Gold Coast Hinterland Photography Workshop (August 2026)
Five days shooting waterfalls, rainforest, seascapes, and the Milky Way — three completely different disciplines in one trip. Hands-on coaching in the field, plus three dedicated indoor Lightroom and Photoshop editing blocks, in a group of four.
Terrain & access
Sold out: all four places for August 2026 are booked. Join the newsletter to be first notified of cancellations and all future workshop releases.
Want to see the kind of images this trip produces? Take a look through the gallery.
Milky Way
Up to three workable astro opportunities across Mount Barney and Lamington before the workshop moves to the coast. Settings, focus routine, and full processing workflow.
Waterfalls
Lamington National Park rainforest. Polariser technique, long-exposure control, and reading light in a closed canopy.
Seascapes
A conditions-led Day 4 field session at Springbrook or Currumbin, followed by the Rydges editing block. Fingal Causeway sunrise on Day 5.
Three dedicated indoor editing sessions: Days 2 and 3 are held in a small conference room at O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat, with Lightroom and Photoshop demonstrated live via projector. Day 4 moves to an air-conditioned conference room at Rydges Gold Coast Airport for an extended editing and review block. You work on your own files throughout, with direct feedback on what is working and what needs refinement.
Who this is for
- All skill levels welcome — beginner through to advanced. Coaching adapts to where you are and what you need
- Anyone who wants one trip that covers three completely different disciplines — astro, waterfalls, and coast
- Photographers who want a repeatable capture and edit workflow, not just nice spots
- People who prefer a small, focused group — maximum 4 participants
Not the right fit if…
- You want guaranteed astro regardless of cloud, wind, or moonlight
- You don't want to use a tripod or learn manual settings
- You need fully included accommodation and transfers
- You want a large-group tour rather than a focused four-person teaching workshop
What you'll shoot and learn
- Milky Way: Planning, camera setup, focus routine, settings, and full post-processing from RAW
- Lamington waterfalls: Rainforest flow, polariser technique, long-exposure control in low light
- Day 4 conditions-led session: Springbrook for rainforest and waterfall work or Currumbin Rock for coastal seascapes, combined with the Rydges editing block. An additional sunset session may be added if timing, conditions, and group energy allow
- Fingal seascapes: Sunrise, tide reading, and composition for moving water
- Dedicated indoor editing blocks: Lightroom and Photoshop workflow across all three disciplines — demonstrated live, then applied to your own files with direct feedback
What you'll take home
- A repeatable shooting process for astro, waterfall, and seascape work
- An edit workflow you can apply to your own files straight away
- A take-home practice plan so the improvement continues after the trip
Self-drive format: This workshop runs self-drive. Night 1 shared accommodation at Mount Barney is included; you organise your own transport and book your own accommodation for nights 2 to 4, then meet at the agreed locations each day. Meet points, timings, and confirmed stays are in your pre-departure pack. Carpooling within the group is easy to coordinate and welcome.
What's included
- Small-group workshop tuition — maximum 4 participants
- Guided shoots across astro, waterfalls, and seascapes
- Three dedicated indoor editing sessions (Days 2–4): Days 2 and 3 in a small conference room at O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat with demonstrations presented live via projector; Day 4 in an air-conditioned conference room at Rydges Gold Coast Airport
- Night 1 shared accommodation at Mount Barney — included
- Loaner star tracker (limited) + Milky Way RAW files for workflow practice if cloud blocks astro
- Permits and permissions where required
- AU$20M public liability insurance
- Pre-departure pack with meet points, timings, and accommodation recommendations
Not included
- Transport to and between locations (self-drive)
- Accommodation: nights 2–4 self-booked (Night 1 at Mount Barney is included)
- Meals and drinks
- Travel insurance (recommended)
- Personal gear
Where you'll stay
- Night 1: Mount Barney — shared accommodation included
- Night 2: O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat, Lamington — self-booked
- Night 3: O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat, Lamington — self-booked
- Night 4: Rydges Gold Coast Airport — self-booked
Price + future releases
- AU$2,950 per photographer
- Maximum 4 participants
- The August 2026 workshop is fully booked
- Join the newsletter for cancellation opportunities and first access to all future workshop releases, including future Gold Coast dates
Cancellation policy:
60+ days: refund less AU$100 admin fee
30–59 days: 50% refund
Under 30 days: no refund unless seat is filled; if filled, refund less AU$100 admin fee
ACL rights apply regardless.
Full policy
What if astro doesn't cooperate?
The workshop includes up to three workable Milky Way opportunities across the first three nights at Mount Barney and Lamington. We choose whether to run each session using live conditions, access, and group energy rather than relying on one fixed night.
If conditions block all available astro opportunities, you still cover the complete Milky Way workflow — planning, settings, focus routine, and full processing — using provided RAW files in the editing blocks. You leave with the full process regardless.
What past participants say
Real feedback from recent workshops.
"I recently spent four days with Dylan undertaking his astro and seascape course… with only four participants you get quality individual attention. Dylan is very generous in sharing his extensive knowledge… Dylan spends time each day teaching and assisting in post-processing; explaining and demonstrating a range of advanced skills such as colour correcting and blending the Milky Way with a blue hour exposure to produce a clean, noise-free composite as well as focus stacking, and post processing of sea scapes… I can honestly say that it was one of the best photography learning experiences I have undertaken."
"I have had a marvellous time with Dylan on the Gold Coast workshop… his advice is extremely helpful and the editing part of the workshop is top notch. I can recommend to anyone interested in doing this workshop DO IT no regrets"
"Dylan is very approachable and forthcoming with his knowledge. Dylan is able to assist with settings, composition and shooting conditions from sunrise right through to Astro photography and evenly distributes his attention to each workshop member. Then there is the editing, this is where Dylan assists you to get your shots to really shine with his extensive knowledge of both Photoshop & Lightroom along with Dylan's never-ending bucket of patience. This was my first workshop with Dylan and will happily book future workshops without hesitation."
Day by day
Five focused days. Three disciplines. Mountain, rainforest, waterfall, and coast.
Mount Barney — arrival, Yellow Pinch Lookout sunset, and optional astro
Meet at the Mount Barney Lodge from 2pm and settle into your included shared accommodation. Orientation and gear check, then we head out for sunset and twilight at Yellow Pinch Lookout. Yellow Pinch is not used for night photography. If conditions are suitable, we return from the lookout and move to nearby flats outside the national park boundary for a Milky Way session overlooking Mount Barney. This is the first of up to three astro opportunities before the workshop moves to the coast.
Mount Barney — shared accommodation includedMount Barney sunrise + O'Reilly's editing room + Lamington sunset
Sunrise session at Mount Barney, then drive to O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat. From 11:00am–2:00pm, we work through the previous day's files in a dedicated small conference room, with Lightroom and Photoshop demonstrated live via projector before you apply the workflow to your own images with direct feedback. After check-in and rest, we head to Moran's Falls Lookout for sunset. If conditions suit, we may continue to a separate permitted Lamington location for a second astro opportunity.
O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat — self-bookedO'Reilly's editing room + Elabana Falls + Box Forest Circuit
From 9:00am–12:00pm, we return to the dedicated conference room at O'Reilly's for a second Lightroom and Photoshop editing and review session, presented live via projector and built around your own files from the first two days. At midday we step off into the rainforest for Elabana Falls and the Box Forest Circuit: approximately 12km return on formed but uneven, often wet tracks with a steady pace. This is the hero waterfall day. After dinner, a third optional astro session may run at a permitted Lamington location depending on conditions and group energy; otherwise, we rest before moving to the coast.
O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat — self-bookedRydges conference-room editing + conditions-led field session
Drive from Lamington to Rydges Gold Coast Airport for a 9:00am–12:00pm extended Lightroom and Photoshop session in an air-conditioned conference room. The workflow is demonstrated live before you apply it to your own images with direct feedback. After the editing block, we run a conditions-led field session at either Springbrook National Park or Currumbin Rock. If timing, conditions, and group energy allow, an additional sunset session may be added.
Rydges Gold Coast Airport — self-bookedFingal Causeway sunrise + breakfast + wrap
Pre-dawn at Fingal Causeway for sunrise. Breakfast together, then a final debrief and your take-home practice plan. Depart when you're ready — usually mid-morning.
Planned locations
- Yellow Pinch Lookout (sunset and twilight only); nearby Mount Barney flats outside the national park boundary (astro, subject to conditions); Mount Barney area (sunrise)
- Moran's Falls Lookout, Lamington NP (sunset session)
- Permitted Lamington locations (up to two optional astro opportunities on Days 2 and 3, subject to conditions and group energy)
- Elabana Falls + Box Forest Circuit, Lamington NP (hero waterfall day, ~12km return)
- Currumbin Rock (Day 4 conditions-led coastal option)
- Springbrook National Park (Day 4 conditions-led rainforest/waterfall option)
- Fingal Causeway (Day 5 sunrise seascape session)
We also hold permitted access across Springbrook and Tamborine National Parks, giving us further waterfall and rainforest alternatives if conditions call for it. Exact sites are confirmed close to the date based on access rules, permits, and conditions.
Gear expectations
- Mirrorless or DSLR with manual controls
- Ideal range: 14–24mm for astro and seascapes; a 24–70mm or longer helps across mountain ranges and rainforest
- Sturdy tripod — non-negotiable for long exposure work
- Polariser — strongly recommended for waterfalls
- Headtorch and spare batteries for pre-dawn and night work
- Laptop — required for editing blocks (Lightroom/Photoshop taught)
- Solid footwear — uneven, wet rainforest tracks on Day 3
Weather + conditions
Rain can improve waterfalls. Cloud can soften coastal contrast. August is historically one of the drier, clearer months in south-east Queensland — good for astro and coast. If a plan needs to shift, we adjust timing or location and keep shooting. There's always a strong session to be had.
Permits + access
- Commercial Activity Permit held for every national park location on this itinerary
- Yellow Pinch Lookout is used for the scheduled sunset and twilight session only. The workshop does not conduct night or pre-dawn photography at Yellow Pinch. Any Day 1 astrophotography session is held at a separate suitable location outside the national park boundary.
- Permitted night access is held at a Lamington location for optional astrophotography sessions on Days 2 and 3, subject to conditions and group energy.
- Further permitted alternatives held across Springbrook and Tamborine
- Lamington NP access on formed tracks only — off-track walking not permitted
- Coastal sessions run on public-access beaches and headlands
- Access rules checked close to the date
- Drones are not part of the workshop program
- Night sessions only where safe and permitted
FAQs
Direct answers about the sold-out August workshop and future releases.
What does tuition-only mean exactly?
How much does it cost and how do I join the waitlist?
Where do the editing sessions take place?
What experience level do I need?
How fit do I need to be, and what terrain should I expect?
Day 4 is conditions-led and may involve a short walk to the Currumbin Rock platform or natural rainforest and waterfall access at Springbrook. An additional sunset session may be added if timing, conditions, and group energy allow. Day 5 begins pre-dawn for sunrise at Fingal Causeway. Across the workshop, participants may encounter roots, mud, loose or wet surfaces, slopes, changes in level, and low-light walking while carrying their own camera equipment and tripod.
You do not need to be an experienced hiker, but you should be comfortable moving independently across natural terrain and staying on your feet for several hours. Please contact Dylan before booking if you have any mobility, balance, fitness or access concerns, or require additional assistance or adjustments.
All participants must read and acknowledge the Participant Risk Acknowledgement as part of the workshop booking requirements.
Is astrophotography guaranteed?
What if the weather or swell is bad?
What gear should I bring?
What accommodation should I book?
What's the cancellation and refund policy?
30–59 days: 50% refund
Under 30 days: no refund unless seat is filled; if filled, refund less AU$100 admin fee
This policy applies to existing participants; no new bookings are being accepted for August 2026.
ACL rights apply regardless.
Full cancellation policy
Sold out for August 2026.
All four places are booked. Join the newsletter for first notice of cancellations and early access to all future workshop releases, including future Gold Coast Hinterland dates.
