Holiday houses in Mount Glorious

The hamlet of Mount Glorious sits high above the coastal plains of southeast Queensland, in the rainforest and bushland of the dramatic D’Aguilar mountain range. The settlement of around 300 people borders the southern section of D’Aguilar National Park, making it a great base for exploring this natural wonderland. The national park extends across a series of rugged mountains from the outskirts of Brisbane past Mount Glorious and north to Lake Somerset, a lovely spot for fishing and water sports.

The little village consists of a cute community hall, one café, and timber houses set back behind low fences along the narrow road through the mountains. A couple of side streets branch off the winding main road, leading to a few more houses spread out among the trees. You won’t come to Mount Glorious for the nightlife — there isn’t any, unless you bring a flashlight to spot nocturnal native animals. Instead you’ll stay to enjoy the crisp mountain air and to venture out to the many nearby rainforest trails and mountain-top lookouts.

While Mount Glorious is only an hour away from subtropical Brisbane, its high altitude keeps it cool and misty even when the Queensland capital is baking. Midsummer days in Mount Glorious are around as pleasantly warm as early spring in Brisbane. Note that along with the relatively cooler temperatures of summer comes heavy rain at times, with downpours most likely from January to March. If you plan to do a lot of bushwalking through D’Aguilar National Park, you’ll find late winter and early spring to be the ideal combination of cool and dry. Being so close to a major city, weekends tend to be busy in these mountains. Motorcyclists in particular flock to the area to take on the switchbacks and steep ascents of Mount Glorious Road.

Greenes Falls Track

From the Maiala picnic area just outside of Mount Glorious, this track cuts through swathes of rainforest filled with towering strangler fig trees and ferns to a lookout above a waterfall cascading over mossy rocks. It’s a two-hour return walk along a mix of boardwalks and dirt tracks that’s mostly uphill on the way back.

Cedar Creek rock pools

From the town of Mount Glorious, a series of mountain streams combine to become Cedar Creek, which then flows downhill towards the coast. The meandering creek pools into serene swimming holes at several nearby spots, including at Andy Williams Park, a 15-minute drive from town.

Manorina walking tracks

Between Mount Glorious and the other main village of Mount Nebo there are some great walking tracks leading into the national park. At Manorina, less than 10 minutes’ drive from Mount Glorious, the short Atrax circuit through cabbage-tree palms connects to the two-hour Morelia track, which takes you through rainforest and eucalyptus forests to lookouts with views out to the coast.