A spectacular waterfall and natural pool on the Purling Brook Falls Circuit

About six months after my last walk in Springbrook National Park (the Warrie Circuit), I’m back to do the shorter Purling Brook Falls Circuit. I’m here over Easter – there are a lot more people around than my last visit, but the waterfall is also a lot more impressive at the end of the “wet season”. Starting from the busy Gwongorella Picnic Ground, the paved trail descends towards the Purling Brook Falls Lookout.

The track crosses Purling Brook just above the top of the waterfall.

From the viewing platform, there’s a nice view over Purling Brook Falls, which drops about a hundred metres over the edge of the cliff.

There’s a sign here suggesting it’s best to walk the Purling Brook Falls Circuit in a clockwise direction… so I set-off in an anti-clockwise direction. Walking clockwise means there is a long but gently descent and a short but steep ascent (which I much prefer) – and on a busy day you don’t get stuck behind slow-moving bushwalkers!

My progress is briefly stopped by a very small but clearly angry snake. It holds its ground and rears its head repeatedly, and despite much stomping of feet decides it is not going to give way!

After finally continuing past this unexpected obstacle, I make good progress

It’s an easy descent through the rainforest, as the Purling Brook Falls Circuit track heads first in a northerly direction, before swinging back to the south as it drops to the bottom of the valley.

After a week of heavy rain, you can hear the waterfall before it comes into view through the trees and palms.

The track crosses Purling Brook just below the waterfall on the John Stacey Suspension Bridge, which was officially opened in March 2015, and named in memory of a local ranger who lived in the Springbrook Plateau. Prior to the construction of the bridge, the track went around the back of the waterfall, before a landslide cut off this route.

There’s more great views of the powerful Purling Brook Falls on the opposite side of the creek, and you access the pool below the waterfall by scrambling over the rocks. A side-track continues down the valley to Warringa Pool.

Warringa Pool Track

An optional side-trip down to a natural and swimming hole, the Warringa Pool Track has a lot less people than the main Purling Brook Falls Circuit. The track continues down the valley, a little above Purling Brook.

A bit over halfway down the track, it crosses Little Nerang Creek over a small timber bridge (Purling Brook flows into Little Nerang Creek just upstream from here).

It’s a picturesque spot, with small cascades above the bridge, and a larger one below where the creek tumbles over the rocks.

The track continues along Little Nerang Creek, through beautiful rainforest and the occasional section of mud underfoot.

I’m soon at Warringa Pool – there’s only a couple of other people here, and someone who arrives just after me and quickly strips off to pose in her underwear in front of the pool. The creek cascades into the large and deep pool, which would be a great spot for a swim on a warmer day.

While most of today’s walk is a loop, I return the same way back up to Purling Brook Falls; the trail does continue down the creek before climbing up and out of the valley to finish along Springbrook Road – but that would add a long section of road to the walk.

Back on the Purling Brook Falls Circuit

From the base of the waterfall, the Purling Brook Falls Circuit track climbs up to the top of the escarpment – and like the track on the other side of the waterfall, it doesn’t go straight up but heads in a westerly direction as it follows the contours of the valley.

After about 0.6km the track pases the base of Tanninaba Falls, which has a decent flow of water (I suspect it would often be dry).

The track continues to ascend very gently as it continues to head in a westerly direction.

The steepest section of this leg of the Purling Brook Falls Circuit is at the western-most point, where there are multiple sets of stone steps as the track swings around and starts climbing up towards the east.

The track soon reaches the top of the escarpment, and it’s an easy stroll along the edge of the cliff back to the starting point.

Along the way is the top of Tanninaba Falls, with a small bridge over the creek and a fenced lookout.

From the lookout there’s a nice view down the valley, and a glimpse of the track below where it passes the base of Tanninaba Falls.

The Purling Brook Falls Circuit passes one last fenced lookout, which offers another nice view of Purling Brook Falls plunging over the cliff. A bushwalker has accidently dropped their camera lens from the lookout; it has landed on the edge of the cliff just below the lookout platform. I briefly contemplate climbing over the fence and scrambling down – it doesn’t look impossible – but a slip here would be fatal. There have been multiple deaths in Springbrook National Park from people slipping off the cliffs, the most recent about six months ago.

It’s only a few minutes from here back to the very busy Gwongorella Picnic Ground, which completes the Purling Brook Falls Circuit. It’s taken me about 2.5 hours at a leisurely pace, leaving me with enough time for a quick visit to the stunning Natural Bridge Falls before the drive back to Brisbane.

Getting to the Purling Brook Falls Circuit

Springbrook National Park is situated on the McPherson Range, 100 kilometres south of Brisbane, and about a 90-minute drive from Brisbane via the Nerang–Murwillumbah Road (State Route 97) and Springbook Road (State Road 99). The Purling Brook Falls Circuit starting point is from the Gwongorella Picnic Ground, which is at the end of Forestry Road, off Springbrook Road. There is a large carpark here (which can get full on holiday weekends) with picnic facilities and toilets. (You can also park at The Settlement Day Use Area and walk from here.)