The Scenic Rim has been described as one of Queensland's great natural treasure troves.[4] The landscape is visually stunning.[4] The topography is varied and rainfall fairly high, especially in the east. In the west dryer conditions lead to distinct vegetation types, such as dry eucalyptus forest, dominating.[4] The Scenic Rim lies in a zone where tropical, temperate and western species overlap in a biodiversity hot spot.[4] Biologists refer to this region as the Macleay-McPherson Overlap.[4]
The mountainous landscape forms a quarter circle ridge positioned roughly from south of Toowoomba around to Springbrook. Tamborine Mountain, Lever's Plateau and the Lamington Plateau are part of the rim formation.[5] The scenic rim is considered part of the Gold Coast hinterland. Parts of the rim are well developed, crossed by highways with facilities for tourists like Cunninghams Gap, others are privately owned agricultural properties and rural villages such as Beechmont and Tamborine Mountain. Much of the rest is protected in national parks and nature reserves.
The geology and landscape of the Scenic Rim is largely volcanic in origin, deriving from the prehistoric Tweed Volcano, including the Mount Warningshield volcano, and the Focal Peak and Main Range volcanic rocks. Some areas of sedimentary origin include parts of Mount Barney and eastern Lamington national parks. The deeply weathered, mainly basaltic, soils support rainforest and vine thicket ecosystems, as well as rare eucalypt and grasslandcommunities. The area has a subtropical climate with (at the lowest altitudes) average minimum winter temperatures of 6 °C, average maximum summer temperatures of 29 °C, and average annual rainfall of 1555 mm.[12]
There are many recreational activities for day-trippers, rockclimbers, hikers and nature lovers on the ranges.[15] The concept of the Scenic Rim was first described by Arthur Groom and Romeo Lahey in the 1920s.[16] They were campaigning for the protection of the forests from Main Range to the Lamington Plateau. At about the same time the Binna Burra Lodge and O'Reilly's Guesthouse were established as the popularity of the area grew with tourists.