Looking for a slice of mountain magic? Tucked away in the Scenic Rim, Butterfly Valley at Tamborine Mountain is a vibrant, fluttering paradise your little explorers will be talking about all weekend.
Walking through a beautiful mix of lush tropical and native gardens, with pockets of bright flowers, rocky waterfall ponds and greenery all around, it instantly feels like stepping into a tranquil little escape.
Then come the butterflies. Hundreds of them flutter freely around you in their purpose built haven – a calming, peaceful and fascinating experience.
What to expect
Butterfly Valley offers a walk through a large, purpose-built, netted habitat filled with hundreds of free-flying Queensland butterflies, including species such as the Blue-banded Eggfly and Orchard Swallowtail. Along the way, there are informative displays sharing interesting facts about the butterfly life cycle, as well as information about the different species you’ll find throughout the enclosure.
Your kids will enjoy watching the butterflies feeding from the brightly coloured, flower-motif feeding stations. There are also a couple of places to sit and take a break, and the butterfly chair is a popular spot for some fun photo opportunities!
Butterfly Valley is self-guided, which means you can explore at your own pace, with no set time limit but we think it takes around 30 minutes.
Tips before you go
If you’re hoping to have a butterfly land on you, wear bright fluorescent colours. They are particularly attracted to yellow and orange.
It’s also worth visiting during the warmer part of the day, as butterflies are naturally more active in warm, sunny conditions. On cooler or cloudy days, you may find more butterflies resting among the leaves and plants.
Play your visit
Where: Butterfly Valley Tamborine Mountain – 104 Hartley Road, Tamborine Mountain QLD 4272
Opening hours: During school term, Wednesday to Sunday, 10am–3pm. Open 7 days during school holidays, 10am–3pm.
Cost: Adults $15, children $9, children under 3 free, and Family Pass $39 (2 adults + 2 children).
Bookings: Essential – book here
Make a day of it on Tamborine Mountain
Tamborine Mountain is close enough to Brisbane that it doesn’t feel too far even when your kids are young. Here are some places we recommend checking out
Waterfalls and Walks
There are a number of waterfalls in the area (Curtis Falls, Witches Falls and Cedar Creek Falls) all with varying lengths of walking trails and difficulty depending on the ages of your kids.
Curtis Falls is a 1.2km easy walk (around 45 minutes). This area is an important ecosystem for glowworms and platypus and access to the pools themselves is prohibited.
Cedar Creek is more rock pool than waterfall (yes you can swim!) and the pools are just over a km from the start of the track. There are a lot of steps so keep that in mind if you have little ones. You can also just walk to the lookout which is only around 500 metres return (this is also a pram friendly option). Cedar Creek is a popular place for a picnic but can be hard to get a park.
Witches Falls is a little more time intensive and more challenging with a 3.6m return circuit. The falls themselves are best viewed from the lookout platform you will find on the circuit. This is a waterfall that only falls after significant rain. This is a walk best left for those with older kids who like a challenge. Make sure you check our links at the bottom of the article for National Parks latest updates around the track conditions.
Read our more detailed guide of Tamborine walks.
Visit Australia’s first mini excavator park
IF your kids are into all things earth moving and trucks then you could include Dig IT at Thunderbird Park in your days adventures. Imagine a mini exacavator situation where kids get to operate their own construction machinery- complete with hardhats.
Tamborine Botanic Gardens
If you are after another low cost or free add on for your day then Tamborine Botanic Gardens are worth a visit. Boasting free entry, 11 hectares of native and exotic gardens, with Sooty Owl’s Creekside Trail which is a hit with younger kids. [Read our full Botanic Gardens guide].
Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk
This is a paid experience but something worth doing atleast once! Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk features a 1.5km rainforest walk with elevated bridges and a dramatic cantilever 30 metres above the valley. Stroller friendly for the first section, with kids aged 0 to 5 entering free. The elevated bridges in particular offer quite the thrill for kids of all ages (even teenagers).
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