Murwillumbah

From the Gold Coast, we headed inland for a bit, staying in a small town called Murwillumbah (doesn't get much more Aussie-sounding than that).  It's located in a massive caldera featuring a few national parks and nice rainforest-y mountains all around the edge of the crater.  We drove up Mt. Warning - it was a bit late (and hot, and cloudy) for a hike to the top, so we took a brief walk through the rainforest instead.

Took a tourist drive through rural country and small towns, such as Uki (site of the Mt. Warning Hotel, above).

Drove up and over a pass to another small national park featuring a picturesque natural arch.

If you come at night, the cave is apparently full of lit-up glow worms.  During the day, only bats.

Stayed at a very nice YHA hostel in Murwillumbah, right on the river.  Experienced a multi-hour long lightning show that night that was amazing - almost no wind and very little rain, but incredible forked lightning all around and over us.  A nice break from the busy coast.