John Oxley Reserve

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STARTING at the point beside Pine River in Murrumba Downs where I caught the last of the sunset a few weeks ago, I arrive just before the first light of dawn. As the sky lightens above me, I follow a rough track along the bank of the river in a clearing between the water and the houses of this relatively new subdivision until reaching a large flat clearing from where I can see across the river to more clear land in the distance.

Red embers smoulder from a campfire abandoned only hours ago, perhaps from a late night riverside party. Fortunately there is nobody else here so the river is serenely peaceful again as it begins flowing upstream with the start of the incoming tide.

From the clearing I spot a concrete path which I follow into the start of John Oxley Reserve into dense wetland forest on one side of the trail and mangrove bush on the other. After a few minutes the path reaches a junction where I turn off to follow a boardwalk over the mangroves.

Eventually the boardwalk returns to the junction, from where I take a path heading up the hillside through the forest, from where I reach the large grassy fields of the sports grounds of the park.

After a stop under a gazebo in the picnic area, I leave the park and hike along the local street before reaching Doyles Rocks Road, which I follow for a few minutes reaching the Kippa-Ring to Petrie bikeway/walkway which I follow for about two kilometres up to Petrie Station. Last time I had hiked this trail was after sunset on a sunny day when I had completed the entire trail. This time it is still early morning with the sky now overcast.

Upon reaching Petrie Station, I continue along the path exploring the new university campus which has just opened here, with parts still under construction. A little further along I reach the bridge over the North Pine River, from here I watch the tide pushing the water upstream until continuing a little further upstream to a park before returning to the train station.