Name | Date | Difficulty | Distance/Duration | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Veresdale Walk (South East Queensland) |
28 Jul, 2018 |
Easy |
2km return 30 mins |
|
The map/sign for "King Coolum Reserve" at the top of Panicum Close is a bit confusing, so take the grassy track heading east, straight up the hill, alongside the fence. It's a steep initial climb that really gets the heart pumping! A track marker at the top of that initial climb, about 300m into the walk, signals the spot for a good, clear view west to Flinders Peak and the Range beyond. Another 100m along, the track offers views to the west from a clearing around a great tree. The view from the first seated lookout – about a kilometre (or halfway) in – is rather obscured by foliage. The track turns south and mostly downhill to a second seated lookout at the end of a siding where the view is also quite obscured. The third seated lookout however, offers good eastern views to Tamborine Mountain. Happily, there is also a table there. All the seated lookouts have a shade cover. The initial mowed grass underfoot gives way to stony dirt that is slippery when wearing runners, particularly on the downhill sections. Our kids, as young as six, handled the course with ease: it was we middle-agers who were puffing a bit! The ridge-top track offers numerous glimpses of landscapes beyond, through breaks in the foliage. The two-kilometre, steeply undulating bush track eventually turns to the west and ends at the top of Worip Drive. From there, one may walk an equidistant route back up the track, or continue along Worip Drive and Panicum Close to complete a four-kilometre circuit back to one's car. Along the road, you'll meet the locals' horses, goats and cows that will press the fences for your attention; the circuit taking us two hours to complete at a leisurely pace. If one is keen to remain in the bush then turning back along the track from the third lookout would make for the most ‘natural’ and ‘efficient’ overall experience. Either way, the walk makes for a very enjoyable morning or afternoon hike – particularly for families and casual bushwalkers – and for such, is highly recommended. |