Both, the Border Track and West Canungra Creek circuit are outstanding hikes, but I have to give the edge to the wonderful ramble up the creek. This 14-kilometre loop in the Green Mountains section of Lamington National Park is not to be missed!

The West Canungra Creek circuit is a more difficult hike than the Border Track, making you rock-hop across slippery boulders back and forth across the creek, duck under tree limbs, and tiptoe through some muddy patches. You will almost certainly get your feet wet, but if you seek magical, dense Gondwana Rainforests like the kind you might remember from Jurassic Park, this is where to go.

The opening stretch from O’Reilly’s to the West Canungra Creek turnoff is shared with the Border Track and passes by the pretty Tree Top Walk, a little loop trail through the rainforest canopy, which we very much enjoyed. From the trail junction, the track initially loses 400 metres in elevation, passing by Darraboola Falls, towards the creek and Yerralahla Pool (Blue Pool). It’s a gradual descent on long switchbacks and fully immersed in the stunning rainforest, time passes quickly.

The pool marks the start of an even more magical section, as you follow the trail up the streambed to where it connects with the Box Forest circuit through a pristine rainforest wilderness with waterfalls, cascades, and shallow, sparkling rock pools.

Whenever the sun filters through the dense canopy, the bountiful palette of greens is astonishing: the bluish-green water in the shallow pools and the rocks covered with a thick layer of moss, framed by large tree ferns to either side of the creek. We were absolutely mesmerized by the beauty and tranquillity of this hike.

Where the West Canungra Creek circuit joins up with the Box Forest circuit you have two options. The track to your right will get you back to the trailhead a little quicker, but I recommend the more scenic route to the left that passes by several more waterfalls as you follow the Box Forest circuit in a clockwise direction. The last stretch is a bit of an uphill slog, but a great finish to this fabulous circuit, and once you’re back on the Border Track, it’s a short and easy walk back to O’Reilly’s.

Because this track is more challenging than others at O’Reilly’s, note your name, plans, and estimated return time in the trail register at the lodge for safety reasons before you leave. That being said, the track is fairly easy to follow if you keep an eye out for the orange track markers on the other bank whenever you’re crossing the creek to find the safest route across the water.

Hiking poles may also prove useful, and in regards to trail logistics, this being a loop, it’s fairly straightforward. You can walk the track in either direction, but the gradients favour walking the circuit in a clockwise direction. The only alternative route to the one shown on the map is returning up the western side of the Box Forest circuit.