National Park Experience

Day trips to Springbrook National Park have always been something my family and I have enjoyed, and it is often the first place we think of outside our more local walks up Mt Gravatt or Toohey Forest. There are six of us in total (not counting our feisty, but loveable, pet bird) and we will all occasionally take the day off to go and walk the Twins falls circuit. We love this track because it is pleasantly challenging, without being a proper hike (that being said, if you ever feel like a long day walk try the 14km Warrie circuit!)

While I love everything about the environment up at Springbrook, the winding paths, amazing, tall trees, cascading waterfalls, and the classic call of the whip-bird, I have two favourite parts of the twin falls circuit. The first is the rock tunnel around halfway through, just before the branch to the Warrie Circuit.

Something about how big those rocks are, and how small it makes you feel, has always instilled me with a sense of awe. The second is near the end of the circuit and where you can look out over the rolling landscape towards the gold coast. Makes you realise how high up you are! We will often stop at the top and munch on some apples and vegemite shapes (the best kind in my opinion) before continuing on to the finish. Once we do we usually wind down and get some food at one of the local restaurants. I fondly recall having some amazing fudge at The Fudge Shop (go check them out if you’re up there!).

Going on these trips with my family always reminds me how much I love being outside and the calm being in nature gives me. This feeling has carried me through many years of geography and biology through high school and finally to an environmental management degree in university. Where I have studied mapping, geology, ecology and social science among other things. Now as I walk along these paths I can name the trees and the soil, and knowing that much more about the environment we live in has made me feel more connected to it than ever (if you love fun facts I would definitely recommend bringing an environment buff along on your walks!).

Having protected areas such as Springbrook National Park, I believe, is essential, not just for the preservation of our amazing fauna and flora but also for our physical and mental wellbeing and carbon sequestration. Our protected areas offer so much for our communities and having such easy access to them in Queensland is a real treat. I am now working with NPAQ on a weekly basis to help protect our natural areas and possibly even facilitate the creation of new ones (fingers crossed!).

I believe that the protection of areas we enjoy now is essential to enable future generations to enjoy them as well.