Our friends over at Discover Ipswich teamed up with blogger Rochelle Vaisanen to share some top tips for enjoying the outdoors in Ipswich. Check them out for yourself.
With the Lockyer Valley and Scenic Rim hugging its borders, Ipswich is surrounded by diverse landscapes, from sprawling countryside to peaks reaching 679m above sea level.
There’s no shortage of multi-purpose trails or waterways to explore by horse, bike, foot or boat. Clear your schedule and enjoy an outdoor adventure.
1. Take the reins along Flinders Goolman horse trail
Got horse? Can ride. Just 16km from the CBD, Flinders Goolman Conservation Reserve is a filly-friendly playground, with three dedicated trails to choose from.
For a warm up, hoof it to the Goolman Horse Trail, a 9km circuit that skirts the base of the Rocky Knoll before heading to Goolman Lookout.
If you’ve still got some horsepower left in the tank, head 5km down the road to Flinders Plum Picnic Area and trot onto the Mt Blaine Hiking Track to immerse yourself in Spotted Gum and Ironbark forest.
From the saddle, keep your eyes peeled for sightings such as koalas, wallabies and red-tailed black cockatoos.
2. Summit Flinders Peak
With the Teviot Range skirting the borders of Ipswich, it’s no surprise the city has a peak or two to climb.
Start with Flinders Peak, which reaches 679m above sea-level. This trail is rated as the hardest climb (Grade 5) on the Ipswich hiking circuit and promises to put your navigation skills to the test.
The reward for quad-burning scaling? Million dollar views across the Fassifern Valley and Lamington Plateau.
3. Go for a paddle at Colleges Crossing
Grab an oar and explore Ipswich’s water playground, Colleges Crossing.
On the banks of the Brisbane River, Colleges is the perfect spot to launch your canoe.
Downstream will take you to the junction of the Brisbane and Bremer River at Barellan Point (14km) or upstream towards Wivenhoe Dam.
If you don’t want to venture too far, there’s plenty of water to have a leisurely paddle in the safety of the crossing.
4. Go for a walk to ‘The Rock’
Head to “The Rock” where you’ll find a bevy of trails ranging from 200m to 19km within the White Rock – Spring Mountain Conservation Estate.
For an Instagrammable moment, you’ll have to walk 3km (6.5km round trip) on the White Rock Trail to reach the base of the rock.
The trail starts at Paperbark Flats Picnic Area, at the end of School Road at Redbank Plains and crosses over the multi-purpose track before winding down the single trail.
After you’ve grabbed a snap for Instagram, continue along White Rock Ridge Track (WRRT) to the ridge for uninterrupted views towards Springfield and Brisbane.
5. Throw down the picnic blanket at Kholo Gardens
Spanning across 40 hectares, Kholo Gardens is the perfect spot to claim a patch of grass, throw down your blanket and unwind with a picnic.
Just 12 minutes from the city centre, set on a heritage-listed coal mining site and old water pumping station, the grounds are now an oasis of subtropical rainforest, lily ponds and waterfalls.
To work up an appetite for your picnic, take to one of the tracks ranging from 170m to 560m return which will have you back in no time to pop the lid on your basket.
Not a fan of a picnic? Pack an esky and fire up the gas on the barbecues and relax under a gazebo.
6. Take a drive to a camel farm
Did you know camels have a lateral walking gait, and can run as fast as a horse?
Beyond their athletic abilities, they also produce milk that’s three times higher in Vitamin C and 10 times higher in iron than cows milk.
Try it for yourself, heading 25 minutes from the CBD to Summer Land Camel Farm, Australia’s largest camel dairy and training centre.
Join the cameleers as they take you through the farming operations, or become a scientist and get a behind-the-scenes look at the products made in the laboratory.
Finish your day with a camel gelato from the Farm Cafe, which has a menu packed with dishes made from their award-winning camel milk and locally sourced produce from the surrounding Scenic Rim.
7. Grab a bike and hit the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail
Considering the longest multi-purpose trail in Australia starts in Ipswich, there’s no better way to explore the old Brisbane Valley rail line than by grabbing a mountain bike and turning up the pedal power.
The 161km Brisbane Valley Rail Trail (BVRT), runs from Ipswich to Yarraman and passes through farmland, forests and small country towns.
If you prefer to go off road and get dirty, head to Hidden Vale Adventure Park (HVAP) and explore Australia’s largest dedicated mountain bike park.