Nature · Rainforest

The Best Rainforest Walks in Australia

Ten trails into the oldest living rainforests on Earth — from flat boardwalks anyone can do to half-day circuits through the green cathedral.

Words by Frank Adam Burns· Updated June 2026

Some of Australia's rainforests are the oldest continuously surviving on the planet — direct descendants of the forests that covered the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana. Walking through them is a kind of time travel, past primitive ferns and conifers that have barely changed in a hundred million years.

We've ranged from the World Heritage Wet Tropics of far north Queensland to the cool Gondwana remnants of the NSW–Queensland border and the temperate forests of the south. Two of the finest — Lamington and Springbrook — sit in the Scenic Rim on Cooee Tours' home turf. Wear grippy shoes, expect mud after rain, and look up.

Daintree & Cape Tribulation

Wet Tropics, Queensland

World HeritageBoardwalks

The Daintree is one of the oldest rainforests on Earth and the only place where two World Heritage areas meet — rainforest tumbling straight onto the Great Barrier Reef. Easy elevated boardwalks at Dubuji and Marrdja let you walk dry-shod through the green.

Keep an eye out for the cassowary, the flightless dinosaur-bird that helps the forest regenerate. North of the Daintree River, by ferry from Cairns.

Mossman Gorge

Wet Tropics, Queensland

Indigenous-ledSwimming

A short rainforest circuit beside a crystal-clear, boulder-strewn river, on the Country of the Kuku Yalanji people, who run welcome-to-country 'Dreamtime' walks sharing how the forest feeds and heals.

The river pools are a glorious cool-off — check the flow before swimming, as levels rise fast after rain upstream.

Lamington National Park

Scenic Rim, Queensland

GondwanaHome turf

Misty, ancient Gondwana rainforest in the Scenic Rim, laced with waterfalls and famous for the Box Forest Circuit and the canopy-level Tree Top Walk at O'Reilly's. Crimson rosellas and regent bowerbirds are everywhere.

The Wangerriburra and Mununjali peoples are among the Traditional Owners of this Country. See our Scenic Rim guide for access and tours.

Springbrook (Purling Brook Falls)

Scenic Rim, Queensland

WaterfallsGlow-worms

Part of the same Gondwana World Heritage rainforests, Springbrook offers the Purling Brook Falls circuit — behind a 100-metre cascade and back through dense forest — and the Natural Bridge cave, which glows with glow-worms after dark.

An easy run from the Gold Coast hinterland and a natural pairing with Lamington.

Dorrigo (Wonga Walk)

Northern Rivers, New South Wales

SkywalkEasy

The Wonga Walk loops 6.6 km through World Heritage subtropical rainforest past Crystal Shower and Tristania Falls, while the Skywalk extends out over the canopy for valley views. Both start from the Rainforest Centre near Dorrigo.

Pademelons, brush turkeys and a riot of birdlife make it one of the most rewarding easy walks in northern NSW.

Maits Rest

Great Otway NP, Victoria

TemperateShort loop

A 30-minute boardwalk loop through cool temperate rainforest of myrtle beech and towering tree ferns, dripping with moss, just off the Great Ocean Road near Apollo Bay. Ancient and atmospheric, especially in mist.

Combine it with the nearby Otway Fly treetop walk for a canopy-level perspective.

Tarra-Bulga

Gippsland, Victoria

Tree fernsSuspension bridge

A pocket of cool temperate rainforest in the Strzelecki Ranges of Gippsland, with a much-loved suspension bridge over a fern gully and walks among giant mountain ash and myrtle beech.

Quieter than the Otways and all the better for it — lyrebirds call through the understorey.

takayna / Tarkine

Tasmania

WildLargest temperate

Tasmania's takayna / Tarkine is the largest temperate rainforest in Australia and one of the largest on Earth, a vast wilderness of myrtle, sassafras and leatherwood in the island's remote north-west.

Short walks like the Julius River and Trowutta Arch loops offer an accessible taste of a genuinely wild place.

Eungella National Park

Mackay, Queensland

PlatypusHighland

High-altitude rainforest inland from Mackay, and one of the most reliable places in Australia to see a wild platypus — the Broken River viewing platforms deliver at dawn and dusk most days.

The Sky Window lookout and forest walks round out a half-day in cool, misty highlands.

Barron Gorge

Cairns, Queensland

Scenic railFalls

Reached on the historic Kuranda Scenic Railway or the Skyrail cableway above the canopy, Barron Gorge frames thundering wet-season falls and dense Wet Tropics forest right on Cairns' doorstep.

Short walks at Kuranda and the gorge lookouts make it an easy half-day from the coast.

Walk the Scenic Rim with us

Cooee Tours runs guided day touring into Lamington, Springbrook and the wider Scenic Rim from Brisbane and the Gold Coast — transport, timing and local knowledge sorted.

Explore Scenic Rim tours

Frequently asked questions

Where is the oldest rainforest in Australia?

The Daintree in far north Queensland is widely regarded as one of the oldest continuously surviving rainforests on Earth, with lineages dating back to the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana. The Gondwana rainforests along the NSW–Queensland border, including Lamington, share that ancient heritage.

Are Australian rainforest walks suitable for beginners?

Many are. Boardwalk loops like Dubuji and Marrdja in the Daintree, Maits Rest in the Otways, and the start of Dorrigo's Wonga Walk are flat and easy. Longer circuits such as Lamington's Box Forest involve more distance and elevation.

Can you see a platypus on a rainforest walk?

Yes — Eungella National Park near Mackay is one of the most reliable places in Australia to spot a wild platypus, especially from the Broken River platforms at dawn and dusk.

What should I bring for a rainforest walk?

Grippy closed shoes (trails get muddy and slippery), water, insect repellent, a rain layer, and reef-safe sunscreen. In tropical forests, leeches are harmless but common after rain — long socks help.

Which rainforest walks are near Brisbane?

Lamington and Springbrook in the Scenic Rim are both within easy reach of Brisbane and the Gold Coast — see our Scenic Rim guide for access, tracks and guided tours.

Cooee Tours acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and recognise that the places described here hold deep cultural significance for the First Peoples who have cared for them for tens of thousands of years.