This week we headed north to the Sunshine Coast hinterland to walk trails around the Ewen Maddock Dam and the Dularcha National Park Rail Trail between Mooloolah and Landsborough. For the first time in many weeks all five of our merry group were together and we set off early in high spirits. It was a little chilly to start, with a brisk breeze blowing across the water, but a hot coffee and delicious muffin provided the warmth and sustenance we needed. Our last two walks began with views of the Glasshouse Mountains and today was no different. Mount Tibrogargan loomed across the other side of the dam, which was named after Ewen Maddock, an early European settler and local pioneer. We skirted the lake, following easy paths, enjoying the lush greenery, the tranquil waters full of reflections and bird life, and the beautiful blue sky above. The winter weather turned on magnificent sunshine and the crisp air nipped at our heels, helping to set us off at a brisk pace. |
We drove the short distance back to Mooloolah where we lunched in the park before tackling the rail trail that leads to Landsborough. The highlight of this part of our walk was the old disused rail tunnel that provides a dark and suitably protected site for seasonal roosting by a variety of small bats. Built in 1891, it is one of only two tunnels built along the old North Coast Line between Brisbane and Gympie. It ceased to be used in 1932 when the railway line move a little to the east. Luckily for us the bats were not about today. We completed a respectable 17 kilometres today, once again enjoying more variety of interesting trails in our beautiful part of the world.
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It was a chilly start, but we indulged with a hearty morning tea of hot beetroot and bacon soup, followed by coffee and cake at Fernvale before setting off. The Jagera, Yuppera and Ugarapul peoples are the traditional owners of the Fernvale-Lowood district. Much of the trail near Lowood is near the Brisbane River and features spectacular views of the river. We covered a total of 18 kilometres today and although it was an easy to moderate track, we were foot weary at the end. Foot weary, but still cheery. Another great day in the bush.
No walking with the regular Wednesday group last week as some of the gang were off doing a 4 day coastal trek in N.S.W. practising for their English coast to coast trek later this year. However, never one to stay still for long, I walked many other days with Reg and others exploring old places and new. One day saw us walking the beautiful Berrinba Wetlands area with our neighbours. We enticed Reg by promising a visit first to the Super Butcher at Browns Plains, so he was a very happy hiker after that. After promising myself for years a visit to Daisy Hill Conservation Park, I finally got there last week. Only 10 minutes from home, this 571 ha of open eucalypt forest provides significant habitat for koalas and other wildlife. There are plenty of walking tracks and we decided to follow the Spotted Gum Trail and part of the Stringy Bark Trail. The reserve is also home to the Daisy Hill Koala Centre, a dedicated koala education centre which houses a large outdoor koala viewing enclosure and many interactive displays. Tawa joined us for walk one morning along Main Beach and the Spit , where we admired luxury yachts, sparkling seas and sunny sky. Reg's son, Murray came to stay for a few days after watching the mighty Maroons beat N.S.W. in this year's State of Origin. He loves early morning hill climbs, so we climbed Mt Warren each morning and enjoyed some fine sunrises. We quickly worked up a sweat each day despite the winter chill. We also took Murray on a walk along the Southport Boardwalk one day, and on another into Brisbane for the French festival at Southbank. Our little part of the world continues to surprise us and bring us great joy. We like to follow the advice of one of Confucius' most famous quotes ... "Wherever you go, go with all your heart."
That's right folks - Wednesday has rolled around again and this week we headed to beautiful Bribie Island. We started with morning tea by the water and a view of the Glass House Mountains, just like last week, but much closer. Bribie Island, separated from the mainland by the narrow Pumicestone channel, is 45 km north of Brisbane at the point where the Bribie Bridge crosses the channel. It is thought that the name was derived from an Aboriginal expression, 'Boorabee', referring to a koala or the island itself, though another theory proposes it is linked to a convict named Bribie who gathered basket-making material on the island in the 1830s. The island, whose original inhabitants were the Gubbi Gubbi people, was seen by the explorer Matthew Flinders in 1799, where he named Skirmish Point at its southern end. Early European settlers were castaways, but a fish cannery was opened at the northern end of the island in 1901. Freight and passenger shipping ran regular services to Bribie Island within ten years, some of the passengers being holiday-makers and campers. The bridge was opened in 1963. Buckleys Hole, today a well known bird sanctuary, was formed in the tidal inlet known as Yabby Patch Creek. In the 1980s the creek was dammed at the beach and a fresh water lagoon was created. After leaving Buckleys Hole we walked through eucalypt and paperbark wetlands and arrived at Red Beach. Red Beach runs along the southern end of the island and its name is of military origin. Thousands of American and Australian soldiers were based here during World War Two, undergoing beach landing-craft training. There were several colour code names for the military training beaches along Bribie Island, but the only one that remained in use after the war was Red Beach. Red Beach was littered with hundreds of pieces of driftwood creating weird and wonderful shapes. On 16 July 1799 Captain Matthew Flinders, in the Norfolk, sailed between Moreton Island and the mainland parallel to the southern shore of Bribie Island until spotting an opening in the low western shore. He anchored and transferred to a smaller craft with a small crew and Bongaree, an Aborigine who accompanied him as an interpreter, guide and negotiator with local indigenous groups. He landed on Bribie Island unaware that it wasn't the mainland and met a small group of Aborigines who had gathered on the beach. Although Bongaree didn't speak the same dialect as the local aborigines the meeting was peaceful until one attempted to remove Flinders' hat. Flinders refused and the Europeans and Bongaree returned to their boat. As they left the man who had tried to remove Flinders' hat threw a spear that missed the small boat and crew. Flinders fired his musket at the men on shore and wounded the man who had thrown the spear. The Aborigines fled the beach. Flinders named the southern shore and site of the confrontation Point Skirmish.
Bribie Island is a peaceful piece of paradise close to Brisbane and easy to explore on foot. A great link for more information is through this Qld Government Parks and Recreation guide.
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