Houghton Highway: Bridge Walk, Cycling and Hornibrook Fishing Pier

The Houghton Highway is the long concrete bridge across Hays Inlet that links Clontarf on the Redcliffe Peninsula with Brighton in Brisbane, and walkers, cyclists and anglers use the bridge next door and the old Hornibrook pier beside it. The 2.74 km highway carries northbound traffic, while its twin, the Ted Smout Memorial Bridge, carries southbound traffic and has the walking and cycling path.

It makes a good flat walk or ride with water on both sides, and a fishing spot for people who like a long structure to fish from.

The Houghton Highway, Ted Smout and Hornibrook bridges

Three bridges have crossed this stretch of Bramble Bay. The Hornibrook Bridge opened on 4 October 1935 as a toll bridge. The Houghton Highway opened on 20 December 1979, and the Hornibrook was closed to traffic that year.

The Ted Smout Memorial Bridge opened on 11 July 2010. It is 2.74 km long and sits about 30 m east of the Houghton Highway. After it opened most of the Hornibrook was demolished. The council says its art deco portals and fishing pier are all that remain.

Walking and cycling the bridge

The Ted Smout Memorial Bridge has a shared walking and cycling path. It is 4.5 m wide, runs both ways and is separated from the traffic lanes by a concrete barrier.

The bridge is 2.74 km long, so a return walk is more than 5 km. There is little shelter on the open water, so take a hat, sunscreen and water.

Path, platform and pier conditions can change with works, weather and tides, so check for current closures or notices before you set out. The Houghton Highway itself no longer has a footway: its original footway was removed in 1982, so use the path on the Ted Smout bridge.

Fishing at the Houghton Highway and Hornibrook pier

There are two fishing options. The Ted Smout Memorial Bridge has a fishing platform measuring 10 m by 50 m near the Pine River channel. At the Clontarf end the remaining part of the old Hornibrook Bridge is a fishing pier.

The City of Moreton Bay mentions the Hornibrook Bridge fishing platform as a place to fish near Bells Beach Park, and Visit Moreton Bay lists Hornibrook Pier among the accessible highlights of the Redcliffe Peninsula foreshore. Size and bag limits for tidal waters are on the Queensland Government tidal limits page, and the Qld Fishing 2.0 app carries the latest rules.

Bells Beach Park and the Clontarf foreshore

Bells Beach Park, on Hornibrook Esplanade at Clontarf, is the easiest base for the pier. It has a car park, toilets, electric barbecues, shaded picnic tables, shelters, seating, a water fountain and beach access.

A shared pathway runs from the park east to Woody Point Jetty and west to the Hornibrook Bridge fishing platform. Dogs are allowed on the shared pathway but must be on a leash.

Planning your visit

• Cost: the council does not list a fee for Bells Beach Park, and no fee is listed for the path.
• What to bring: water, a hat, sunscreen and wind protection for the bridge; your own rod and bait if you plan to fish.
• Accessibility: Hornibrook Pier is listed as an accessible highlight on the Redcliffe Peninsula foreshore trail, but no surface or gradient details are published.
• Dogs: on a leash on the shared pathway at Bells Beach Park.

Getting there and parking

Bells Beach Park is about 30 km from the Brisbane CBD, about 35 minutes by car without heavy traffic. The park has a car park; the council page does not give its size or any fee. The bus stop on Hornibrook Esplanade at Bells Beach is stop 310397. Plan a trip with the Translink Journey Planner or call 13 12 30.

Nearby

• Woody Point Jetty – at the east end of the shared pathway from Bells Beach Park.
• Redcliffe – the peninsula’s main foreshore, jetty and cafes.
• Redcliffe Markets – a weekend stop.
• Shorncliffe Pier – another long pier for a walk or a fish.
• Sandgate Town Hall – a heritage landmark on the Brisbane side.
• Beginner’s guide to fishing – what to carry before your first cast.

Browse more fishing spots and things to do on the Redcliffe Peninsula.

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• Jacobs Well (Gold Coast)
• Macleay Island (Redlands)
• Beechmont (Gold Coast Hinterland)

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