Sunshine Coast Walks

For the last year or so, I’ve been working on a new book of walks for the Sunshine Coast. If you’re not familiar with the area, it’s about an hour’s drive north of the city of Brisbane in Australia and extends to the resort town of Noosa and beyond.

It would be hard to find a more beautiful area for walking and exploring than the Sunshine Coast. There are golden beaches, pretty hinterland and coastal villages, rainforests and spectacular volcanic mountains. And for those, like myself and my co-author Virginia Balfour, who like to end our walk with a visit to a cafe, there seems to be an extraordinarily large number of great French patisseries and cafes along the Sunshine Coast. We always stopped in for a coffee and cake – for professional reasons of course – to check walking path notes, maps and photos!

The book is at the printers at the moment and should be in book shops by the end of November 2010, certainly in time for Christmas. You can order from bookshops now – they’ll just need the title and authors’ name: “Best Village and Coastal Walks of the Sunshine Coast” by Dianne McLay & Virginia Balfour. If you’re not in Australia, it’s possible to order directly from the publisher Woodslane and they’ll ship overseas.

Best Village & Coastal Walks of the Sunshine Coast

Wynnum to Manly Foreshore Walk

Manly Boat Harbour

With school holidays coming up, it’s always a good idea to have a few interesting walks planned, to get rid of all of that excess energy!

 

One of our favourites is the foreshore walk between Wynnum and Manly. It’s about 4.5km one way with a smooth path suitable for strollers and scooters. There are plenty of playgrounds on the way along with picnic shelters.

At the Wynnum end, the shady playground near the Wynnum Jetty is great for kids of all ages and there are cafes and takeaways opposite. It might still be a bit chilly, but the Wynnum wading pool is a great places to cool down if we get one of those hot mid-spring days.

Manly Playground

The Manly end of the walk has a public swimming pool, a big playground with picnic shelters and plenty of cafes along Cambridge Parade. There are also markets on Sundays. Children will enjoy a stroll out onto the William Gunn Jetty to see people trying their luck with a fishing line, and yachts coming and going from the marina. The cafe on the jetty has great views of the action.

Do you have any favourite walks for kids in Brisbane?

Gateway Bridge Walking Path

I received a question from keen Brisbane walker, Alayne, who asked about access to the walking path over the new Gateway Bridge (officially named the Sir Leo Hielscher Bridge).

Alayne, access from the south side of the bridge is from Lytton Road.  There is space for parking on the shoulder of Lytton Road on the east side of the bridge. At the moment, it looks like a bit of a construction site with the Lytton Road off ramp still being finished.  However, don’t be put off by the construction because there is pedestrian access beside the barriers. 

On the north side, parking is on Lavarack Avenue with access to the pedestrian path between Harvey Street North and French Street.

Late in 2010, new parkland with car parking, will open up under the south side of the bridge, and this will link up with the pedestrian pathway over the bridge. So this will be the best place to start a walk over the new Gateway Bridge. I’ll write up a walk description and map once it’s all completed.

In the meantime, below is a map which comes from an information sheet produced by the Gateway Upgrade Project information office. You can download a more printer-friendly information sheet with the map (on page 2 of the PDF) from their website.

By the way, the people who work in the Community Relations Team for the bridge upgrade (freecall 1800 700 525) are really friendly and helpful if you have any questions about walking or cycling access.

I’m a bit embarrassed to say that I have yet to walk the full length of the bridge (I only got 200 metres onto the bridge on the crowded open day). I’ve been busy writing my next walking guide book which is for the Sunshine Coast. So if anyone would like to give the bridge a ‘walking review’ please use the comments section or email me: editor (at) brisbanewalks.com.au.

Gateway Bridge Walking Path

Mt Coot-tha Walk

Mt Coot-tha Simpson Falls

Welcome to guest blogger Julie……..  On a cloudy and (dare I say it, coming from Melbourne!) wintry day in Brisbane, am up visiting friends over the school holidays, one of whom is Dianne McLay, the author of Brisbane’s Best Bush, Bay and City Walks.  Di and I have walked together over more years than we care to remember, in many countries and in all sorts of weather.  So a wander around one of her walks with all our kids in tow seemed a good way to burn some energy and warm up. 

We headed for one of her family’s favourite walks, the Mt Coot-tha – Simpson Falls circuit, which starts from the Grey Gum car park along the main Mt Coot-tha ridge.  This walk has a bit of everything – views, ups and downs along interesting paths, wildflowers, gullies, creeks and a strategically placed rock-strewn waterfall about two-thirds of the way along for a great rest and refreshment stop. 

It’s a wonderful feeling to be so close to the city yet truly feel like you are miles away in the bush.  After a fun, scrambly detour to explore the mostly dry, but beautiful water course below the waterfall, we headed back to the Summit for that panoramic view across the city as the sun was setting.  What a fantastic day!

Brisbane City Laneways

Burnett Lane

Melbourne is known for its inner city laneways and alleys. I love exploring the quirky shops and cosy cafes and bars you find in these secret side streets.

Until recently, some of Brisbane’s alleys and lanes have been neglected spaces – often a bit dirty and scary. But they’re going through a renaissance at the moment. During June, the Inhabit Fiesta (10 – 27 June 2010) has seen Brisbane’s CBD lanes transformed into performance and art spaces.

I took a walk around the city on the weekend and was surprised to see Burnett Lane, which runs behind the Queen Street Mall (walk in from Albert or George St), is in the middle of a face-lift. It’s all cleaned up and artworks and lighting are being installed. In the photo (left) you can see that even the road surface has been decorated.

I’m looking forward to taking a stroll through all of Brisbane’s refurbished laneways.

Do you have a favourite laneway or street that you like to stroll on in Brisbane?

New Gateway Bridge

Gateway Bridge Open Day

We joined an estimated 170,000 people to create the first traffic jam on the new Gateway Bridge on Sunday 16 May 2010.  We had intended to walk right across, but arrived just as the official opening ceremony started, which resulted in everyone stopping.  We decided to retreat and grab a coffee from one of the market stalls to wait for the foot traffic jam to clear.     

 Alas, after drinking our coffees, and then a plate of yummy Dutch pancakes, the crowd was still at a standstill.  We decided that in years to come, we could say we were amongst the first to walk on the bridge, even if it was only 200 metres of it.     

 But, if you weren’t there for the official opening, you’ll still be able to walk across the bridge, without the foot traffic jams, on the dedicated pedestrian and cycle path way.      

 Once they’ve joined all of the walking paths up on both sides of the river, I’ll write a walk description with distances, points of interest, public transport, parking and photos then post it all on this site. Eventually, it will be written up in Brisbane’s Best Bush, Bay and City Walks when a new edition is printed, but you’ll see it here first.     

 A few facts about the bridge:      

Gateway Bridge construction

 The first Gateway Bridge, which is mirrored by the new bridge, was opened 24 years ago on 11 January 1986. The bridge had to been constructed to allow shipping traffic underneath, yet be under 80 metres above sea level because of air traffic requirements.   

The Gateway Bridges, both of them, have been officially re-named after Sir Leo Hielscher, a public servant, who noted that he would still have to pay the toll when he crosses the bridges.     

For a live view of the traffic on the bridge, take a look at the webcam images on OurBrisbane.   

The new bridge, which will carry six lanes of southbound traffic, is 27 metres wide and 64.5 metres above river level with its main span being 260 metres long. The pedestrian and cycle way, built on the eastern side, is 4.25 metres wide and has four rest areas.  I’m looking forward to seeing the views over Moreton Bay.  

157,000 tonnes of concrete and 11,600 tonnes of steel were used in its construction and it’s designed to last for 300 years.

Brisbane Weather

Brisbane Lightning

Brisbane’s sub-tropical climate makes it a great place for walking all year round. Winter is the best time to visit the bush areas that are right on the city’s doorstep. In summer, Brisbane’s weather can change very quickly.  One moment it can be scorching hot and dry, then minutes later a tropical storm will hit with heavy downfalls, a welcome drop in temperature and the wonderful smell of rain.

If you’re planning a walk in Brisbane, particularly in bush areas or exposed coastal tracks, it’s a good idea to check the weather forecast before you go.  Storms can produce lightning, hail and strong winds. Be particularly careful in dry creek beds or beside waterways which can experience flash flooding. Here’s where to look for the latest on the weather in Brisbane:

Australian Bureau of Meteorology has Brisbane weather forecasts, radar images showing rainfall and wind, current conditions and severe weather warnings. There are also tips on what to do in a thunderstorm if you’re caught outdoors.

Our Brisbane has forecasts, warnings, sunrise and sunset times and tide times.

Weatherzone is a comprehensive site which also provides wind direction and speed, a UV light index and monthly weather stats.

If storms are expected, you can always take a walk in the CBD and explore the city’s historic buildings and quirky public artworks.  If a storm hits, pop into a riverside cafe and enjoy nature’s show from a safe vantage point.

Evening Walks

 

City Lights from South Bank

During the steamy Brisbane summer, it can be just too hot to walk during the day. If you’re an early bird, a walk just as the sun is rising is a great way beat the heat.  At this time of year, the sun rises at around 5:30am.  See the current sunrise time at Our Brisbane. 

Being more of an owl than an early bird, I love a stroll after dinner and one of my favourite walks is along the river at South Bank. It’s a popular spot and you’ll find lots of other people talking a walk. The lights of Brisbane’s CBD create colourful patterns on the river. South Bank also has free, lagoon style swimming pools along with a sandy beach and these are open right through the evening.  For an after-walk treat, there are plenty of cafes and restaurants nearby.

Gallery of Modern Art

  

Eastern Water Dragon - Gallery of Modern Art

After a walk along the river at South Bank, we stopped for a rest at the Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA). We found this Eastern Water Dragon just near the gallery’s River Cafe.  Males have a red belly and we thought he was as beautiful as the art inside. 

If you happen to be taking a walk along the south side of the Brisbane River, GoMA’s current exhibition, the 6th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art is a great place for a break (and the air-conditioning is welcome on these hot days).  Admission is free and there’s something to interest everyone. Children are particularly well catered for with lots of hands-on activities. Don’t miss the ‘string room’ which is a unique, walk-through experience. Remember your email address because you can create artworks on touch screens and email them to yourself.

Another Cool Pool

Cool Pools in Brisbane

On 8 September I wrote about the cool pools at South Bank.  Here’s another, right in the centre of Brisbane City at Oaks Casino Towers. 

Swimming Pool - Oaks Casino Towers

If you stand in Queens Gardens on George Street, beside the statue of Queen Victoria and look up, you’ll see the blue of the pool’s glass wall and perhaps someone swimming. The views from the pool extend across the river to South Bank and Mt Coot-tha.