Travel – Harriet's Hamper

This weekend we decided to embark on a slightly more intense trek and found that Mount Barney National Park had a range of different tracks on offer. Considering the drive to Mount Barney was going to take nearly 2 hours, we decided to embark on the 3 hour Lower Portals track and set off before 8am (we are still beginners after all!)

Driving down from Brisbane we planned to stop for our ritual pre-trek breakfast at Rathdowney on the Mount Lindsay highway. Just outside of the town centre is Rathlogan Grove with its very own Hilltop cafe nestled amongst the olive trees. The cafe is quite charming with its rural surrounds and small store selling a range of goods from country kitchen wares and boutique skincare to their very own olive oils and dressings (of which we purchased a few). Although their menu didn’t clearly state gluten-free options, they were more than happy to provide gluten-free bread which turned out to be of the best handmade variety.

Breakfast & Views from Hilltop Cafe, Rathlogan Grove

After fuelling up, we made our way to the start of the trek at the Lower Portals car park in Mount Barney National Park. As Upper Logan Road steadily transformed into a dirt track, we were baffled as to where the Lower Portals car park actually was and ended up at Yellow Pinch Reserve.

At this point in time we had both lost mobile signal so we were without navigation. Luckily for us, there were some handy (though no very detailed) maps at the Yellow Pinch Reserve notice board and we discovered we’d somehow driven past Lower Portals road.

We eventually found Lower Portals car park (the sign for Lower Portals Road was obscured by a sign for Barney Creek Vineyard Cottages!) put on our hiking boots and headed out on the track. The Lower Portals track is a class 4 track (based on Australian standards) with a distance of 7.4km return – taking around 3 hours in all.

The track itself had a mixture of terrains, with some very steep inclines and a small amount of rock climbing at points. What started off as a fairly cloudy and cool day quickly turned into a very hot and humid one – add steep and uneven tracks in the mix and you’ve got yourself a recipe for a sweaty hike!

We were already worn out by the time we reached the first creek

Despite the intensity, there seemed to be a great mixture of people attempting the hike including young children and some elderly folks (who we were unsure were going to make it to the end!) Matt described some parts of the track as an ‘arid hellscape’ with the red-orange rocks and tree roots engulfing the steepest inclines. It was certainly a step up from our trek at Lake Wivenhoe!

After around 1 hour and 20 minutes of ups and downs we reached the creek at the end of the track (hurrah!). I was surprised that the creek was so clear and clean and began to regret not taking any swimwear with me (I was pretty hot and sweaty by this point!)

The first point of the creek – the water is so clear!

Although you can swim at the first point of the creek (the first part is surprisingly quieter), you have to jump over the stepping stones and clamber over some rocks on the other side to reach the more popular swimming holes.

The more popular swimming holes & sunbathing spots on the other side of the creek

Here we found congregations of families and friends eating picnics, enjoying a swim and sunbathing on the many rocks. After removing socks and shoes and dipping our feet into the water, we both decided that we probably wouldn’t have been swimming after all – the pool was freezing cold even despite the heat! Despite the large amount of people there, the creek had a rather relaxing vibe to it. We even saw a wild turtle milling around in the water, keeping its distance from the splashing children.

Overall, the trek was quite intense in terms of the steep inclines, high humidity and temperatures, but thoroughly enjoyable all the same! The track provides an array of different scenery and terrains meaning you’ll never get bored of repetition and the creek at the end is just an added bonus! Ensure you take plenty of water, optional swimwear and perhaps a picnic to enjoy once you reach the creek. Expect to be out for at least 4 hours so remember your sunscreen and protective gear. Oh and bear in mind there’s little to no mobile phone signal so make sure you download your offline maps beforehand.

Have you recently completed a Mount Barney trek? We’d love to hear from you!

Happy hiking! 🙂

Determined to make the most of the weekends, I’ve been on a quest to find interesting treks and places to visit just outside of Brisbane city. This weekend, we decided to trek around Lake Wivenhoe and discover the nearby historic town of Esk.

Esk is a small countryside town north-west of Brisbane city, on the edge of the rather grand Lake Wivenhoe. Known for its charming cafes and antique stores, Esk reminisces of a by-gone era. Driving from Brisbane, we took the M2 then A17, the latter providing incredible views of Lake Wivenhoe as we made our way to Esk.

We decided to stop in Esk for breakfast before heading back to our trek (which we’d already driven past). We stumbled across Nash Gallery and Cafe, drawn in by its historic colonial architecture.

The cafe had a few gluten free options on the menu but I got distracted by the mouth-watering fresh gluten-free cakes on display at the counter.

I opted for a flourless, gluten-free chocolate cake and a chai latte with almond milk since I wasn’t overly hungry. The flourless cake was decadent, chocolately and moist just as it should be. They also had gluten-free chocolate brownies and a pear and pistachio cake amongst others!

Delicious flourless gluten-free chocolate cake

We then headed south to Lake Winvehoe for the Wivenhoe Hill trek. The trek consists of 4 trails: black, blue, red and white. We decided that a 9km trek would be sufficient for the day, so we started on the blue trail, planning to make our way back to the car park via the black trail.

Map of the Wivenhoe Hill trails (taken at the end of the Blue Trail)

The beginning of the Blue Trail was a little odd – a seemingly abandoned tarmac road that eventually looped back on itself – turning into a dead end. We then realised that the trail continued up and away from the road and into dense bushland.

Beginning of the Blue Trail from the car park

This is where the Blue Trail got a bit more difficult. You could definitely tell that the trail we really designed for people on horses more than people on foot but it made for an interesting trek all the same.

Overgrown trails, an array of wild birds and a challenging route proved for an interesting trek on the Blue Trail. The only disappointment was the lack of views over Lake Wivenhoe. The trail got so close to the waters edge and yet the views of the lake were constantly hidden by foliage. If you’re looking for picturesque views of the lake, this trek isn’t for you!

The only view of Lake Wivenhoe from the trail

The Black Trail returned to the abandoned tarmac road which made for a rather hot return journey. Although the majority of the Blue Trail was under the cover of the trees, the Black Trail was open to the elements and the harsh heat of the midday sun – remember your hat, sunscreen and water!

Driving over the dam at Lake Wivenhoe – finally, views of the lake!

If you’re looking for a challenging and quiet trek, the Wivenhoe Hill trails are a good start, with an array of different trails and distances to mix and match. Just bear in mind the lack of facilities and the difficult nature of some of the trails. If you’re simply after an enjoyable day out not too far from Brisbane city, we highly recommend visiting Esk and Lake Wivenhoe, even if its just for the views.

Have you recently been on any other treks around Lake Wivenhoe? I’d love to hear any recommendations!

Happy reading! 🙂

Tag: Travel

Mount Barney Lower Portals Trek

Trekking at Lake Wivenhoe