Greenes Falls, Mount Glorious

This is an easy walk through lush rainforest on a flat walking track that features creeks, a waterall and small rock pools.

Start at Miala Picnic Ground. There is the option to walk one way to Greenes Falls, then return a slightly different way. There are some bridges along the track and a viewing platform at the falls. The creek and waterfall flow well after rain, but slow to a trickle most of the time.

There are more explatory opportunities from the Falls for those wishing to explore this area further, including walking downstream from the Falls then upstream to Love Creek, or simply downstream from the falls to Cedar Creek.

Enoggera Creek via Black Soil track

This walk takes just over an hour to do in total. From Mount Nebo Road, take the Black Soil Track found on the BFP map between the Fire Tower and Scrub Road. There is some elevation lost in descent so be prepared to walk steeply uphill on the way back. This walk is very nice to do after prior rains and has great explatory opportunities, being one the longest creeks in the Park. It is a very tranquil place with some water usually present in the creek. I went there last time after a flood and it must have been quite impressive, plants were bent over and there was debris at least a metre or two above creek level, hanging from the trees. By continuing further along this track it is possible to walk up to South Boundary Road and onto Gold Creek Dam from here.

Enoggera Creek via Scrub Road (off Mount Nebo Road)

This walk visits a section of Enoggera Creek and features nice rock pools, a waterfall and a waterhole. The waterfall is not at all high but still rather impressive after good rain, however the waterhole can be quite muddy, most likely due to the water being churned up by the waterfall. Overall though it is a nice spot to walk to and worthy of a visit. The track is relatively easy going, it is gradual in descent. The walk is about 1 hour in total.

Bellbird Grove

Bellbird Grove is a recreational area popular with families and visitors, who venture here on weekends to escape Brisbane's suburban city life. The Park offers both secluded and open grassed areas, numerous BBQ facilities and amenities. As a child, I often visited Bellbird Grove with my family, swimming in the creek and exploring the surrounding Parkland. Over the years I have seen many changes at Bellbird Grove, which in my opinion have not only improved the accessibility of the Park, but preserved the aesthetic beauty of Bellbird Grove.

There are a number of interesting features to be found along the walking trails, including information on the history of the region and various animal and plant species that inhabit Bellbird Grove. The most popular bushwalking trail is an easy-grade track named the 'Turrbal Circuit' and provides information about the the Turrbal people who once occupied this region. The circuit travels alongside the Park's main catchment, Cedar Creek, which is often dry and contains little or no water, however on occasion can flood after sufficient rainfall. There are numerous footbridges along different sections of the track which offer the opportunity to rest and view the creek while listening to the abundant wildlife that inhabits the area. Another circuit walk named the 'The Golden Boulder track' is more difficult to negotiate, given the steep graded sections of the track. It runs past ruins of old mine shafts where, many years ago, prospectors fossicked for Gold from the abundance of quartz found in the area. However, attempts to find Gold were futile, so mining was abandoned by the 1950's.

For those who wish to explore this area futher, a management road branches off the Turrbal Circuit and leads further into the Park, however thick Lantana infestation in this area may obscure and or prevent access. A clue in finding the road is that it lies close to a footbridge and runs parallel to Cedar Creek. The road eventually splits into two, branching off to the right and crossing the creek to ascend a short but steep stretch of track, which eventually reaches a picturesque and pleasant lake.

For the more adventurous bushwalkers, it is possible to detour from Bellbird Grove and ascend Camp Mountain from Cedar Creek and then descend to the rural area ouside Samford. Bellbird Grove offers other explorative opportunities that access different areas of Brisbane Forest Park, however these will be explained further in future postings on this Blog.