Day trips

Make a day of it

• The Farm Byron BayA working farm where Three Blue Ducks runs the restaurant and The Bread Social bakes; catch the 10am animal feed.
• Cape Byron LighthouseWalk the 3.7km Walgun Cape Byron loop to the lighthouse at Australia's most easterly point; whales May to November.
• Go Sea Kayak Byron BayGuided sea-kayak tours spotting dolphins, turtles and whales; kids from five.
• Navia BathhouseA Scandi-inspired bathhouse below Byron's streets: Finnish sauna, steam, a magnesium pool and an ice plunge.

Where to eat

• Light Years Byron BayWhere Light Years began in 2017: modern Asian share plates and cocktails in Jonson Lane, daily from noon.

Where to stay

• Raes on WategosA Mediterranean-style boutique hotel above Wategos Beach, with a pool, spa and a dining room made for long lunches.

Make a day of it

• Cabarita Beach and Norries HeadlandSwim between the flags, then take the boardwalk up Norries Headland for 360° views.
• Tropical Fruit WorldFormerly Avocadoland: 550-plus fruits, a tractor-train and boat tour with tastings, and a fruit market.
• Cubby BakehouseA riverside bakery at Chinderah: twice-baked almond croissants, éclairs and bánh mì, daily 5.30am–2.30pm.
• TumbulgumA riverside village where the Tweed and Rous rivers meet: hire a kayak, or linger over lunch by the water.
• Husk Farm DistilleryA farm-to-bottle distillery in the cane fields, home of Ink Gin; book a tour, then lunch at Planter's Kitchen.
• Tweed Eco CruisesA three-hour lunch cruise on a vintage river cruiser from Tweed Marina; Saturday sunset cruises add live music.
• Fingal HeadA short walk from Lighthouse Parade to an 1878 lighthouse and the Giant's Causeway's basalt columns.
• Farm & CoRows of sunflowers to wander and stems to take home, plus a farm-to-fork lunch; Thursday to Sunday.
• PottsvilleA relaxed village with a long beach, shallow Mooball Creek for kids and Pipit, an acclaimed restaurant.

Where to stay

• Halcyon HouseA 1960s motel reborn as a boutique hotel on Cabarita Beach; book lunch at its hatted, beachfront Paper Daisy.
• The Pink HotelA retro boutique hotel in Coolangatta, with custom art, neon and mid-century furniture in every room.

Make a day of it

• View Café, Hinze DamLakeside breakfast and lunch with a kids' menu, on the way to Natural Bridge.
• Best of All Lookout trackA short stroll past ancient Antarctic beech trees to sweeping views of Wollumbin.
• Natural BridgeA 1km rainforest circuit to a waterfall pouring through a basalt cave roof; best 9–11am, or after dark for glow worms.
• Purling Brook FallsLookouts a short walk from the Gwongorella picnic area, and a 4km gorge circuit over a suspension bridge; allow two hours.

Make a day of it

• Picnic Real Food Bar at North StoresSeasonal, local brunch and lunch on a timber deck, Wednesday to Sunday.
• Curtis Falls Walking TrackA 1.1km return walk from flooded gums into rainforest, to a waterfall over basalt columns; free and open daily.
• Tamborine Rainforest SkywalkSteel bridges through the canopy to a cantilever 30m above Cedar Creek; allow an hour, and arrive by 4pm.
• Glow Worm CavesAt Cedar Creek Estate: a rainforest boardwalk to a purpose-built cave with glow worms by day; 30-minute guided tours.
• Tamborine Mtn DistilleryA Tudor-style cellar door at the start of Gallery Walk, pouring from more than 80 house-made liqueurs and spirits.
• Witches Falls WineryFamily-run since 2004, with six tastings matched to your palate; open daily, until 7pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
• Thunderbird ParkHigh ropes courses and eight ziplines over Cedar Creek Canyon, plus thunderegg fossicking and mini golf.
• O'Reilly's Canungra VineyardsA wine paddle in a 165-year-old homestead, then a pre-booked picnic hamper down by the creek.
• Mountview Alpaca FarmWalk, feed and pat a friendly herd in the grounds of O'Reilly's vineyard; book online.
• Eagle Heights HotelA mountain pub whose beer garden looks over the whole Gold Coast; stay to watch the city lights come on.
• Hang Glider LookoutA cleared escarpment on Main Western Road with wide views west over the Scenic Rim; best at sunset.
• Gallery WalkMore than 70 shops along Long Road: antiques, art, fudge and gelato, plus cafés, a brewery and tastings.
• Cauldron Estate + DistilleryAn 18-acre gin estate, home of the Five to Five range; book a tour or a blending class, then stay for pizza.
• Tamborine Botanic GardensTended by volunteers since 1983: a Japanese garden, a lake and a short rainforest walk; free, dawn to dusk.

Where to stay

• The TamborineA 23-room boutique hotel in a restored heritage building, with a heated mineral pool and escarpment views (guests only).

Make a day of it

• Binna Burra Tea HouseSeasonal breakfast and lunch, 8am–3pm daily, with sweeping valley views.
• Rainforest circuitA 1.2km, 30-minute loop past strangler figs; listen for bowerbirds and catbirds.
• HappitatA new cliff park with a via ferrata and ziplines above the canyon; minimum height 120cm.
• O'Reilly's RetreatIn Lamington's Green Mountains section, via Canungra (allow 90 minutes): a free Tree Top Walk and night glow-worm tours.
• Kooroomba VineyardFurther out in the Scenic Rim: a vineyard and lavender farm with a cellar door and restaurant; Wednesday to Sunday.

Make a day of it

• Howard Smith WharvesRestored 1930s wharves under the Story Bridge, with riverside restaurants, bars and the Felons brewery; arrive by CityCat.
• Streets Beach, South BankA free, lifeguarded lagoon beach in the city; it closes for maintenance each winter.
• Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA)Free entry, plus the Australian Cinémathèque and a Children's Art Centre; open daily 10am–5pm.
• Mt Coot-tha Lookout & WalksBrisbane's highest point, with views to Moreton Bay, bushwalks from easy to steep and a lookout café.
• City Botanic GardensQueensland's oldest heritage garden, along 1.2km of river; free guided walks Monday to Saturday.
• James St & Queen St MallAustralian designers, luxury labels and independent boutiques across more than 600 stores.
• Tangalooma WrecksSnorkel 15 scuttled ships off Moreton Island on a day cruise from Holt Street Wharf; allow a full day.
• Sirromet WineryWinery tours, a six-wine tasting and lunch over the vineyards at Mount Cotton, on the way to Brisbane.

Where to eat

• Fatcow on James StA mid-century-style steakhouse with curtained booths, lobster from the live tank and a 300-strong wine list.
• AgnesEverything is cooked over wood fire in a heritage industrial building; Gourmet Traveller's 2023 Restaurant of the Year.
• JoyTen counter seats for Sarah Baldwin's seasonal, omakase-inspired menu; bookings open four months ahead.
• Rogue BistroA rotating five-course set menu that twists the classics, in Newstead since 2013; bookings essential.
• EssaProduce-driven wood-fire cooking; Gourmet Traveller's Queensland Restaurant of the Year for 2025. Lunch Fridays and Sundays.
• ExhibitionA nine-table basement with one nightly sitting of a kaiseki-inspired set menu; closed December to January.
• SuumSixteen seats at a concrete counter for a Korean tasting menu rooted in traditional fermentation.
• MontrachetA Parisian-feeling French restaurant in Bowen Hills; start with the double-baked crab soufflé.
• LongwangModern Asian in a former laneway, with mud crab and lobster from the tank and an open-air bar upstairs.
• SokyoJapanese technique and Queensland produce inside The Star; sit at the sushi bar. Wednesday to Sunday.
• Otto BrisbaneItalian on the river's edge at River Quay; order the spaghettini with lobster.
• ClarenceCounter seats around an open kitchen for seafood-forward share plates and an all-Australian wine list.
• MarloweRetro classics with a fresh spin in a 1938 apartment block, from the Rick Shores team.

Where to stay

• The Calile HotelA five-star urban resort on James Street, life centred on its pool and cabanas.
• W BrisbaneA five-star riverfront hotel with a rooftop WET Deck pool open around the clock.
• Emporium Hotel South BankAn all-suite boutique hotel with a rooftop infinity pool and skyline views.

Make a day of it

• Tweed River HouseTwo-hatted cooking in a restored heritage house, plus a casual riverside Lawn Bar.
• Northern Rivers Rail TrailThe 24km Tweed section, from the old station to Crabbes Creek through a tunnel; Valley E-Bikes hires at the trailhead.
• Tweed Regional GalleryFree entry, Wollumbin views and Margaret Olley's recreated studio; Wednesday to Sunday, 10am–4pm.
• The Platform CaféCoffee and pastries on the heritage station platform at the start of the rail trail; daily from 7am.
• M|Arts PrecinctArtists and makers in renovated shipping containers, plus a cheesemaker and a bistro; Tuesday to Saturday.
• Uki & WollumbinA village at the foot of Wollumbin (the summit track is closed); coffee at Bastion Lane, and a market on third Sundays.
• Clarrie Hall DamPaddle your own kayak from the Crams Farm jetty (no petrol motors, no swimming), then picnic by the water.

Make a day of it

• WOODSA boho-chic café cooking local, seasonal breakfast and lunch daily until 2pm.
• Piccabeen ParkCreekside playgrounds and the Byron Creek walking track.
• Island LuxeDesigner fashion, jewellery and homewares on Byron Street, the village's main drag.