Day Trip: Lips Falls

NOTE: Lips Falls is closed until further notice – we will update this post as soon as it reopens

Our family enjoys bushwalking, and we’ve found some wonderful places to explore around Brisbane as a family, from the tips of Mt Ngungun in the Glass House Mountains to Queen Mary Falls in the McPherson Ranges. We are always on the lookout for the next family adventure, and we’ve marked a lot of places off our list. However, I can’t BELIEVE that we hadn’t found this spot before in all our years of exploring Brisbane and its surrounds. The place we found is called Lips Falls and it’s located in Beechmont about an hour and a half from Brisbane. I think it’s our favourite bushwalking spot we’ve found yet! The day after our adventure, the kids were begging us to take them back again. Let me tell you where this spot it, and how to find it.

Getting There

Lips falls is relatively easy to find, you just need to know where to look. The falls are located in the Gold Coast hinterlands. If travelling from Brisbane or the Gold Coast, take the Nerang exit, continue to Nerang Murwillumbah road and then to Beechmont road. Turn into Flemington road, then right in Doncaster drive and you will arrive at Denham Reserve. Park on the side of the road and walk through the reserve, the entrance to the path is located close to the donations box on the left hand side of the reserve.  The path will take you into the Back Creek Gorge and down to the falls.

The Walk

The walk is about a 3 kilometre round trip. I would allow a couple of hours so there’s plenty of time to explore. Below is a snap shot of the path to give you an idea of what to expect. I would say it’s of medium difficulty; some parts are quite steep but it’s not a hard walk. My children aged from 8 to 14 were absolutely fine and completed the bush walk independently.

Wheelchair/pram access: No

Difficulty: Medium (walking paths are steep and narrow at certain points. The upper tracks are next to deep gorges and so young children should be strictly supervised).

Distance: 3 kilometres

Waterfall access: Yes

1. Easy to start with.
2. Flat section.
3. View over the upper falls (these aren’t the same falls you’ll visit and the base of the walk).
4. The path starts to head down.
5. Rocky stairs that wind down.
6. At the base there is a section of rock where a chain is attached to assist in climbing. This will take you to the falls.

The Falls

It’s beautiful! As you can see from the image below, there is a lovely pool ideal for swimming in the warmer months.  My kids loved exploring the rocks along the river bed.

Things to Do

The reason why we loved this bush walk so much was the variety. It’s not a long walk, but it has a lot of variations — flat, steep, rocky, trees, water — which makes it interesting and fun. Below are some idea on how to make the most of your visit:

• Take the camera. The falls are low, so you can get wonderful pictures in front of them.
• In the warmer months, take swimmers and paddle in the basin at the base of the falls.
• If you want to make a day of it, consider visiting Mt Tamborine or the Gold Coast too.
• Float bark/stick boats down the current.
• There are some rock spots where you could perch for a picnic or snack, however the better place for a proper picnic would be at the beginning of the walk where there is a lovely grassy section.

Lips Falls is a new family favourite. We’ll be back.

Resources

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