Bellthorpe Stays is 400 private acres high in the hills of the hinterland at Bellthorpe, just over one hour north of Brisbane. At nearly 600 meters above sea level, the country varies from density-rich rainforest to open forest, with changing habitats in-between, including palm groves, wetlands, and open paddocks. The property has numerous walking tracks, waterfalls, a great variety of birds and wildlife, plus four self-contained cabins. Normally, day visitors are not permitted, but Brisbane Nature Tours have secured private access for you to enjoy the property for the morning. We will walk the Rainforest Track with its strangler figs, tall buttress trees, vines, and tree ferns. The birdlife is abundant at Bellthorpe Stays. This is your chance to see and hear a great variety of birds, including the Regent Bowerbird, Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Catbird, Noisy Pitta, Riflebird, Rose Crowne Fruit Dove, King Parrot, but also many other smaller birds like Honey Eaters.

We will stop for a break at the impressive Heritage Waterfalls midway. Walking back, we will have a look at the site of one of the world’s rarest trap door spiders. Along the palm-lined creek beside the walking tracks, the mystery of the burrows is waiting to be unraveled. Before returning to the Resource Centre, we will visit the lily ponds. The ponds are inhabited by a variety of frog species.

After a cuppa at the Resource Centre, we will head up to Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve where we will enjoy lunch at the café.