Dundas Road circuit walk via Goodes Road

This walk begins at the Mount Nebo Transfer Station and returns via a fire break. It should be noted here that this walk should only be undertaken by experienced bushwalkers, as there are some steep sections to negotiate up until Goodes Road.

Walk twenty minutes or so to the Dundas Road campsite and at the crossroads, do not detour but continue walking straight ahead along Dundas Road. About half an hour or so you will reach a fork in the road and a D'Aguilar Park sign, marking the region of Cabbage Tree Range. Take the right fork in the road and shortly after you will come to a gate. Turn right and begin descent down the fire break. The break has some very loose gravel and is very steep in sections, so extreme care is required until you reach the creek below. Allow at least a good half hour to an hour for descent.

At the creek the track picks up again and climbs steeply up the range. This section requires very good fitness. At the top the track widens to become Goodes Road. There are some great views here of the surrounding Park.

Be sure to turn right not left after you reach the pylons. Follow the remaining track which is an easy walk back to the campsite. Allow at least 3 hours to complete this walk.

Cabbage Tree Creek via South Boundary Road (circuit walk)

This walk explores the catchment area around Lake Manchester and was completed as a circuit walk, starting at the Mount Nebo end of South Boundary Road. It is approximately 17km in total and requires some basic map reading skills to track progress. It is not 'hard' in the bushwalking 'scheme of things,' however it is quite a long walk and there is some endurance required, therefore I have classified the walk as 'Moderate to Difficult.'

Follow the track from Mount Nebo for about 1.5km then turn right into Augies Road, following this downhill. After about an hour or so you will reach a water tank on the right, then a T-junction. Turn right here and descend to the main branch of Cabbage Creek. There are numerous creek crossings along this stretch of the track which may be difficult to cross if the creek is flowing well, however did not present any problem when I visited earlier this year. Several kilometres south the creek widens and meets with Lake Manchester.

Upon ascent, turn right at the T-junction into Creek Road which leads downhill to the East branch of Cabbage Tree Creek. After the creek crossing it is a relatively steep climb back to South Boundary road. There is also the option to camp at the intersection of Scrub Road and South Boundary Road after completing this walk. For more info on South Boundary Road, please refer to similar posts on this site.

An alternative walk is to start at Mount Nebo, finishing at Lake Manchester,two cars left at either end of the walk. There is also the opportunity to explore surrounding areas such as Mermaid Mountain and Gold Creek.

South Boundary Road to Jolly's Lookout (circuit walk)

This walk is an alternative to the circuit walks around "Boombana" and for those who wish to explore the surrounding area and don't mind the idea of walking off-track. Long pants and a long sleeve shirt would be recommended due to the 'scratchy' nature of this terrain.

The walk begins at South Boundary Road. After walking approx. 1.5kms turn sharp left. (opposite turnoff to Augies Road) where the remnants of an old track can be found. It is easygoing at first but then overgrown along sections. There are some obstacles to negotiate along the way,such as fallen trees and some lantana, but hopefully this will not deter exploration only thwart progress.

It is a great 'starter' walk for those wishing to get used to off-track walking, with the feeling you are safe following a track. It's also an ideal way to practice some basic bush navigation. The region of D'Aguilar Range is abundant with plant and animal life and is an interesting place to explore. Within a short space of time I observed a Lace Monitor, Wallaby, Green Tree snake and a rather angry and surprised Carpet Python which I nearly stepped on!

The track winds it's way through different vegetation types and crosses two tributaries of Enoggera Creek. A map and compass are required to locate the circuit track near Jolly's lookout, which virtually 'touches' the edge of the track on the BFP topographic map. Once located this can be followed to Jolly's Lookout or Boombana, the latter eventually intersecting with South Boundary Road.

Alternatively, continue along the track towards Mount Nebo Road. At the time of descent there was severe Lantana infestation on either side of the track, however the route was feasible. This is a very eroded and steep section to negotiate and stinging nettle can be found at the bottom of the track near Mount Nebo road, so care is required. Once at the creek crossing, simply walk up to the road and walk back towards Jolly's Lookout.

Love Creek Falls

There are a number of different ways to access Love Creek Falls, however the most obvious route will only be explained in this post. Only confident bushwalkers should attempt this walk as there are a number of waterfalls to negotiate along the creek, therefore experience with rock scrambling is essential. This walk can be quite slow and challenging due to the slippery nature of the terrain, so extreme care should be taken at all times.

Turn right onto Alex Road about 1km or so from Mount Glorious and at the car park, simply descend into the creek and follow it all the way downstream. There are a number of watefalls, rock pools and interesting palm groves along the creek which flows well after prior rain. Once at the falls, there are breathtaking views of the valley below. For those willing to explore the surrounding area, there are a number of other routes to consider that follow old logging trails which connect with Greene's Falls and Maiala picnic ground.

England Creek (Left Branch) via Rocky Outcrop, Joyner's Ridge Road (map & compass required)

This walk is not only an alternative to the obvious and more easier route along England Creek and Joyners Ridge Roads, but also for those who wish to gain skills and confidence with orientation and map reading skills and prefer to go 'off track' and explore England Creek from a different perspective. The walk is a good test of agility and because of the rugged terrain, can be quite challenging at times.

From Joyner's Ridge Road walk approx 1.5hours (from the Mount Glorious end) until a rocky outcrop is found on the right. This is located on the BFP topographic map. From the rocky outcrop a bearing is measured by tracing a line on the map from the rocky outcrop to the crossing at England Creek. Adjust for magnetic variation.

Drop down from the rocky outcrop onto the spur below. This involves scrambling down rocks which are loose and can be dislodged quite easily. The spur is quite steep in descent and the ground is very loose underfoot, therefore it is not uncommon to stumble at least once on the way down!

Eventually a creek bed is found on the left hand side of the spur. Cross this creek bed and contour around to the next spur. Another creek bed is then found and crossed which eventually joins the first creek bed to become one creek. Drop down into this creek and rockhop all the way downstream until you reach the main branch of England Creek. Walk downstream for approx 10 -15 minutes and you will reach the crossing and campsite. To return, walk south up England Creek Road which eventually meets with Joyner's Ridge Road and back to Mount Glorious. Allow a full day for this walk.

North Kobble Creek via 'Lepidozamia'

This walk leaves from the gate on the'Lepidozamia' track at Mount Glorious. At the carpark walk along the management road which follows the ridge. About an hour into the walk you will come across a fire break to the right. Take no notice of this but instead continue walking along the ridge which later starts to descend. Another track which is quite distinct heads off to the right and eventually meets up with another track. To the right, leads to a waterfall, to the left, North Kobble Creek. Turn left here and walk down the track, which is quite steep in sections and eventually reaches a creek crossing at the bottom. From the crossing either rockhop along the creek or continue walking along the track. There are some small rock pools along the creek and some interesting features. Upon returning to Mount Glorious, this walk is very steep in ascent and requires good fitness to climb it. There are a few options here such as returning the same way or walking straight ahead at the crossroads, returning via the fire break that also leads back to the 'Lepidozamia' track. Allow a full day for this walk.

Joyners Ridge to Northbrook Parkway

This is a very long but picturesque walk through the centre of Brisbane Forest Park. Mobile reception is quite good for most of this walk, however this is limited once the Parkway is reached.

Take Joyner's Ridge Road and walk along it for approx 2.5 hours until the crossroads. This section is a nice walk through the Park, it is relatively flat and there are breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and England Creek catchment area. Bellbirds can often be heard making their distinct 'tinkling' sound in the surrounding trees.

Once at the crossroads, turn right into England Creek Road which takes you down to the creek. This stretch of track will take about 2 hours but eventually you will reach the England Creek crossing and the 'campsite' beside the creek.

There is the opportunity to swim here, however when I visited here some years ago there was very little water in the creek, even after several days of rain. There are some waterholes along the creek, but once agin there may not be enough water in them or they are simply stagnant from lack of it. From the campsite the track starts to ascend, climbing the ridge up to Northbrook Mountain. This stretch is very long and tedious, but relatively easy to walk up.

Once at the top there is a deeply eroded track that drops steeply down the side of the ridge to Red and White Cedars. Alternatively, turn left at the top and follow Lawnton Road all the way, which will also take you down to the Parkway. This could be done either as a full day walk or ideally as a throughwalk, camping at the crossing of England Creek or at the campsite below Northbrook Mountain.

England Creek (Right Branch) via Mount Nebo Road

This is a circuit walk that begins at the top of Mount Nebo Road, between Westridge Outlook and Mount Nebo Transfer Station and descends to the creek below via a management vehicle access track. From here either walk up or down England Creek or, take a track northwest up to the crossroads to visit the Left Branch of England Creek, via England Creek Road. On the return trip, I took a track up to Goodes Road which connects with Dundas Road. This will then take you to the Mount Nebo Transfer Station and back to Mount Nebo Road. (For further directions see also England Creek via Joyner's Ridge Road)

Mount Samson via Mount Kobble

Mount Samson Range is located on the Northeast edge of Brisbane Forest Park and can be climbed from various access points to get to the summit. There are some interesting views of the summit from several vantage points along the range. The walk begins at the top of a hill, on the corner of Hipathetes and Kriesch Roads, Samsonvale.

Access is between two properties via a driveway up to Mount Kobble, depending on if access is possible. If so, it is only a short walk up to Mount Kobble climbing a steep hillside to get to it. From here the walk is fairly easy going and presents little or no difficulty, however there are some steep sections to climb at the start of the range and two sections towards the end of the range. The walk takes about 4 hours if it is walked to the end of the range and back ONLY. To the summit and back to the road would obviously take longer. I have not as yet walked to the summit from Mount Kobble, so for more information on climbing to the summit of Mount Samson please refer to the Mount Samson walk via Cedar Creek I have posted on this site.

Last time I walked along the Range, there was almost a plague of Golden Orb spiders hanging from webs across the track. Overall the track was clear, however the steep sections were deeply eroded, so both ascent and descent may present some difficulty depending on fitness,agility and recent weather.

There are some breathtaking views of Lake Samsonvale and from the top of the range, evidence that there may have been some type of dwelling here in the past. Just before the summit, an old truck sits in grass and parts of machinery are strewn all over the ground. There is a house that is partially erected and a well used fire pit with chairs sitting around it, near the edge of the cliff overlooking Samsonvale below. I found this place to have an eerie feeling about it, probably due to the fact it is completely deserted and there are no clues as to who lives here or if someone IS still living here. This part of the Range was once popular with hang gliders some years ago and has amazing views to the South East and the city of Brisbane. Beyond the 'abandoned' site there is a National Park sign, where a trail picks up and winds it's way around to the highest part of the Range towards the summit. The summit appears to be easily accessible from this point.

Upon descent it is possible to return a different way to the bottom of the range, via a track that branches off to the right and winds it's way down to Basin Road. However at the time of this walk there was much private development near the bottom of this track so access may not be possible and if so, permission most likely required.