Paperbark Walk - May 2022

Conditions were about to get a bit damp underfoot! 

This little walk was really an after thought today. I'd been exploring the 1770 / Agnes Water area all day and was looking for something that would kill an hour, so that I could grab some dinner tonight when I motored through Bundaberg. After finishing off the Red Rock Trail I was sitting in the ute listening to the rain on the roof when I noticed a short (very short) walk on Alltrails nearby. A walk through a Paperbark forest sounded interesting and by the time I mucked around taking photos I could stretch it out a bit and at least use up a fair bit of that hour.

Leaving the car park the walk started off fairly normally. 

This little reserve is managed by Bush Heritage Australia.  

I took the right branch and walked the circuit counter clockwise. 

Like the nearby Red Rock Trail this Paperbark Walk looks like it's managed by Bush Heritage Australia and immediately after leaving the ute I arrived at a couple of information boards explaining both Bush Heritage and the Paperbark Forest. This is loop walk and I decided to complete it in a counter clockwise direction this afternoon - and straight away there was an issue. Yes, the track was flooded (who would of guessed - Queensland had recently gone through once in a hundred year rainfall events in both April and May). Not being easily deterred I decided to push on, I was wearing Tevas anyway and I was pretty sure I wouldn't be wading waist deep.

I was soon sloshing my way through the water.

I'd come prepared in my Teva's. 

The Paperbark Walk. 

This is a beautiful little parcel of native bush. 

Now I've got to say this was one of the best walks that I've done. Yes, it was really short and you could argue that it was barely even a walk, however wading along a flooded boardwalk and negotiating flooded stepping stones through an absolutely stunning flooded Paperbark Forest was a beautiful experience. If I really had to find a negative about this walk it would have to be the mozzies, they had a good feed on my legs as I stopped to take one of the numerous photos that I took. Thankfully I managed to make my way around this little circuit without falling off the boardwalks into the inky black water and after around half an hour I was back at the ute, scratching all my new mozzie bites, but thankful that I got to enjoy such a primordial piece of the country.

As you'd imagine the mozzies were pretty ferocious through here. 

While the teva's were handy for the water they didn't give my ankles much protection from the mozzies. 

Damp going in the Paperbark Forest. 

Back on the stepping stones. The track alternated between sections of boardwalk and sections of round stepping stones. 

The Paperbark Swamp.

The Dirt,

According to my GPS I walked around 670 metres (no, that's not a typo!) and climbed about 5 metres on this very easy walk. Assuming that conditions are a little more normal then I think this walk would be good for children, I'm guessing that they'd enjoy all the boardwalks and stepping stones. For photographers the inky black water in the flooded Paperbark Forest was stunning. I used my Alltrails App and my GPS topos on this walk today.

Relevant Posts.

Burnett Heads to Bargara Beach, Coral Coast Trail, 2021.

Once I was back on dry land it was only a few minutes back to the car park.

The Paperbark Forest.

Closer to the car park the bush dries out a bit.

There is a picnic table near he start / end of the stroll - byo Bushmans though!