Boondall Wetlands: Walks, Bird Hides and the Environment Centre

Boondall Wetlands is a coastal wetland reserve in Brisbane’s north-east with a mangrove boardwalk, two bird hides and an Environment Centre, and it is open from 6 am to 7 pm every day. Tidal flats, mangroves, saltmarsh, melaleuca wetlands, grassland and eucalypt forest sit side by side, and the reserve is internationally important habitat for migratory shorebirds.

The tracks are short and easy, so you can do a 15 minute plant walk with small kids or string several together into a half-day of birdwatching on the bay side of Boondall.

Walks at Boondall Wetlands

There are three walking tracks, all rated easy: mostly flat, with minor slopes and a fairly even surface. The Environment Centre has brochures and a track map, so it is a handy place to start.

Tabbil-ban dhagun Boardwalk (1.5 km, about 1 hour)

The name means “place of salt water”. The track passes through the mangroves along the shore of Moreton Bay and the bank of Nudgee Creek, and a bird hide looks over the tidal flats at the creek mouth. At low tide those flats are where the shorebirds feed.

Billai dhagun Circuit (2 km, about 1 hour)

“Place of she-oaks” is a loop through several wetland communities, including a stretch of she-oak forest. The vegetation changes as the salt level changes. There is a second bird hide where Nundah and Cabbage Tree creeks meet, and it is a good place to watch an osprey dive for fish. Some of the Nurri Millen totems, cast aluminium figures that represent aspects of Indigenous Australian culture, are on this walk too. Pick up a brochure at the Environment Centre.

A children’s Hide ‘n’ Seek Trail runs on this circuit, and there is a map to download.

Tulla-yugaipa dhagun Track (100 m, about 15 minutes)

“Place of useful plants” is a short track with signs naming plants that Indigenous and colonial people once used, and what they used them for.

Birdwatching

Boondall Wetlands is best known for its birds. Large numbers of migratory shorebirds visit between September and March each year, and the two bird hides give you a clear view over the water and mudflats without disturbing them.

Keep to the tracks, walk quietly, watch from a distance, avoid walking or paddling close to shorebird habitat and do not touch wildlife.

Boondall Wetlands Environment Centre

The centre is at 31 Paperbark Drive and is the usual starting point. It is open Tuesday to Friday from 9 am to 4 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 9 am to 12 pm, and closed on Mondays. Inside there is an interactive display area, an information desk and a free native plants nursery, and there are public toilets, including accessible toilets.

The centre runs nature events and activities, and current ones are listed on the Environment Centre page. The centre and many paths are wheelchair and pram accessible, with automatic doors.

Bikeway, lookout and canoe trail

The Boondall Wetlands Bikeway is a 13 km return shared path from the Brisbane Entertainment Centre to Nudgee Beach, passing the Environment Centre and the Anne Beasley Lookout. It takes about 1 hour to cycle or 3.5 hours to walk. The lookout sits beside the bikeway and looks over the wetlands and Moreton Bay. Bikes are for the bikeway only, not the walking tracks.

The Nundah Creek Canoe Trail is 2.1 km. It starts at the Sinbad Street boat ramp at Shorncliffe and follows Nundah Creek past Dinah Island. Check tides, currents and wind, wear a life jacket and tell someone your plans. A second launch point is at the O’Quinn Street ramp on the Nudgee Beach side.

Is Boondall Wetlands dog friendly?

Yes, on a leash at all times, and you need to pick up after your dog. The off-leash dog park nearby is at Tuckeroo Park, Nudgee Beach.

Planning your visit

• How long: 15 minutes for the plant track; about an hour for the boardwalk or the circuit; allow half a day to combine tracks with the centre and a picnic.
• Best time: September to March for migratory shorebirds, at low tide.
• Picnics: there are picnic tables and toilets near the Environment Centre and at the Tuckeroo Park boat ramp.
• What to bring: water, a hat, sunscreen, insect repellent and comfortable shoes. Carry a phone and a track map, tell someone where you are going, and go with a friend.
• Not allowed: camping, fires, horse riding, motorbikes and unauthorised vehicles.

Getting there and parking

By car, the Environment Centre is at 31 Paperbark Drive, at the end of Bicentennial Road, Boondall. It is about 22 km by road from the Brisbane CBD, about 25 minutes by car without traffic. The wetlands can also be reached from Nudgee Road, Nudgee, and there are car parks and boat ramps at Sinbad Street (Shorncliffe), O’Quinn Street (Nudgee Beach) and Tuckeroo Park (off Nudgee Road). The main car park is at the Environment Centre, and you can drive and park there.

By train, get off at Boondall station and walk 1.6 km to the centre. For buses and times, use the Translink Journey Planner or call 13 12 30.

The council’s Boondall Wetlands page has the track map. Details can change, so check it before you go.

Nearby

• Nudgee – Nudgee Waterhole Reserve and the other parks on the wetlands’ doorstep.
• Nudgee Beach – mangroves, a boardwalk and dogs at the northern end of the bikeway.
• Shorncliffe Pier – fishing and history, close to the canoe trail’s start.
• Lower Moora Park, Shorncliffe – playground, beach and pier for the kids.
• Tinchi Tamba Wetlands – another bird hide and boardwalk, on the Pine River.
• Hays Inlet – a mangrove and saltmarsh wetland on Bramble Bay.

Browse more nature walks and wildlife watching spots.

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• Whites Hill Reserve (Camp Hill)
• Toohey Forest (Nathan)
• Oxley Creek Common (Rocklea)

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