chips, they also sell coffee, milkshakes, ice creams and cakes/slices.
Directions to Queen Mary Falls
The falls are located 50 km southeast of Warwick or 10 km east of the town of Killarney via Spring Creek Road. You may also like to try the rainforest circuit at Cunningham’s Gap, located within the Cunninghams Gap section of Main Range National Park. Before you go its a good idea to check with National Parks and Wildlife about any current alerts and park closures which you can do here.
Spring Creek Rd, Killarney, Queensland, Australia
Enrico
wow fantastic a very nice place to visit bonding with nature and with family and kids