Gold Creek Reservoir Hike

Gold Creek Reservoir Hike

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Posted 2021-02-03 by Cris follow
Gold Creek Reservoir is a great hike on a trail that circumnavigates the water reservoir located in the suburb of Upper Brookfield.

The hike is enjoyable and easy and it gives you the chance to practice your orientation skills and to improve your fitness without having to drive too far.

The trail is about 6km long, allow about two hours. Bring hiking gear, lots of water, snacks, your phone and first aid kit. It is recommended to hike with a friend or in a group.



The trail starts at the ample carpark at the end of Gold Creek Rd. Gold Creek Rd is a scenic drive, meandering in a most idyllic area outside Brisbane. Houses have big land around with horses wrapped in their blankets and cattle placidly grazing the green grass.



Park your car, put your hiking boots on and head toward the gate. From here you can decide to hike the trail clockwise or anticlockwise. Personally I hike the track in a clockwise mode, going up the green hill and following the trail.



There are toilet facilities and before than set up for the walk stop at the board that has a map and historical information about the Reservoir. Take a photo of the map and start the walk under a nice canopy of trees.



The surround of the trail is mainly bush; there are chances to spot wildlife, especially birds. The bellbirds singing will be with you for all the length of the track. Many times I have seen wild pig activities: the pigs move the dirt searching for roots and critters to eat but I have never managed to see a wild pig yet.

At a certain point on the trail, there is a cage that seems constructed to trap wild pigs!



You can see vegetation typical of rainforest like the Walking Stick Palm, a small understorey palm that produces edible red berries. I have eaten the berries but I think they taste like unripe fruit, slightly acidic and in overall not very pleasant!



At the end of the track you can see the Gold Creek Dam, featuring a concrete stepped spillway. After a heavy rain it is possible to see the water cascading on the huge steps, quite a sight!



There is also a huge filter, one of the few historical artifacts.



I have hiked Gold Creek Reservoir in the evening and it was a great experience. Make sure to have a head torch with fully charged batteries. Stop along the trail to hear the noises of the forest in the night. At the end of the walk I was delighted to spot a big platypus in the creek just under the bridge.

In season the creek under the bridge is full of beautiful waterlilies.



A bit of history.

The Gold Creek Dam was built in 1885 to supplement Enoggera dam. In 1928 a tunnel was constructed to join Gold Creek to Enoggera Creek and now the two reservoirs work as a single water storage.





#brookfield
#nature
#outdoor
#photography
#places_of_interest
#queensland
#walks
%wnbrisbane
160225 - 2023-06-14 17:26:59

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