Nudgee: Waterhole Reserve, Boondall Wetlands and Getting There

Nudgee is a north Brisbane suburb about 25 minutes by car from the CBD, with the paperbark bushland of Nudgee Waterhole Reserve and the huge Boondall Wetlands right next door. The name comes from a Yuggera word meaning “place of ducks”, and the creeks and waterholes still draw plenty of birds.

If you are searching for the beach, that is the neighbouring suburb of Nudgee Beach, which has its own guide below. This post covers the suburb itself and the green spaces around it.

Nudgee Waterhole Reserve

Nudgee Waterhole Reserve is at 1186 Nudgee Road, beside the Gateway Motorway. There is a picnic and barbecue area, a nature-themed playground, a drinking tap and a fully fenced dog off-leash area, all in paperbark bushland. Entry is free.

The reserve was rebuilt after the Gateway Motorway upgrade removed car parks, a barbecue and picnic facilities. Council’s upgrade restored them and added a new picnic and barbecue area, a nature-themed play area and a vegetation buffer beside the motorway.

Boondall Wetlands next door

Boondall Wetlands is Brisbane’s largest wetlands, at about 1,150 hectares on the edge of Moreton Bay. You can reach the bikeway and boardwalk from Nudgee Road, and the Environment Centre and walking tracks from Paperbark Drive. It is open 6 am to 7 pm daily.

There are three easy walking trails, from 100 m to 2 km, plus the Hide ‘n’ Seek Children’s Trail on the Billai Dhagun Circuit and the Nurri Millen Totems Trail, where 18 aluminium totems refer to food, plants, animals, tools, camp life and the Dreaming. The shared bikeway is a 13 km return trip. More than 190 bird species have been recorded, and migratory shorebirds visit from September to April. Council lists kites, ospreys, godwits, plovers, curlews and rainbow bee-eaters among them.

The Environment Centre has interactive displays and is open Tuesday to Friday 9 am to 4 pm and Saturday and Sunday 9 am to 12 pm, closed Mondays. Picnic tables and toilets are near the centre and at the Tuckeroo Park boat ramp off Nudgee Road. Dogs are welcome on a leash, and council points to the fenced dog park at Tuckeroo Park, Nudgee Beach, for off-leash running. Please keep dogs on a leash near the shorebirds and watch them from a distance.

The wetlands take in hypersaline flats and tidal mudflats, which show up at low tide.

Other parks in Nudgee

Nudgee Recreation Reserve, at 290 Elliott Road, has a BMX track and lit sporting fields, and a clubhouse with public toilets. Dent Park, at 65 St Achs Street, is a small neighbourhood park with drinking water.

For mangroves, a boardwalk and a playground by the bay, see Nudgee Beach.

Is Nudgee worth a visit?

Yes, if you like bushland and birds more than shops. The suburb is quiet and mostly residential, so the reason to come is the reserve and the wetlands, and you can easily spend a morning at both without paying for anything.

Cemetery, college and station

Nudgee Cemetery is on St Vincents Road and is run by the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane. St Joseph’s Nudgee College is in neighbouring Boondall, not in the suburb itself. The Nudgee railway station is on the Shorncliffe line.

Planning your visit

• How long: one to two hours at the reserve, half a day if you add a wetlands walk.
• Cost: free.
• Best time: morning for birds, and September to April for migratory shorebirds at the wetlands.
• What to bring: water, sun protection, insect repellent, and a map or phone for the wetlands tracks.

Getting to Nudgee and parking

By car, Nudgee Waterhole Reserve is about 20 minutes from the Brisbane CBD (about 17 km without traffic), and the Boondall Wetlands Environment Centre is about 25 minutes. The reserve has its own car parks. At the wetlands, the main car park is reached via Stanworth Road, and there is also parking on O’Quinn Street and at the Tuckeroo Park boat ramp.

By train, Nudgee station is on the Shorncliffe line on Railway Street. Check Translink service alerts and the Journey Planner, or call 13 12 30. Council’s page for the wetlands is brisbane.qld.gov.au.

Nearby

• Nudgee Beach – mangroves, boardwalk and playground on the bay.
• Brisbane Entertainment Centre – the big Boondall venue for concerts and events.
• Shorncliffe Pier – fishing and history on the bay.
• Lower Moora Park, Shorncliffe – beach, playground and pier.
• Chermside – the big Westfield shopping centre.

Browse more parks, nature walks and everything in Brisbane.

You might also like

• Kalinga Park (Brisbane)
• Aspley (Brisbane)
• Carseldine (Brisbane)

Quick answers