This week in South East Queensland
5 - 11 November
THE REGION is now approaching the peak of the storm season, with humid days and frequent afternoon thunderstorms, some very dangerous. The muggy conditions makes the beach an attractive place to go at this time of year, and often creates spectacular sunrises and sunsets.
Today's hike takes me across the bottom half of Deception Bay, initially following a walkway along the coast before heading inland around the Redcliffe Aerodrome to reach the northern coast of the Redcliffe Peninsula. Here I return to the coast and head around the top of the peninsula to a lookout at Scarborough Beach.
Today's Journey
Distance hiked today: 18.2km
Total distance hiked to date: 337.0km
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04:49 - Start of the paved walkway/bikeway at the end of an old boat ramp. This is a very inconpicuous start to the Moreton Bay Bike Trail which follows the coast about 160 kilometres down to Redlands. This track will make my progress along the Moreton Bay coast a lot easier from now on. |
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04:54 - Looking through the mangroves towards the sunrise completely hidden this morning due to the thick layer of cloud. |
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04:58 - Looking over the quiet mudflats of Deception Bay. The tide is out draining much of the bay. |
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05:04 - A bike clearly retired at a rubbish bin perhaps falling apart after completing the length of the bikeway. |
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05:14 - I follow the path and boardwalks of the bikeway. The flatness of the path and lack of vegetation and mud is luxurious following two days of navigating the mangroves. |
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05:17 - Mostly filled in with sand now, this was known as the Bancroft Bath, built by early settler Joseph Bancroft for his wife in the 1870s. He carved it into the sandstone. |
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05:34 - Heading around the Deception Bay foreshore in front of the sleepy town, the cloud breaks apart in the distance letting bright rays of sunlight through over the distant Redcliffe Peninsula. |
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05:45 - Looking back along the mangroves of Deception Bay towards the mouth of the Caboolture River. |
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05:59 - Reaching the end of the Deception Bay town, a forest of mangroves cover the mud flats as the tide begins to come in. I will be following the coast behind the mangroves to the distant headland at Scarborough. |
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07:01 - The bikeway continues through the parkland where trees are in their full spring flowers. It is quite humid this morning. |
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07:55 - Wetlands fenced off from the park. Migratory birds have now arrived from their breeding grounds in Siberia, Mongolia and Alaska to the warmer climes of the southern hemisphere escaping the harsh northern winters. It has been a very long flight for them, so these areas are fenced off to allow them to rest and feed in peace as they recover from having lost around a third of their body weight. |
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07:56 - Small birds on the fence. Migratory birds are visible in the water in the distance. |
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09:05 - I continue through parkland heading up a small hill towards Rothwell. There are spots of Aboriginal significance, but as this park is still under construction, the signage has not been placed yet. |
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11:18 - Heading through Rothwell towards Scarborough. The track goes quite a way inland to avoid the flats where the small Redcliffe Airport is located. Here I reach the top of the hill and start descending towards the coast at Scarborough. |
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12:07 - Returning to the coast at Newport Marina at high tide. |
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12:35 - After some residential canal estate, I finally reach a wide sweeping park with clear views of the water. A yacht sails the calm waters of Deception Bay. |
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13:04 - Approaching Reef Point in Scarborough at the northernmost end of the Redcliffe Peninsula. |
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13:19 - Attractive mangroves sitting in the high tide as I approach the Scarborough Marina. |
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13:21 - A small estuary at high tide. I stop here for lunch as the tide starts going out. |
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13:53 - Small stony headland near Scarborough Boat Harbour. |
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14:39 - An ibis drinks from a water fountain as the sun briefly tries to come out, but the clouds thicken again. |
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15:45 - Scarborough Boat Harbour where boats are quietly docked in the calm sheltered waters. |
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15:52 - The shelf cloud of a storm front comes over the boat harbour. I will need to seek shelter soon. |
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16:00 - I reach the entrance to Scarborough Boat Harbour before doubling back towards Reef Point. Numerous yachts are still sailing offshore even with the threat of rain. |
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16:05 - Around the other side of the rock wall where there are picnic tables which I shelter behind from the stormy rain for the following hour. Fortunately the worst of the tempest is distant. |
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17:07 - Looking out over the rocks of the boat harbour wall across Deception Bay after the rain has cleared. |
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17:13 - Reef Point getting very close now, separated only by the wavelets lapping on the golden beach. |
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17:21 - Palm tree over the water. The sky is starting to clear, but a sunset tonight looks very doubtful. |
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17:23 - At the end of Reef Point. Moreton Island should be visible, but there is too much low cloud and rain over the bay. |
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17:25 - Storm cloud hanging over Deception Bay. |
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17:26 - Going around Reef Point at the top of Scarborough. This marks the southern end of Deception Bay as I start heading down the Redcliffe Peninsula. |
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17:35 - Houses occupy the foreshore, so the track heads a little inland for a while gaining altitude before I reach a staircase dropping back to the beach. |
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17:40 - Bright ochre coloured cliffs at the bottom of the stairs. This is a very small rocky beach. The brightly coloured cliffs here give the Redcliffe Peninsula its name. |
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17:42 - Looking back along the beach. |
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17:44 - The delicate cliffs are being held together precariously by the roots of trees perching on its edge. |
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17:48 - Heading back up the stairs, I follow the path above the top of the cliff. The crumbling edge is fenced off and the houses are on the other side of the road. |
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17:50 - Looking over the cliffs to a small reef. Some of the water is red due to the dissolved red soil, and Moreton Island is now just visible on the horizon. |
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17:52 - Looking towards the lookout where I will be (hopefully) watching the sunset from. |
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17:57 - I take another flight of stairs down the cliff. These are the cliffs on the other side of the point where I had been a little earlier. |
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17:59 - Approching the lookout along the rocky beach. |
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18:05 - Looking back on the red cliffs from the lookout. |
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18:06 - Looking down Scarborough Beach to where the sky is starting to colour from the sunset. The sun is not visible, but there seems to be enough gap in the clouds to the west for some of the light to filter through. Fingers crossed for a good sunset. |
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18:09 - The clouds suddenly become spectacular in all directions as I look eastward towards the end of the lookout. |
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18:11 - The western sky becomes dramatic with the sun filtering through the layers of cloud. |
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18:14 - A most brilliant sunset as the sun drops below the western horizon. I often find the best sunsets are those that filter through thick cloud on evenings when I think there is too much cloud to get anything. Often there is too much cloud causing the grey sky to darken to the blackness of night, but I've got lucky this evening. |
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18:16 - The brilliant colours fade away as the sun continues to set to the south west. |
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18:32 - The lights of the Scarborough Resort come on as the sky darkens. |
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18:43 - Looking over the beach at last light as the glow of the city illuminates the clouds to the right. The bright lights in the distance are those from the port at the mouth of the Brisbane River. |
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