Springbrook National Park, Nature reserve in Gold Coast City, Australia.
Springbrook National Park covers 6,197 hectares on the McPherson Range, about 100 km south of Brisbane. It is divided into four sections: Springbrook Plateau, Natural Bridge, Numinbah and Mount Cougal. The plateau holds Purlingbrook Falls, a 106-metre drop, and lookouts such as Best of All, which views the Mount Warning caldera. In the Natural Bridge section, Cave Creek flows through a rock arch formed by a waterfall undercutting a cave.
Springbrook National Park began in 1937 with the gazetting of the Warrie National Park in the Canyon area, followed in 1940 by the Gwongorella National Park around Purlingbrook Falls. The Natural Bridge section was first set aside in 1922 as a recreation and scenic reserve, became a national park in 1959, and was added to Springbrook in 1990, the same year the Mount Cougal section (begun in 1938) was amalgamated. In December 1994 UNESCO extended the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area to include Springbrook.
The Yugambeh peoples call Mount Cougal's twin peaks Ningeroongun and Barrajanda, telling of the hunter Gwayla whose two dingos were buried beneath them. At Natural Bridge, in Kombumerri territory, timber cutters Sandy Duncan and Din Guinea were shown the arch by Yugambeh man Kipper Tommy in the early 1890s.
Multiple walking tracks start from designated parking areas, with restrooms and information boards available at main entrances. Wear sturdy footwear as paths can become slippery and some sections are steep, requiring moderate fitness.
The Natural Bridge formation features a waterfall that drops through the roof of a cave, creating an unusual geological structure. At night, the cave lights up with bioluminescent glowworms, adding an unexpected element to the experience.
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