Gwongoorool Rock Pools

GPS Tracks

Gwongoorool Pools (GPX)

This track branches off the Illinbah circuit and descends through open forest and rainforest to Gwongoorool Pool on the Coomera River. Return via same track. (Illinbah circuit commences at the car park near the information centre).

700m

Maximum Elevation

200m

Total Climb

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Getting there
From Brisbane follow the M1 highway to Nerang. From Nerang head out towards Advancetown before you reach Advancetown turn right follow signs to Lower Beechmont the onto Beechmont from the round-a-bout turn left following signs to Binna Burra.
Then approx 4kms the Ranger Station on the right with Information centre. The carpark is there and toilets.

How do you get to the start of the walk?

100m down from the Information Centre and toilets is the walk entry point

Maps

Available from Information Centre or Binna Burra Lodge or Campground. Suitable maps would be -Beechmont, -Great Walk Gold Coast, - Lamington National Park

Which maps cover the area?

Route/Trail notes

The walk is well worn. And easy to follow. However there are a few wet spots along the way. And particularly after rain this track can be very difficult.

A detailed description of the walk!

Permits/Costs

Do you need any permits? What's the cost?

Only permits required if you are remote bushcamping at Illimbah clearing.

Other References

How can I find more info? Any guide books?

http://www.youtube.com/user/TheKendo72

GPS Tracks

Gwongoorool Pools (GPX)

Comments

Great little walk with a nice reward at the bottom, but be prepared to climb back up! Some of the stairs carved into the rocks are brilliant and make a great photo opportunity!
CamronDixon on Jun, 2016

Great walk don't miss the opportunity to look back up at the cliffs on your way down.
Jodie on 28 Mar, 2016

Love this walk and will do it again and again and again. Bit of a scramble to the rock pool for a swim, chilly but worth it after the walk. A great day out.
Kay on Mar, 2016

Great spot for a swim.
Did this after the Cave circuit so had built up a bit of sweat so the chilly pool was ideal.
Incredibly serene spot at the rock pools. Well worth the short walk.
No leeches seen.
dalehikes on 21 Feb, 2016

Nice walk to the pools along the Illinbah circuit. Pools were fun and very refreshing. The water was freezing so we couldn't stay in for long but it would be perfect of a hotter day! Pretty steep climb back to the carpark and you'll be wishing you could take a dip once back at the top :p
Only encountered what may have been a leech in the creek. It could have been bark though haha.
jadetron on 23 Dec, 2015

I've done this walk twice. Both times on the way to and from the Coomera Falls. As some other's have commented, it really is straight down and straight up. Took us half an hour to get down and and hour to get up and we are pretty fit and took no actual breaks apart from just getting our breath and hydrating. Just to clarify, we had full packs on (around 20kg with camera gear) too. The walk is fairly typical rainforest and changes slightly as you move through the different levels of terrain. So pretty cool rock walls to take a look at and the track itself is quite pretty in places. Once you get to the river itself the rock pools are beautiful. Go upstream 50m and there is a crystal clear pool with smooth rock bottom and clean gravel. Such a perfect swimming hole. Great place to take a break and have lunch in the shade on the other side of the river. I also agree with another comment saying they wished there was another pool at the top after that walk back up. Haha. Can't have it all I guess. If you don't have a lot of time and want a big payoff (swim) at the halfway point, this is a great little hike. You might even get to work on your fitness. ;)
I'll try and find some pics and post them soon. I'll be uploading a few videos of us swimming in the pools to our Facebook page soon too. (https://www.facebook.com/HikeordieTV)
Hike or Die on 19 Dec, 2015

1st Wedding Anniversary... and the Cowboys win the GF
Damo on 5 Oct, 2015

Very well worn, easy track (though you are going uphill on the way back) with some great rock faces on the way down. A couple of lots of stairs to go down and back up. The pool is lovely!
Anonymous on 10 Jul, 2015

It poured the entire walk but we were lucky enough to see one of the Lamington Crays halfway up the walk, a long way from water. It was leech city which I felt terrible about as I brought a friend who had never seen a leech before. So I had the honour of introducing her to her first, then another 16 or so. The walk took 2 hours including stopping to remove leeches consistently on the return trip. I thought the pools were an anticlimax in comparison to other swimming holes in the area. It's a relaxing walk I recommend in the dry however not a favourite.
Alice on 27 Dec, 2014

Did this walk a day after it rained so steps were muddy and really slippery but was still a relatively easy walk. Spotted an eel trying to jump out of the rock pool and a little pademelon on the way back up. the walk there and back with photo and lunch stops took just over 2 hours so plenty of time to come back and do the other walks in the area.
wendyd on 6 Nov, 2014

Great little walk, even with the leeches. :/
Would recommend, not too hard.
Roxy on 4 Apr, 2014

6km / 2.75hrs
lilspark on 16 Mar, 2013

Straight down and straight up! Great water pools down the bottom.
Foss Dog on 16 Mar, 2013

Stunning! Much better than the Cave Circuit - a must see IMHO
Alun on 6 Jan, 2012

The track is well maintained. And easy to follow. Lookout for the waterfall on the way down. The creek banks provide ideal location for lunch. A great escape from the city heat.

http://www.youtube.com/user/TheKendo72
Boris Zoubakin on 13 Jul, 2010

a bit of a decent (which you then have to climb back up) but all on good well marked tracks.
Steven Pynor on 19 Jun, 2010

A nice walk on a hot day! Though steep walking out.
Laurence Hallam on 10 Jan, 2010

Did this walk after heavy rainfall, at some spots there was water flowing onto the track like mini waterfalls, half way down to the pool there was a massive land/mud slide, we had to climb up over it and find the track somewhere on the otherside, water flowed down the track most of the way, blue spiny crayfish hissed and snapped at us along the track, the pool was in full flow more like a raging torrent then a pool...
Walkinghawk on Jan, 2008