Part of the joy hiking is to stop in at a cafe on the way home to enjoy some coffee, cake or other snacks. But it is even better when the cafe is at the end of the hike. Boombana Cafe in Mt Nebo lies at the very end of of a series of interconnected hikes. So you can do a lovely little 1 km walk or link all the tracks together for a 11 km walk.
The view from the Thylogale Track
You could start your walk at the Boombana Cafe. This is a great choice if you want to start your day off with a coffee or breakfast. As the cafe opens at 7:30 am on weekends, it's a great choice.
However if you are not arriving early, then parking could be an issue as the cafe is a very popular destination for Brisbanites escaping the summer heat and bikers cruising the windy Mt Nebo road. Also you don't really want to steal a car park from the cafe patrons while you go walking for a few hours.
Luckily the Boombana Picnic area is not far away and has a number of parking spots. You could also park at Jolly's lookout at the other end of the track as there are a lot more car parking spots there, but I want the cafe to be at the end of the walk, not in the middle. So I will describe this walk from Boombana.
Boombana Picnic Area
From the Boombana Picnic Area, look for the sign for the Thylogale Walking Track. This 4 km track takes you around the side of the mountain and gives you great views in part all the way to the coast.
View from the Thylogale Walking Track
The destination for the track is Jolly's lookout, with even better views. The track doesn't actually take you directly to Jolly's Lookout though, rather it comes out at the lower car park at Jolly's Lookout beside Mt Nebo Road. You will need to walk up the car park entrance road to arrive at the lookout. However this is a wonderful place to linger and enjoy the views.
People at Jollys Lookout at Mt Nebo
If you were planning on having a barbecue or picnic lunch then Jollys Lookout would actually be the better place to both start and end the walk. There are several locations for sitting at the lookout but the best are the tables directly overlooking the view. Just make sure you arrive early enough to get a table. On busy days, it can even be hard to find a parking spot.
Picnic Tables at Jolly's Lookout
Another little track, the Egernia Circuit, starts a little way along the Thylogale Walking Track from Jolly's Lookout. This track doesn't really go anywhere, but it is a nice little diversion for people who want to add another 1.5 km to their walk.
Egernia Circuit at Jollys Lookout
When returning to the Boombana Picnic area via the Thylogale Walking Track, it is only a few hundred metres along the Pitta Circuit to the Boombana cafe. I would recommend following the track in a clockwise manner so that you do the longer part of the track first before visiting the cafe.
The main feature of this 1 km circuit is a large, dare I say enormous, strangler fig surrounded by a raised board walk for better viewing. A track diverts off the circuit here and leads up to the cafe.
Strangler Fig, Pitta Circuit
The Boombana Cafe is a great place for coffee, cake and meals. The service is friendly. You can either eat outside with the kookaburras or inside with views off the rear balcony of the forest.
Boombana Cafe
