Purling Brook Falls

Purling Brook Falls is a 109-metre plunge waterfall in Springbrook National Park on the Gold Coast hinterland in Queensland, Australia. Located on the Springbrook Plateau within the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area, it is one of Queensland's most visited waterfalls. The falls drop from a basalt cliff into a forested valley and are accessed via lookouts and the 4-kilometre Purling Brook Falls Circuit through subtropical rainforest.

Visitors can expect a dramatic waterfall plunging from a basalt cliff into a rainforest valley, viewed from a clifftop lookout and from the valley floor. The site is set in dense subtropical rainforest within Springbrook National Park. Visitors can walk the 4km Purling Brook Falls Circuit which descends via steps into the gorge, crosses a suspension bridge over Purling Brook, passes Warringa Pool at the base of the falls, and returns through forest with lookouts and birdlife.

Springbrook National Park was gazetted in 1937 and forms part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area listed in 1986. The plateau is the remnant of the ancient Tweed Volcano shield, with basalt cliffs formed by lava flows about 23 million years ago. Purling Brook Falls has long been a focal visitor site for the Gold Coast hinterland.

The Springbrook area lies within the traditional lands of the Yugambeh people, who have long cultural connections to the rainforest and waterways. The falls and surrounding rainforest are valued for their natural heritage and are protected as part of a World Heritage landscape.