North Stradbroke Island – The Gorge Walk

One of my favourite places for walking is North Stradbroke Island.  Locals refer to the island as “Straddie”.

Gorge Walk - Stradbroke Island

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While it’s not part of Brisbane (it’s in the Redland’s City Council area), Straddie is close to Brisbane and a favourite with locals for camping, swimming, surfing and fishing.

To get to Straddie, you take a car or passenger ferry from Cleveland across to the small township of Dunwich.  On the far side of the island is Point Lookout, another small township.  Here you’ll find surf beaches, spectacular coastal scenery, accommodation from camp grounds to resorts and places to eat. 

From June until late November, Humpback Whales pass close to Point Lookout.  One of our favourite activities at Point Lookout is to take a picnic lunch and watch for whales (opposite the shops at 19 Mooloomba Rd).  And if you need a post lunch treat, try Oceanic Gelati which has some of the best ice cream I’ve ever tasted.  Apart from whales you might see pods of dolphins surfing the waves below, along with human surfers.

The Gorge Walk

North Gorge Lookout - Stradbroke Island

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This walk starts on the opposite side of the road from the Gelati shop.  The path begins just beside the public toilet block.  There are quite a few steps on this path (but it’s worth it) and small children will have to be closely supervised.

Simply keep the coastline on your left and follow the well-defined track. There are plenty of places to stop and admire the view.  At North Gorge, you can walk out onto the rocks.  This is a great place to sit and look for Stradbroke Island’s Big Five – whales, dolphins, sharks, sea turtles and manta rays.

Brahminy Kite

On the opposite side of the Gorge you may hear Whale Rock Blowhole.

The path follows the contour of North Gorge.  After rounding Point Lookout, you’ll see South Gorge and views beyond of Main Beach.

Look out for Brahminy Kites, hunting in the skies above.  These birds have a white head and chest with brown wings. Follow the path to the road, turn right and after a short time, you’ll be back at your starting point.

Top 5 Photo Spots in Brisbane City

Kangaroo Point - Scout Place

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you’re talking a walk in or near the CBD in Brisbane, don’t forget your camera.  There are plenty of spots to snap a good photo.  You’ll always get the best photos in the ‘magic hour’ just as the sun rises and just before sunset. 

Here are five of my favourite photo spots for Brisbane city:

Kangaroo Point – Scout Place (pictured), the stone shelter at the top of the cliffs has great city views.  It’s a particularly good spot for sunrise and night photos.

South Bank Swimming Pool

South Bank – has good views along the river and across to the city.  Try taking a photo with the Streets Beach in the foreground (pictured) and the city buildings in the background.

CityCat river ferries – Brisbane’s river ferries give you a great vantage point for photos.

City Botanic Gardens – you can take photos of the city buildings rising from the ‘jungle’ in the gardens. On the riverside walking path that comes off Edward Street, there are views of the Story Bridge, historic Customs House and yatchs moored in the river.

Wilson Outlook– on Bowen Terrace, New Farm (below) is a small park with uninterrupted views of the Story Bridge and City.

Story Bridge from Wilson Outlook

Kurilpa Bridge Opens Sunday 4 October

Kurilpa Bridge from GoMA

Brisbane’s newest pedestrian river crossing, the Kurilpa Bridge, will open officially on Sunday 4 October 2009 with public access from 11am. 

If you want to be the very first person to walk across the bridge, you can buy your place in history by bidding on eBay.  The first walker will cross on Friday 2 October and the money raised will go to the Leukaemia Foundation.

It’s estimated that the Kurilpa Bridge will carry over 2.5 million people a year.  It will link South Bank’s Cultural Precinct with the city and Roma Street Parkland.

 

If you’d like to watch the final stages of construction, a good vantage point is through the tall windows of the Gallery of Modern Art at South Bank (see photo).  Entry to GoMA is free.

Kangaroo Point

Kangaroo Point Sunrise

This is the perfect time of year for walking in Brisbane.  The mornings and evenings are cool and you’re almost guaranteed clear, blue skies. 

If you’re an early riser, walking along the cliffs at Kangaroo Point gives you one of the best views of the city.  I went for a walk this morning, just in time to see the first rays lighting up Brisbane’s city buildings and Botanic Gardens.

You can take the high road beside River Terrace, for views from the top of Kangaroo Point’s cliffs.  

There’s also a riverside walking path at the base of the cliffs. If you’re at the top of the Kangaroo Point cliffs, stairs near the stone shelter drop down to river level.

Brisbane River Kayaker

There were a lot of people out walking and at least five paddlers glided past the City Botanic Gardens while I took photos. 

You might be able to see a boardwalk  just showing through the mangroves in the photo.

You can reach the Mangrove Walk from the Goodwill Bridge or by following the riverside path which skirts the City Botanic Gardens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brisbane Bushwalks for Kids

Brisbane Bushwalking

If you’re looking for walking tracks in Brisbane suitable for children, take a look at my article on the Ourbrisbane website.

Each walk has a ‘reward’ at the end – either a playground or nature centre with animals.

South Bank – Cool Pools

If you’ve been walking in the South Bank Parklands, you would have seen the huge lagoon swimming pools and Australia’s only inner-city beach.  These are free and open to the public.  In summer, they’re one of Brisbane’s favourite spots to cool down. Children especially love the “Aquativity” water play area which opens 7am – 7pm.

Mantra Pool

There’s a much smaller pool in Grey Street that kids always love to see.  It hangs over the edge of the first floor at the Mantra Hotel in Grey Street (corner of Glenelg St – stand in front of Rydges Hotel for the best view).  If you’re there at the right time, someone might be swimming and you can see them through the glass end of the pool.  

We’ve stayed at the Mantra as a special treat, and my daughter had a great time waving at people in the street through the pool’s glass.

Newstead House

It looks like this weekend is going to be a great one for walking in Brisbane – fine and around 24 degrees. 

Newstead House

If you’re looking for a pleasant Sunday afternoon post-walking activity in Brisbane I can highly recommend Newstead House.  It’s Brisbane’s oldest surviving residence and from it’s wide verandas, there are views of the Brisbane River and Breakfast Creek. 

A tour through the house gives you an idea of what life might have been like for the wealthy when Queensland was a new colony.  The enthusiastic volunteer guides bring the history of the house to life with lots of interesting stories.

Newstead House Veranda

On Sundays from 2pm to 4:30pm, Devonshire Tea (with real China cups) is served on the veranda. 

The residence sits in Newstead Park which, with its Brisbane River views and shady trees, make it a great picnic spot.  You can also take a stroll along the riverside path, past more modern riverside homes.

Location: Corner Breakfast Creek Road & Newstead Avenue, Newstead
Entry to Newstead House:  $4 adult, $3 concession, $2 child, $10 (2 + school aged children), free admission first Friday every month
Opens: 10am – 4pm Mon – Fri, 2pm – 5pm Sun