Flinders-Goolman Conservation Estate

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Tucked away in the stretch of bush between Ipswich and Boonah lies the Flinders-Goolman conservation estate.

The estate is 1900 hectares of forests and volcanic peaks. There's a well-maintained picnic area (Hardings Paddock) with a barbeque and several covered picnic tables. There's room to kick a ball or throw a frisbee, although there are a couple of waterholes that they could end up in!


There are several bushwalks on this estate ranging from 600 metres to 19 kilometres. We tried out the Goolman lookout circuit - a 7.4 kilometre hike along a path shared by walkers, mountain bikers and horse riders. Part of this track links up with the longer Boonah to Ipswich trail .
The path is class 4 (for moderate fitness) and the hills are quite steep in places, making the trail a good workout. When walked clockwise, the first point of interest is the Rocky Knoll lookout.



After another couple of kilometres you'll come to the Goolman lookout. From here you have panoramic views of the scenic rim, Mt Goolman and Ivory's Rock. On a clear day you can see all the way back to the Brisbane CBD.

The vegetation is quintessential dry eucalypt forest. The brush-tailed rock wallaby and red-tailed black cockatoo are two of the more interesting animals that can be found in this area, although on this occasion all we spotted were a couple of large goannas.


Flinders-Goolman estate can be reached by taking the Centenary Highway out of Brisbane and turning off onto the Ipswich-Boonah Road. It's then about 4 kilometres down a dirt road, so be prepared to collect some dust on your car.

This is a terrific area for bushwalking and picnicking less than an hour from the centre of Brisbane.

Download the trail guide before you go.

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