SERENITY IN COAST SUBURBIA
AH, the serenity.
Yep, Darryl Kerrigan would be proud of this walking track I found smack-bang in the middle of Gold Coast suburbia.
And while it’s no Gold Coast Hinterland walk – in fact it’s much, much shorter – it is a relaxing pathway for those wanting a touch of the Australian bush without the long trek and drive into the hinterland.
Head out to Lockwood Place in Molendinar, where you’ll spot a pathway winding beside some scrubland, known as the Crestwood Reserve, and houses.
You’ll cross over a small bridge, to your right the beginnings of a subtropical rainforest.
There are vines creeping up old natives, palm trees interspersed and larger trees felled and horizontal across the ground. When I stumbled upon this place, I imagined this is what the Gold Coast would have looked like before housing – rainforest creeping into bushland and wetlands.
In any case, the rainforest gives way to more scrub-like bushland once you cross over Grasstree Way.
Along the pathway you’ll notice beautiful native wattle trees fringing the track, as it winds its way along the back of Watergum Parade.
At Crestwood Drive, turn right and you’ll find a hidden treasure – a picnic area right next to a pretty, serene lake.
Here you’ll spot egrets, ibis and cockatoos among the bright green water plants.
That’s as far as I got, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the pathway continues on through the next street.
See how you go – and enjoy!