Mount Greville, Moogerah Peaks National Park
We want to start by saying, this is no walk in the park! This track is steep and at times, it is difficult to navigate and we found ourselves having to go follow our steps backwards a few times to try and find the trail. But nonetheless, it is stunning, and while we unfortunately didn’t make it to the very top, the views along the way are just beautiful.
Getting there
From the Gold Coast, it took us around 2 hours to drive there. We entered ‘Mount Greville Carpark’ into Google Maps and it provided us with the right directions. Alternatively, the car park is on Mt Greville Road, so enter that into your maps and keep following this road until you see the car park, which is clearly signed, you can’t miss it!
Hiking
There are three ways to reach the peak of Mount Greville;
- Via Palm Gorge
- Via the South East Ridge
- Via the Waterfall Gorge
Having now done the walk, we would have ideally chosen to go up via Palm Gorge and down via the South East Ridge. Other hikers we met along the way advised that it is also possible to reach the top via Waterfall Gorge but we didn’t attempt this.
Head up towards the trail from the car park where you will see a sign that indicates how long it is to the Waterfall Gorge, to Palm Gorge and to the South East Ridge. Don’t let these signs fool you like they did us! While each of these spots seem to be close by, the tracks are quite technical, steep and require some scrambling, allow at least 3 hours if you are only planning on scaling the peak of Mount Greville and not planning on veering off to the Waterfall Gorge.
We didn’t realise how long each of these tracks were despite their short distances so we initially scrambled down to the Waterfall Gorge where we stayed for a short time to enjoy the sound of trickling water and stare in wander at the carvings and rock formations. We returned via the same track, which was slippery and sometimes difficult (but not impossible!) to climb. This out and back branch was short but took us quite some time to navigate our way down and out again given how steep it is and how much scrambling is involved. We were told that you can follow the Waterfall Gorge up towards the peak of Mount Greville but we did not go that way so cannot verify if this is true or not!
We found our way back to the South East Ridge track and almost immediately were trekking up a steep incline again, which eventually leads to a scramble. Bug spray would have been an added bonus on this hike as there were many bugs around!
There are many picturesque spots to stop along the way, it felt like we stopped every few hundred metres, firstly because we were buggered from how steep the climb was, but secondly because the views were too grand not to stop and take it all in.
You will see a number of paths that branch off the main South East Ridge track that will lead you to glimpses of down inside the gorge. Be extra careful with your footing if you explore these spots as it is a long way down!
The walk up this track can often be deceiving as there are numerous peaks, which make you feel like you’ve reached the top, despite their being a lot longer to go! Eventually you will come across a junction that is marked by a large fallen tree. If you keep following the trail upwards to your right then you will continue towards the top of Mt Greville, we were told it would be approximately another hour to the top from this point.
If however you veer left, you will be heading down into Palm Gorge and eventually will reach the car park again. We chose to go down Palm Gorge rather than continuing up to the peak given how long we spent veering off track to go to the Waterfall Gorge (this would best be done as two separate walks; one walk up Waterfall Gorge and another up Palm Gorge and then going down the South East Ridge track) and so much time exploring other branches off the main track along the way, so we decided to head back down.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing and we realised on our way down it probably would have been best to go up to Mt Greville peak via Palm Gorge and then down the South East Ridge track. This is considering that the walk through Palm Gorge is longer, it also requires a lot of scrambling up roots and steep sections where it’s easy to slide down the dirt as there isn’t much of a formed path.
Going down this way was quite brutal on the knees but having said that, this way is easier to follow as you’re wandering through the gorge almost the entire way, therefore it’s difficult to get lost. The South East Ridge track, on the other hand, can sometimes be difficult to navigate as the directional arrows are far and few between. We often found ourselves looking around trying to figure out where the track was.
All in all, it is an exceptional hike and we will definitely venture back one day to make it to the very top. Our other recommendations would be:
- Wear hiking boots with good ankle support given the path isn’t formed, you will find yourself tripping over roots and rocks quite often.
- Try to avoid hiking during the hottest part of the day if you’re walking this track during summer, there isn’t a lot of shelter from the trees when you’re walking the South East Ridge section and the rock can be hot when you’re scrambling.
- Download the AllTrails map to reference whether you’re on the right track or not. Given that it is a lesser known trail, there aren’t many people and the path can be sometimes difficult to find. An AllTrails map will give you the peace of mind that you’re going the right way!
If you do climb Mount Greville then make sure you tag us in your adventures on social media by using #KokodaChallenge. Check out some of our other favourite hiking tracks below and make sure you register your details below to get more content like this delivered straight to your inbox!
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