Weekend Getaways from the Gold Coast: Byron Bay, Hinterland and the Scenic Rim

The Gold Coast is ideally positioned for weekend escapes both south into northern NSW and west into the Queensland hinterland, with Byron Bay to the south and the Lamington-Scenic Rim wilderness to the west offering dramatically different landscapes within 90 minutes of Surfers Paradise. Byron Bay, 1 hour south via the Pacific Motorway and the Bangalow Road, is Australia's most famous beach and alternative-lifestyle destination, with Main Beach, The Pass and Wategos providing exceptional swimming and surfing alongside a thriving arts, wellness and hospitality scene in the town centre. The Scenic Rim, west of the Gold Coast via Tamborine Mountain and Canungra, encompasses Lamington National Park with its ancient subtropical rainforest, the O'Reilly's and Binna Burra mountain lodges, and the Tamborine Mountain wine and local food precinct on Gallery Walk. Springbrook National Park and Natural Bridge are 1 hour inland from Surfers Paradise and provide spectacular cliff faces, swimming holes and a glow-worm cave in the rainforest. The Tweed Valley south of the border has a growing wine and culinary scene around Murwillumbah. The Gold Coast hinterland is increasingly developed as a tourism and lifestyle destination in its own right.