Right on your doorstep

Beree-Badalla Boardwalk, Currumbin Park at the Thrower Drive boat ramp and you're on the boardwalk straight away. It's 640m one-way over the mangroves along Currumbin Creek, or turn it into a loop by continuing under the bridge to Tarrabora Reserve and Palm Beach Parklands, about 2.2km all up. Flat, timber, easy for kids or a pram. Dogs are allowed on leash on the boardwalk itself, just not in Tarrabora. Go at high tide if you can time it. You'll spot fish, crabs and a fair bit of birdlife along the way, and there's a coffee waiting at Dune Cafe once you're back at the parklands.

Currumbin Border Trail A dirt trail starting at the end of Border Drive North, running along the fenceline that marks the Queensland and New South Wales border. It's hilly with a few steep, rocky sections, but you genuinely cannot get lost, just follow the fence. Don't confuse this with the Border Track up at Lamington, which is a much longer and more serious walk in a completely different spot.

Burleigh Head National Park Everyone already knows this one, but it earns its place. The Oceanview Track runs 1.2km one-way between Burleigh Heads and Tallebudgera Creek and is flat and easy the whole way. The Rainforest Circuit is 2.3km with a steeper climb up to Tumgun Lookout, 88 metres above sea level, and the view from the top is worth the legwork. Winter is whale season here (June to October), so it's worth glancing at the horizon while you walk. One thing to know: the Oceanview Track has a habit of closing after heavy rain, rockfalls, or even bushfire, it's happened more than once this year, so it's worth a quick check of the park alerts before you drive over.

A bit further, Currumbin Valley

Cougal Cascades About 20km inland from Currumbin Beach, at the very end of Currumbin Creek Road. The walk itself is only 1.6km return and sealed the whole way, passing the cascades around 500m in before continuing to an old 1940s sawmill. There are swimming holes here, but Queensland Parks is blunt about it: people have died jumping or diving into the creek. Stick to wading rather than launching yourself off anything. Phone reception is patchy to non-existent out here, so let someone know where you're headed.

Worth the drive up the mountain, Springbrook

Springbrook is roughly 45 minutes to an hour from Currumbin depending on where you start, and it's the one that makes people understand why everyone goes on about the hinterland.

Natural Bridge A 1km circuit, easy grade, about an hour all up. Sealed track, walked clockwise, leading down through rainforest to the rock arch and cave. Glow worms live in the cave year-round, though the display is noticeably better between December and March than it is in the middle of winter. Swimming in Cave Creek, including inside the cave, is banned outright, both to protect the glow worms and to keep people off wet rock in the dark.

Purling Brook Falls Circuit 4km, around two hours, with a suspension bridge partway through. Walk it clockwise so you're heading down the many steps rather than up them. If you've got another 40 minutes in you, the Warringa Pool track adds 2km one-way and ends at a proper swimming spot.

Over at Tamborine

Curtis Falls A short walk, just over a kilometre return, down to a lookout over the falls. The rock pool at the base and the area beyond the viewing platform are a restricted access area. Entry isn't permitted, partly for safety and partly to protect the resident platypus and glow worm populations. Worth knowing before you go: other sections of Tamborine National Park are still closed following damage from Tropical Cyclone Alfred, with the alert current through to December 2026, but Curtis Falls track is listed as open.

If you want to make a day of it, Lamington

This is the one for anyone after a proper hike rather than an afternoon stroll. The Toolona Creek Circuit starts at the Green Mountains trailhead near O'Reilly's and is a half-day walk through Toolona Gorge, past a string of waterfalls, best tackled clockwise. No dogs allowed.

Before you head off

• Check parks.qld.gov.au/park-alerts for closures before you leave home. Tracks in this region close fairly often after rain, rockfalls, or maintenance works, and the alerts are updated regularly.
• National parks (Burleigh, Springbrook, Tamborine, Lamington) don't allow dogs. The Beree-Badalla boardwalk and the Border Trail are the exceptions on this list.
• Reception drops out completely in parts of the hinterland, particularly Cougal Cascades and the Springbrook plateau.