Photo Description

Curtis Falls, Tamborine Mountain, South-East Queensland.

This is one of those place you have to go to, at least once in your life. It’s not so much the waterfall itself (although it is spectacular to see) – it’s the whole Tamborine Mountain experience. This amazing plateau, which was inhabited for tens of thousands of years by the Wangerriburra Aboriginal people, generally enjoys 5-10 degree cooler temperatures than nearby areas due to its 550m elevation above sea level. The sub-tropical climate and volcanic history have turned it into a tropical paradise like what you see in movies. Tucked within the Joalah section is Curtis Falls, a true photogenic waterfall that plunges over these basalt columns into a deep pool.

I had visited this place once before for a scouting mission, only I had arrived around midday to a hoard of tourists all over the place – okay so it’s kinda popular! There was barely any water on the falls that day so I wasn’t fussed about getting the camera out. I just had to wait for some rain.

A few weeks later we had a pretty decent downfall, so I organised a return trip to Tamborine Mountain the next morning. I arrived at about 6am (on a Tuesday morning I think) and was very happy to discover the car park empty and the place to myself. It was a beautifully calm morning, the rain had cleared and the sun hadn’t quite risen yet, but some soft light was sneaking through the canopy and made for perfect shooting conditions.

It’s safe to say I was truly captivated by the place, as I spent the next 2 hours photographing the waterfall along with other sections down stream, with no other soul to be seen the entire time.