Queen Mary Falls is the perfect Picnic Spot
Queen Mary Falls is one of Queensland’s best waterfalls and only a short day trip from Brisbane in southern Queensland. Travel through rolling green hills and lush farmlands as you head higher into the rainforest canopy surrounding these spectacular falls.
Queen Mary Falls is a popular bushwalking destination with impressive mountain peaks, escarpments, valleys and ridges offer breathtaking views for bushwalkers.
The falls are in Main Range National Park, a part of the ancient Heritage-listed Gondwana Rainforests and, just short drive from Brisbane city.
Explore Queen Mary Falls
Pack a picnic
For a magical day, pack a picnic lunch and head with someone special in the country. Stop in at your favourite deli for a few delicacies before you leave.
My favourite picnic hamper starts with a loaf of crusty bread and a few specialty items. Pack a terrine or some freshly sliced ham, a pot of homemade pate and fruit paste and your favourite cheese. It’s simply delicious!
Pack a picnic blanket and get ready to enjoy a beautiful day in the country.
Lake Moogerah
Plan a stop at Lake Moogerah and take in the beautiful lake and mountain views. Lake Moogerah is a popular place for boating, water skiing and jet skiing. Enjoy the serenity!
Listen to the birds chirping and watch the wallabies as they hop past without a care in the world. Soak up the views to nearby Mt Greville, Mt Alford and the Main Range National Park.
Continue along Spring Creek Road until you see the Queen Mary Falls sign. It’s a great place to stop on your return to Brisbane for a stunning sunset.
How to get to Queen Mary Falls
The Falls are the south-west end of the Main Range National Park about 120km south-west of Brisbane. There are a couple of different ways to get there, depending on where you’re coming from.
- From Brisbane: the 152km drive to Queen Mary Falls takes about two hours. Turn off towards Lake Moogerah from the Cunningham Highway and follow the road as it changes to Head Road and then into Spring Creek Road.
- From the east: from Beaudesert, drive 40km west to Boonah, then drive 58km south-west via the Boonah-Rathdowney Road, Carneys Creek Road, and Head Road. The road from Boonah is very steep and should be travelled with care. It is unsuitable for caravans.
- From the west: drive 8km east of Killarney via Spring Creek Road.
The walking circuit starts at the Queen Mary Falls picnic area at the Main Range National Park.
The Queen Mary Falls Circuit Walking Trail
The Queen Mary Falls circuit is a 40-minute walk. From the lookouts at the top of the falls, to the creek below, the 2km circuit trail is fairly easy. Enjoy the fresh scent of the eucalypts as you wander through the lush rainforest.
It is recommended to walk the circuit in a clockwise direction as it is easier on the legs! Take care on the causeway as the surface can become slippery when wet. Do not attempt to cross when in flood or if water covers the causeway.
Main Range National Park, is one of 50 reserves included in the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area.
Internationally recognised by UNESCO this natural landscape has provided refuge to species for millions of years. Ancient lineages of flowering plants, lyrebirds and other rare or threatened animals (such as the spotted-tail quoll) are protected.
Queen Mary Falls is located on the western slopes of what was once an active volcano. The volcanic rock surface (known as trachyte) that the water flows over was part of a lava flow from an ancient volcano that was active over 25 million years ago.
The water that tumbles down this volcanic rock face is part of the headwaters of one of Australia’s longest river systems, the Murray–Darling. Spring Creek, the headwaters, plunges 40 metres over Queen Mary Falls to continue down the valley joining the upper reaches of the Condamine River.
Waterfalls and Wildlife
Don’t be surprised to see Eastern Water Dragons scurry across the rainforest floor and pause deathly-still in an attempt not to be noticed. Often they will lay in camouflage against the rocks or foliage as they warm up in the sunshine.
While the largest, Queen Mary Falls isn’t the only waterfall in this area. There are five waterfalls in the Killarney area, two of which, are accessible via Falls Drive.
If you keep following Spring Creek Road west, you will come across Daggs Falls and Brown Falls. The waterhole at the base of Brown Falls is an popular place to swim in summer.
Discover the country charm of Killarney
Killarney is an old timber and dairy town with plenty of history and amazing fresh produce, thanks to the rich soil of the region. Visit the Heritage Centre to explore the history of the early settlers, loggers, agricultural and farming of the area.
Meet the locals at the Killarney Hotel, or drop into the Willow Gallery Collective. A great art space showcasing local artists, crafters and makers.
Where to stay
The Falls Cafe
Mark and Louise run the caravan and camping grounds across the road from Queen Mary Falls picnic area. Camping and Caravan sites are available or book into one of their cosy cabins. The Falls Cafe is open daily and offers a limited take away menu.
Killarney
The closest township to Queen Mary Falls is the quaint little town of Killarney. Try out this Killarney Country Living for some great country hospitality of head to Killarney View Cabins and Caravan Park.
Or, book into Lake Moogerah campgrounds overnight for a quiet country stay.
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Main Range National Park and the Queen Mary Falls circuit region is home to rare and endangered wildlife.
Breathe in fresh air, soak up some sunshine, gaze at the greenery and be enveloped by birdsong and other sounds of nature.
