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“Are you scared of heights?” I’m asked while suspended on a 400-metre-high ledge floating above Lamington National Park. I’m not normally one to get jelly legs, but knowing I’m about to launch myself down Australia’s highest zipline, I can’t help feeling a little wobbly.
I’m visiting Happitat Adventure Park – a world-first eco-cliff park in the Gold Coast Hinterland, home to a Via Ferrata mountaineering course and three of the country’s tallest ziplines. Opened in January 2026, the park has been four years in the making for alpine adventurer Michael Neururer, and I’m among the lucky first wave of thrill-seekers to experience it.
My Happitat adventure begins with a scenic 20-minute downhill stroll through ancient rainforest in the World Heritage-listed Binna Burra Cultural Landscape, leading to ‘base camp’ where the briefing takes place. Here I was met by Alex, one of the passionate, friendly guides who make facing your fears here feel far less nerve-racking.
After the safety briefing, I’m geared up and, with an unlimited park pass, am given the choice of starting with the Zipline Tour or the Via Ferrata. I opt for the latter, after an insider tip suggests it’s best to tackle the cliff face before the midday sun peaks.
Translating to ‘iron way’ in Italian, the Via Ferrata is one of only a handful of its kind in Australia. Starting in the 8.30am session meant I had the entire course to myself, giving me time to ascend the rock face via tightropes, log crossings and ladders at my own pace. The highlight for me was the 80-metre sky bridge, where sweeping views unfold across the 20,000-hectare national park, with Egg Rock and Turtle Rock standing proudly as natural beacons.
I expected to feel far more afraid climbing the cliff face, but in reality, I was so focused on the views – and on placing my feet and clipping from one belay to the next – that fear barely had a chance to set in.
With a bit of confidence under my belt, it was time to take on the Overhang Zipline Tour. This strings together three epic ziplines, starting with the tallest, which rises 400 metres above the rainforest valley.
Standing on the cliff-edge platform, I couldn’t help feeling nervous – but the moment I launched into the open air, all fear vanished once again. The wind in my hair, the rush of adrenaline and the sweeping views of the valley and treetops below – it was truly the thrill of a lifetime.
The next two ziplines are slightly shorter, but just as exhilarating – and the more confident you get, the more fun it becomes. By the second run, I was flying upside down, already eager to do the whole thing again.
Happitat Adventure Park is just a 55-minute drive from the Gold Coast’s city centre or 90 minutes from Brisbane. You can choose to do just the Via Ferrata or Zipline Tour, but we recommend the Unlimited Cliff Pass, which gives you access to all cliff experiences, as many times and in any order you like. Trust us, this is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure (worth the wobbly legs).