Ravensbourne NP complete!

We visited my parents retirement house in mid-March for a family weekend of fun and revelry! My husband and I used the opportunity to walk the remaining tracks of Ravensbourne National Park that we hadn't yet seen. We can now officially tick off this small and beautiful site as complete! 

We arrived before the other visitors on the Saturday morning and hiked the longest track with my parents, the 6.2 kilometre return Buaraba Creek track. It begins at the main carpark and picnic area for the walks, with the first couple of kilometres following the circuit tracks through rainforest. The Creek track then branches off on its own, changing to eucalypt forest and ending in a stair descent to arrive at Buaraba Creek.

The varied flora keeps the walk interesting, and with some recent rainfall there were wild flowers along most of the track, and the creek was flowing with clear, cool water. We rested at the creek and enjoyed the cooler temperature and shade after the exposed stairs down. We had started walking just before 10am and began the return walk about 11am. It was a good time of year for this track as the moderate temperature was a lot more pleasant for uphill walking than summer temperatures would be!

All in all the walk took us a bit more than two hours, with another short rest on the way back. With a bit more fitness under our belts I think this track could be done in under two hours without too much trouble.
It's always interesting hiking with people you don't often walk with. My husband and I enjoyed the different types of conversation and observations that my parents brought to the walk. They're quite experienced hikers as well and we look forward to walking with them more often once their retirement begins. ​

This left us with one final short circuit, ​Cedar Block, at only 500 metres. We visited this track and the lookout on the Sunday morning with my brother and his partner before we left for home. The Gus Beutel lookout is a bit further on than the carpark for the walking tracks, you just continue driving a few more minutes into the national park. 
There's plenty of parking, and a large, beautiful picnic area to enjoy. The lookout gives you wonderful views through the Lockyer Valley towards Brisbane and the Scenic Rim. The circuit track begins near the lookout at the bottom of the picnic area, meandering through the rainforest before ending back in the picnic area at a different spot. 

My brother and his partner are both plant people, they live and work for indoor and outdoor plant propagation, and helping their local communities learn about and love all things plant life. Although the circuit is short, it was a joy being with people who knew what plants we were looking at, and could comment on their variety, history and health.

Ravensbourne National Park is such a beautiful place to hike and visit, and we'll certainly return to the tracks there in the future. It's accessible for bushwalkers with little experience and has a lot of variety to offer for walking and picnicking. 

We're very lucky that my parents' retirement house is in an area near not only Ravensbourne, but also Crows Nest, Esk, and Lockyer National Parks, as well as several state forests and local dam sites. It will be difficult choosing where to walk next, as it will always be a balance between exploring somewhere new and visiting somewhere we already know is a great location!