Profile for Janelle - Aussie Bushwalking

This Year

Number of Walks Ticked

0.0m

Total Distance Ticked

All Time

Number of Walks Ticked

138.3km

Total Distance Ticked

Ticks

Name	Date	Difficulty	Distance/Duration
Northbrook Mtn bush camp walk (D'Aguilar National Park)	15 May, 2021	Hard	10.4km 4.5 hrs
Parked at the Lawton Rd entrance point and you just simply follow Lawton Rd pretty much all the way to the water tank (using AllTrails worked well as you have phone signal the whole way). First 2 kms of walk in is down hill, beautiful tree covered fire trail with glimpses of views through the trees, lots of bird sounds and lovely to catch glimpses of them flying around. Now at the end of this approx 2kms down hill you will start going up hill, and up and up for the next approx 3kms with the occasional very small flat area. I'm not very fit and needed to make a few stops along the way, heart rate was high but I'm sure without a fully loaded backpack it would have been much easier for me. You will reach the water tank which at this point I recommend loading your water back up at this point for the night if you are staying at Northbrook Walkers Camp , of course always treat water before drinking. You're not far away from the camp but this saves having to walk back up and down the last few remaining smaller hills later on just to top up your water supply for the night. The trail to take from the water tank is behind you if you're facing the water tank, it has a small green signpost and starts as a small grassy uphill trail, it could be easily missed if you were to continue walking past the water tank. It can also be a little confusing if you were following the directions on the National Parks website as it says to follow along Lawton Rd then turn right onto England Creek Rd and follow it to camp.. this is not correct.. do not turn right onto England Creek Rd!!! The campsite is small with a wonderful fire pit area with flat logs to sit on.. total luxury as far as I'm concerned. Please be sensible with fires and follow leave no trace principals at all times (no brainer really) Each site is really only suitable for a smaller 1-2 man tents. Don't make your booking and think booking one site and having 3 people on a site will work.. you wont fit unless you're all in one tent together and the site will be quite crowded when others show up if they have booked as well. The lookout is about 10-15 minutes walk from the campsite and well worth checking out for sunrise and sunset, take a headlamp as once that sunsets it gets dark quickly. It was very cold the night we stayed and very windy but very peaceful. You will still hear the occasional bike riding along the roads in the distance through the night but nothing to loud. From the campsite at night you will see looking south the twinkling lights of towns through the trees. Remember that approx 3km walk all mostly up hill on the way in.. well now you get to do all this downhill the next day to head home which is a wonderful walk and as your pack is a bit lighter you have a spring in your step and you're feeling on top of the world.. then you hit that part where its now approx 2 kms all uphill to get back to your car which for some reason felt harder than the previous days 3km uphill.. maybe I was just tired after a cold night the night before but I was so happy to finally get back to the car after what seemed like a never ending uphill climb.. lots of stops on the way back up but I'm not the fittest with bad knees and hips so someone with normal fitness will have no issues with this at all. Overall the perfect overnighter that's close to Brisbane, not a long walk which is great but keep in mind its a shorter distance but the hills and carrying a pack will take a little longer. I felt like I was remote camping without really been remote.. Will do it again for sure one day.
Toolona Creek Circuit (Lamington National Park)	24 Oct, 2020	Medium	19.8km return 7 hrs
Only a few creek crossings that aren't to bad but you still need to watch your footing and an easy to follow trail. It poured down rain for most of our walk and no view at the Toolona Lookout due to fog and cloud. Even with the rain I really enjoyed it. We had full overnight back packs on as we were going to be camping at Echo Point for the night but unfortunately the thunder started coming in so we continued back to Oreillys. A few trees to climb over/under but not to bad. Glad have ticked this one off and will do it again when the weather is better. This one is not hard, its just a long one, elevation isn't to bad either for those who arent fans of walking up steep hills like me. We did it anti clockwise which I think is the better way with it been all pretty much flat and easy going for the last 5 kilometers. Trekking poles are a great help!!!
Python Rock (Lamington National Park)	23 Oct, 2020	Easy	3.4km return 1 hr
Nice easy walk to a spectacular look out. Ideal for children to do this walk. Easy to follow, seats along the way. I walked down from the Oriellys camping area following the path along the roadline. There is a parking area nearby though if not staying at Oreillys. Nice and shady throughout. The lookout has seating. Very exposed but to be expected with its location and those views are amazing. Great short walk
Jenyns Circuit (Tamborine National Park)	18 Oct, 2020	Easy	4.3km return 105 mins
A nice little track to do. Easy to follow. A couple a breaks through the trees to see the view. Only saw a couple people along the way. We did this one clockwise and nothing to steep. This is a good walk for kids to do but as with any of these types of locations, be aware there can be snakes. We only saw one Lace monitor along the way and no snakes on this occasion
Flinders Peak (Ipswich - Flinders Goolman Conservation Estate)	20 Sep, 2020	Hard	6.5km return 3.5 hrs
Yikes!!! BOM said it was going to be cloudy and 24deg.. instead it was 32 and sun was harsh. This track is pretty much exposed the entire way so hot hot hot!!!! Its all uphill with lots of rocks to climb over, scrambling and a couple of quite terrifying parts to climb up. (and then back down) Some beautiful places to stop along the way to admire the view. The lookout at the top is worth it but you have to work for it. Go as early as possible to avoid the heat, a hat is a must and plenty of water. We saw so many people walking up wearing jeans and with little or no water and grossly under prepared. I was surprised how many people were asking us as we were coming back down about the distance to the top and the terrain that was ahead of them. Please people, research a little before commencing walks and take appropriate gear/supplies.
West Canungra Creek Circuit (Lamington National Park)	12 Sep, 2020	Hard	18km 6 hrs
We set out at around 10am and did this clockwise. Lovely easy walk down to the rock pool at the 5km mark. Stopped for a rest, food and some more photos and continued on. There is plenty of water flowing at the moment. From this point on there is some rock hopping, a couple creek crossings (nothing to bad but be careful on the slippery rocks) we did need to take our boots of at one point to avoid walking with totally saturated socks and fyi - trekking poles were a god send. There was one creek crossing that you will stop and wonder where the track is as its not easily seen.. look for the orange markers on the trees there is one in front of you a little hidden and then one across the other side to your right and that will lead the way Its mostly uphill as well from here with lots of switchbacks. This was my first walk in Lamington and we accidently took this circuit instead of the Toolona (wrong turn at the start oops) I would suggest if doing this one to do it anti clockwise as the last few kilometres seemed quite steep and maybe easier to walk down than up in my opinion. We got back to Oreillys around 5pm, we stopped quite a lot for photos and to just look at things. I will be back but next time will explore other trails, there are so many to chose from. No leeches but we did end up with a couple ticks so keep applying repellant and check yourself when you can.
Witches Chase (Tamborine National Park)	29 Aug, 2020	Medium	2.6km return 2 hrs
Did this and the Witches Falls Circuit together. Started at the car park and made our way along the circuit and then onto Witches Chase. Stopped for a snack break where it meets the road and then headed back and continued along going clockwise back onto the circuit. The last part going all up and several switchbacks was a little tough on the hips and knees but beautiful rainforest setting so worth it. Next time will probably not bother with the Witches Chase Part and just to do the Witches Falls Circuit and go anti clockwise.. either way you will be going back uphill at the end back to car park but anticlockwise maybe slightly less in the way of the big steps going up the switchbacks.
Mt Tibberoowuccum (Glass House Mountains National Park)	14 Aug, 2020	Medium	1.7km return 1 hr
Mt first type of walk/scramble and totally loved it.. a great introduction to these kind of walks. Was easy enough to find the entrance when you walk down the road out of the car park.. the instructions on here are pretty accurate. The cairn to the left where you leave the 4wd drive and start going up stood out but if you didn't know what to look for you would easily walk past and would continue along, this would continue around and you would then climb up the other side (which is where we came back down), I am glad we headed up at the Cairn on the left as it was nice to knock out getting up the top before the crowds start coming.. just follow the trail from there.. its fairly steep with tree roots to step on/over but plenty of places to stop along the way if you need a breather.. your legs will burn but before you know it you have reached the end of that part and then head left along the ridge to the peak.. the day we went it was foggy so could not see the views but it was stunning and peaceful. On a clear day the views would be spectacular. There is a bit of a scramble up a a rock wall at the end.. its not to difficult at all if you just take it easy, plenty of places to step and hold. We continued back down along the ridge from the way we came but didn't climb back down the same way we came up and continued down the northside which you just continue following and you will reach the 4wd track again, continue along and you eventually come back out on the road and then walk to the car park. Took us approx 2.5 hours at a slowish/regular pace, nothing to strenuous. A flock of Black Cockatoos at the end flying around us was beautiful. I recommend this one to anyone wanting to try something with some scrambling with amazing views that isn't terrifying to get up to the top.
Tibrogargan Circuit (Glass House Mountains National Park)	14 Aug, 2020	Easy	3.3km return 90 mins
Did this after finishing Tibberwoocum. A lovely circuit, easy to navigate with signage along the way. Amazing to see Tibrogargan from the base like that and look up and see the little dots that are people abseiling down. Lookouts along the way with info about what mountains you can see in the distance. There are some benches along the way to sit and take in the views. Water is a must like with any track. Pretty easy going with only a few inclines along the way.. mostly at the beginning. A nice walk for kids, saw lots of families out walking this one when I went.
Enoggera Reservoir Circuit (Brisbane Forest park D'Aguilar National Park)	19 Jul, 2020	Medium	10km return 3 hrs
My first time, did this walk on Sunday 19th July, no issues with closures (was closures recently due to burn offs), parking was difficult to find as this is a popular spot for walkers, runners and people using the water to SUP, kayak etc. Lovely walk with lots of greenery. Lots of birds. Lots of hills as well, take plenty of water even during cooler weather. Not a difficult track to follow with a map or app but there are no signs so be mindful of this. I popped into the Info centre and was given a map and some instructions on which way to go, very helpful for especially coming across a couple junctions and when exiting the walk at the dam wall. A little disappointing to finish in suburbia with the sounds of traffic and dogs barking and to walk through a bus terminal after such a pretty walk with sounds of nature. A great walk though that will burn the legs for sure.
Federation Walk (Gold Coast)	3 Jul, 2020	Easy	6km 2 hrs
Greater Wetland Walk (Berrinba Wetlands) (South East Queensland)	2020	Very Easy	2.8km return 45 mins
Do this walk during my lunch break once or twice a week. Easy walk, full path around the entire area. Mostly shaded with seats along the way. Lovely to see the birdlife around. Sadly lots of people leave bags of dog poo and rubbish and encounter dogs off leashes on a regular basis.
King Island (South East Queensland)	Jan, 2019	Easy	2km return 1 hr
I do this walk probably once a month. Very easy walk but of course check when it is low tide as it then becomes a swim if you get caught out there when the tide rises. The sand isn't exactly nice and smooth in parts so take thongs or wear shoes. There can be a lot of people doing this walk with their puppy dogs but plenty of room to not be crowded and always lovely to pat a friendly dog along the way. A hat is a must as there is no shade out until the island and there is a lot of gravel like sand there so that's were you will need the thongs. There are mangroves/trees on the teeny tiny little island but its more for the walk out there than to explore the island anyway. A pretty little walk for the kids to enjoy and still be able to have a swim while walking along if you want.
The Rocks Circuit (from Illaweena Street) (Karawatha Forest)	22 Apr, 2018	Easy	8km 2 hrs
We just ended up walking, not really knowing exactly what track we were on. We had a map so we knew basically where we were but its not signed very well. A lovely walk but a little disappointing to be walking past the backs of peoples houses at one part of the walk. It was only a short part of it but it takes a little from the feeling of being in the bush. Nothing to challenging along the way, lots of trees, very shady. We went when it was a little cooler but I expect during summer this would be quite a dry, hot walk.
Federation Walk (Gold Coast)	2018	Easy	6km 2 hrs
I don't know how accurate the rating of "Very Easy" is. There are parts that are sand (the cross over point where the little shop is and the desalinisation pipe goes out into the ocean) so the pic of someone in a wheelchair could be a little misleading. Anyway, we parked as stated across from SeaWorld and walked up to the seawall. A wonderful walk with small inclines, mostly shaded. We then did the return walk along the beach. A highlight is the off leash dog area and walking through all the happy dogs and owners, if you are not a dog lover than this may not be your cup of tea but you don't have to return along the beach. Such a wonderful track if you want the best of both worlds.. surf and turf :) Plenty of parking available and the track is easy to follow.. you cant get lost. If you chose to walk back along the beach back to your car, just keep an eye out for the car park, other wise you could quite easily just keep on walking.
Venman Circuit (South East Queensland)	2018	Medium	7.5km 2 hrs
Have done this walk several times now. An easy walk with a couple of hills but nothing to bad. Doesn't take 4 hours but I guess it would if you did it at a very leisurely pace. Have come across brown snakes, lizards and kangaroos and yes, some spider webs at head height so keep an eye out for that. The track is mostly shaded with some parts exposed, hat not needed if you happen to forget it. A stop in at the West Mount Cotton Nursery afterwards for a drink and a meal is a must, the view from the cafe is beautiful as well.
Buhot Creek Circuit (Daisy Hill Conservation Park)	2018	Easy	9km return 3 hrs
Have done this one a few times now and still seem to get a little confused as to where I am. The tracks aren't well signed and what signs there are a little confusing to follow. Can get quite hot during summer so make sure you have plenty of water and take some snacks. I enjoy that feeling of being a little lost though and just walking for the love of it and getting outdoors. I do however recommend not doing this one on your own until you are familiar with it.
Lake Manchester loop (Brisbane Forest park D'Aguilar National Park)	2018	Medium	17km 5 hrs
I would rate this Hard and not Medium. Our first mistake was probably that we headed anti clockwise.. boy did we regret that when encountering those massive hills near the end. If I were to do this walk again would go clockwise and get those hills out of the way earlier. Second mistake was not taking enough water, was not prepared for how long it took to walk the track, the hills really slowed us down and of course we drank more water. Third mistake was not leaving earlier in the day, we headed out around 10.00am and during the hotter time of the year, if Id known then what I know now would have left closer to 7am when it is cooler. Don't expect beautiful views of the water during this walk, mostly bush. A nice walk overall but would have been more enjoyable if left earlier, took more water and headed clockwise.