O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat in Lamington National Park is a starting point for many great walks in Lamington National Park. The Box Forest Circuit and Toolona Creek Circuit are two of the most popular hiking trails accessible from O'Reilly's and are great for waterfall photography. Of the two, Toolona Creek Circuit is my favourite as it features, in my opinion, two of the most scenic waterfalls to be found in southeast Queensland.

The Toolona Creek Circuit is a 17 kilometer grade 4 hiking trail that starts from O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat and loops back along the Border Track. From O'Reilly's it takes roughly 40 minutes to walk down to the start of the circuit as it branches away from Box Creek Circuit. From there it is another 45 minutes to Chalahn Falls, so you need to plan for at least half of day of hiking. A full day is required if you want to complete the full 17-kilometer circuit.

I like to start at midday and hike down in the afternoon, so I catch the best light once the sun dips below the mountains and the lighting evens out on the forest floor. This means I also hike out in the dark, so I always come prepared and bring a headlamp and backup light.

You start the Toolona Creek Circuit from the Box Forest junction by crossing a set of beautiful moss-colored boulders. From the boulders you weave your way through the gorge and the surrounding rainforest.

The two waterfalls you want to aim for are Gwongurai Falls and Chalahn Falls. Gwongurai Falls can be found roughly 30 minutes the junction off Box Creek Circuit. The falls are very distinctive and accessible by a small track leading along a spur to a viewing point. On a still day, the viewpoint looking down on Gwongurai Falls is a stunning spot and it is a great location for single and panoramic image compositions.

Once you are done with Gwongurai Falls you can continue along the circuit and climb up the gorge until you have to complete another creek crossing at the top of falls. From the crossing, it takes another 15-20 minutes of walking before you arrive at Chalahn Falls. Chalahn Falls sits within a natural amphitheater, with the walking track looping in front of the falls. I like to set up in the creek running down from Chalahn Falls so that I can capture a leading line in my images. Standing in the water also has the added benefit of keeping the leeches away and cooling you down on a hot day. Just be safe and watch your footing.

Unlike Gwongurai Falls, you have a bit more space around the base of Chalahn Falls, so move around and try a few different compositions. A combination of wide-angles aspects and some closer crops work well. Once you are done at Chalahn Falls, you can continue along the circuit and climb back up through the gorge or turnaround and head back to O'Reilly's. Walking in and back along the trail, don't forgot to spend time exploring the many scenic features that can be found alongside the trail. I have found many wonderful features to photograph in addition to the various waterfalls.

At the end Toolona Circuit, you walk out at O'Reilly's with the satisfaction of having visited one of southeast Queensland's most beautiful stretches of rainforests. Lamington National Park is deserving of its world heritage status and we must do more to ensure it and other ancient rainforests like it are preserved for future generations.

Be sure to check out my other articles on southeast Queensland waterfalls.