Stunning state and national parks on our doorstep
The 21st of March marks International Day of Forests which is held to raise awareness and celebrate the importance of trees and forests for not only their beauty but the critical role they play in climate change including global warming. GemLife resorts are all located within driving distance from some of Australia’s most captivating forests.
QUEENSLAND
GemLife Bribie Island
Bribie Island State Forest & Bribie Island National Park
GemLife Bribie Island is 13 minutes from the enchanting Bribie Island National Park and Recreation Area at Bongaree which features freshwater creeks, lagoons, woodlands, open forests, paperback wetlands, heaths and sand dunes. Thousands of shorebirds feed and roost in the area.
GemLife Highfields
Lockyer National Park, Crows Nest National Park & Geham National Park
GemLife Highfields is 18km from Geham National Park in Mount Luke, 33kms from Lockyer National Park and 38km from Crows Nest National Park. Geham offers 22ha of native forest consisting of Tallowwood, Blackbutt and Sydney Blue Gum. Crows Nest National Park covers 236ha and features mostly open eucalypt forest as well as waterfalls, rugged landscape and the Valley of Diamonds Gorge. Lockyer National Park is dominated by the foothills of the Great Dividing Range and features sandstone gorges and a eucalypt forest.
GemLife Maroochy Quays and GemLife Pacific Paradise
Buderim Forest Park & Mount Coolum National Park
GemLife Maroochy Quays and GemLife Pacific Paradise are both within 18km of Buderim Forest Park and Mount Coolum National Park. Buderim Forest Park is set on 45 hectares and is home to melodious forest birdlife such as catbirds and whipbirds plus ferns, dramatic strangler figs, towering trees and a picturesque waterfall surrounded by sub-tropical rainforest. Atop Mount Coolum National Park can be seen 360-degree views of the hinterland and coast. It also hosts a plant community of montane heath including rare and threatened species.
GemLife Palmwoods
Eudlo Creek National Park and Kondallilla National Park
GemLife Palmwoods is 3.4km from Eudlo Creek National Park and 11.9km from Kondallilla National Park. Eudlo Creek National Park covers 42ha of former dairy and fruit growing land. The area contains the vulnerable Tusked Frog. Kondallilla National Park is set in the scenic Blackall Range and is named after the spectacular Kondallilla Falls, where Skene Creek drops 90m into a rainforest valley. Among its many features are a eucalypt forest, rainforest species in wetter areas, a drier forest on the western escarpment as well as a subtropical rainforest.
GemLife Gold Coast
Tamborine National Park, Lamington National Park, Nerang National Park & State Forest
GemLife Gold Coast is close to Nerang National Park (26km), Tamborine National Park (32km) and Lamington National Park (66km). Nerang National Park is home to a dry rainforest and open eucalypt forests, accessible via a bushwalk, horse riding or cycling. Tamborine National Park includes Witches Falls, distinctive piccabeen palm groves, a wet eucalypt forest dominated by tall, flooded gums, open forest with bracken fern understorey and woodland. Lamington National Park is known for its section of the ancient Gondwana rainforests, home to the rare Albert’s lyrebird. The Python Rock lookout provides views of Moran’s Falls.
NEW SOUTH WALES
GemLife Tweed Waters
Wollumbin National Park
Wollumbin National Park, formerly known as Mount Warning National Park, is about 43km from GemLife Tweed Waters. It is an ideal location for a picnic or a walk through a World Heritagelisted rainforest. The park, which reopens in May 2021, also provides an opportunity to explore the Gondwana Rainforest of Australia and discover its rich plant, bird and animal life on a walk along the short Lyrebird track.
GemLife Rainbow Beach
Sea Acres National Park & Dooragan National Park
GemLife Rainbow Beach is 15km from the Sea Acres National Park and 24km from Dooragan National Park. Sea Acres National Park is a 76ha site that features a 1.3km long boardwalk through a remnant seaside rainforest, a café and education centre. Dooragan National Park is popular for walks, picnics and hang gliding and offers beautiful scenic views from iconic North Brother summit.
VICTORIA
GemLife Woodend
Black Forest National Park & Wombat State Forest
Black Forest National Park and Wombat State Forest is 15km from GemLife Woodend. It covers 70,000 hectares of virgin bushland inhabited by koalas, echidnas, wallabies, wombats, grey kangaroos and 150 species of birds. Lovers of the great outdoors can enjoy many activities including four-wheel-driving, bushwalks, picnics, horse rides and birdwatching. The Wombat State Forest is an ideal place to ride a mountain bike, with more than 100km of single-track awaiting riders.