Table Top Mountain rises 700m above sea level at the eastern side of the city of Toowoomba. The mountain is renowned for its flat peak on which, for some unknown reason, no trees grow. My daughter and stepson convinced me it was a worthy morning hike to start the day, so we set out at daylight from the carpark at the base of the mountain. The one kilometre climb took an hour going up a rough, tough path, with a great deal of awkward scrambling over rocks. The final steep ascent at the end was a killer, but we finally were rewarded by breathtaking views of the countryside below. Going down was almost as tough as going up, but we finally made it. The others are younger and fitter than I am, so I am sure I slowed them down, but it was still a challenge for them as well. My legs are still recovering.
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We hiked another new trail this week out at Mt Barney National Park. About an hour and a half south west of Beenleigh we followed Upper Logan Road to the end of the track to reach Yellow Pinch Reserve. The last few kilometres are dirt road through lovely bushland. After morning tea we headed off in search of Cronan Creek Falls. We followed the track that is signed for the South Ridge. The walk starts with a fairly steep incline for about 800 metres and then flattens out to an easy walk after passing through a pedestrian gate to the left. (If you continued straight instead of passing through the gate you could take an uphill hike to see a beautiful view of the top of Mt Barney.) Once through the gate we followed the fire trail through the grassland and through a gate with a cattle grate. The trail then took us up and down some gentle slopes, past two campsites and through several creek crossings. Some were able to be rock hopped, but some were deeper and it was easier to remove our shoes and wade through. At about the 6km mark we spotted the small sign that marks the entry into the falls. From here we made our way through the tangled greenery and came out along the side of the creek. There is a lovely swimming hole at the falls but the water is freezing. We were content to sit a while and dangle our feet in the water before heading back. We completed our walk back at Yellow Pinch Park with a barbecue lunch - just the thing for hungry hikers.
Minnippi Parklands, comprising beautiful lush hectares of meadowland on Brisbane’s eastside, features one of the rare surviving ancient lagoons from pre-settlement days. The parklands stretch across the suburbs of Carindale, Cannon Hill, Carina and Tingalpa. We started with our usual picnic morning tea by the lagoon located at the Tingalpa end. Then we enjoyed an eleven kilometre walk meandering along the wide, flat pathways in the pleasant autumn sunshine. We are so lucky to have such lovely green spaces in our city.
There's nothing quite like the feeling of warm sunshine and the sight of the sparkling sea hugged by white sweeps of Gold Coast sand. It is definitely beach walking weather now in Queensland. Burleigh has a lovely parkland along the beach front, so after a delicious morning tea picnic we walked the length through greenery and back along the sand. We also climbed the headlands at each end to enjoy more spectacular views. The sea air always heightens healthy appetites, so lunch at Paddock Bakery, a local favourite, was a perfect spot to complete this week's hike.
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