Unlike people we once hanged out with, we have more interests than Low Ranging the same area week after week. We enjoy company with our pup and don’t need to be the center of everyone’s attention. We are also lucky to associate ourselves with a variety of people in our lives. Some of our favorite people we catch up with is our dog walking group. It’s great to catch up with life mined people for a nice walk and a breakfast chat. We have listed a few walks we enjoy.
Walk - Newstead House to New Farm (and back)
Newstead House is the oldest surviving residence in Brisbane, dating from 1846, and occupied by Patrick Leslie at that time. Also here is the charmingly named Breakfast Creek. Apparently this is where early explorer John Oxley paused for…well, for breakfast. This walk is stunning, and one of our favorites.
If you don't have time or if the house is not open, then walk in its gardens to get a view from the hill and head back along the path you came. There are some lovely Poinciana trees in Newstead Park, along with a whole lot of other plants and flowers. People also spend a good deal of time here fishing. Leaving from Newstead House, we then headed down to the waterfront, past the rather expensive-looking apartments in Teneriffe. This is an old warehouse section, and remains of docks and port facilities remain. There are still a lot of warehouses (wool mostly) along here but they have been converted into apartment blocks, retaining the outer facade and interior wooden beams. Also along the river are displays of a series of plaques and submarine shaped benches that tell the story of submarine events during WW1 to WW2 and to the current day. We kept going until we hit the Watt Restaurant/Cafe under the Powerhouse.
We stopped to have breakfast. The walk is flat at 3.6kms or 45mins each way, it’s a great walk for the active people and dogs. As you head back there’s a great dog park about three quarters of the way where you can stop to let the dogs off the leash.
Walk in Minnippi Parklands
This is one of the best walks in Brisbane, almost totally flat through very large, well-maintained parklands. It's a popular place but loads of empty space to take a deep breath. At the end is a great dog park, divided into two, for small and larger dogs.
One of Brisbane’s most charming walks is buried in Eastern suburbia that is largely known for its shopping complex rather than its nature. Following Bulimba Creek all the way from the depths of suburban cul-de-sacs via the back of Carindale Shopping Centre and on to the lush Minnippi Parklands is about 9km return of well maintained tracks.
With the odd gentle slope, the wide concrete path winds through wooded glades, meadows, over little wooden bridges and has an excellent playground as either a starting point for the less experienced/younger riders or a halfway point for others. Bulimba Creek itself is home to turtles that congregate near the picnic shelters in expectation of food scraps as well as a range of water birds. The closest cafe is The Coffee Club about 1km down the road - let's see what everyone wants to do on the day.
But the piece de resistance of this journey is Minnippi Parklands, an oasis like expanse of rolling green with a tranquil lagoon (one of the last original lagoons in the eastern suburbs – others have been subject to infill), plenty of picnic tables and shelters, hills with views to the Mc Donnell ranges and an aerodrome themed playground. On the hill near the playground is a fenced off dilapidated farm building with rusted vintage machinery that could be a remnant of Holmwood, the family farm of the Stanton family who were the first settlers in the area.
Brekkie @ Brown Dog Cafe, Wooloongabba
One of our favourite Cafes to visit would be Brown Dog Café. With a sunny corner outlook and simple facade, Brown Dog Cafe is an unassuming, hole-in-the-wall style cafe. Popular with cyclists, dog walkers and nonchalant wanderers, the cafe offers a footpath dining area and for pooches and their walkers to relax. Red-hued high-school lockers, pop art and colourful stools add a splash of colour to the interior, while the glowing cake cabinet is full of fresh takeaway options for breakfast and lunch on the run. On that note, one of the standout dishes happens to be the Dog breakfast – scrambled eggs, haloumi, avocado, roma tomato and spinach.
Manly - Boardwalk
This leisurely scenic seafront walk of around 10km return packs a lot of variety into its length, from the pristine waters of Oyster Point at the start to the new and old fashioned water park at Wynnum, to the vast marina of yachts that defines Manly. In Wynnum's main street is dog-friendly Frenchies cafe which makes a good starting or end point. On the 1st and 3rd Saturday mornings of the month Jan Powers Manly Market makes a top spot for brunch with dog in tow.
We started the walk at the crescent of Waterloo Esplanade facing Oyster Point, where a breakwater with a sole bench juts out into the sea. From here it’s about 500m to the charming little white sand Pandanus Beach, jetty, 1930’s tidal wading pool and whale aquativity sculptures that constitute Wynnum Water Park. The excitement level drops a bit after this as the path faithfully sticks by the sea all the way to Manly via a series of picnic shelters, a playground and band stand.
Upon reaching Manly, there are plenty of refreshment options, prime location is Tide Wine Bar (and cafe) right on the jetty yachting enthusiasts may talk their way into the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron for a halfway meal or snack at the Boardwalk Cafe overlooking the water while another option is Cafe La Mer, tucked away inconspicuously on a boardwalk in the adjacent East Coast Marina. Or take a detour up to Cambridge Parade for a bite to eat and coffee in Manly's only laneway cafe, Cambridge Lane Espresso.
Brisbane Riverwalk
The Brisbane Riverwalk is one of Brisbane’s absolute must do’s, a water highway for pedestrians and cyclists jutting out along the most scenic tract of Brisbane river between New Farm to the Howard St Wharves and on to the Brisbane CBD.
This permanent fixture was built to replace Brisbane's first floating riverwalk, a visionary yet doomed project that was all but swept away in the 2011 floods, when it was shown to be no match for the might of a swollen raging Brisbane river.
The 870m long Riverwalk is happily segregated into dedicated roadways for cyclists and pedestrians so neither can intrude on other’s turf, with cyclists enjoying a 3.5m path and a comfortable 2.5m one for pedestrians.
We took the entry from the New Farm end is at Riverview Court (river end tip of Merthyr Rd) and the Riverwalk ends at the historic Howard Smith Wharves to connect with the riverside boardwalk to Brisbane’s CBD.
Right on the Brisbane River, Riverbar & Kitchen is a one-of-a-kind waterfront destination. With spectacular views, delectable food and an extensive array of drinks, Riverbar & Kitchen has the best beer garden in Brisbane and is ideal for any time of the day, and a get drink stop before heading back to New Farm.
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