Brisbane Koala Bushlands Loop

The Brisbane Koala Bushlands sit at 137 Alperton Road in Burbank, about 15 km from the Brisbane CBD, and the loop through them runs 6.3 km of eucalypt forest and rainforest pockets. The one fact that decides your afternoon: the gates lock at 6pm and do not open again until 8am, so if your car is inside, you need to be out before then.

The walk. AllTrails puts the full loop at 6.3 km and rates it moderate, around an hour and a half at a steady pace. It is undulating bush track rather than a groomed path, with the roughly 4 km Spotted Gum Trail forming the spine of it. If that is more than you want, the Stockyard Creek Circuit covers 1.4 km on easier ground from the same carpark.

The rules. Brisbane City Council manages the reserve and dogs must be on lead at all times, everywhere in the bushland. This is not the usual boilerplate. The whole reserve exists to protect koala habitat, and koalas here move across the ground between trees, most visibly through the July to December breeding season. Stay on the marked trails.

Water. There is none on site at all. Bring enough for both of you, and more than you think in summer, because the loop is long and the shade is patchy.

Getting there. Drive. There is free gravel parking at the Alperton Road entrance and a second access at the end of Longton Court, and no public transport reaches the reserve. Toilets, shaded picnic tables and electric barbecues are at the main entrance, along with an information hub.

Nearby with the dogs. Brisbane Koala Bushlands covers the wider reserve and its other tracks. For somewhere your dog can actually run afterwards, Capalaba Regional Park Fenced Dog Park and Carindale Recreation Reserve Fenced Dog Park are both a short drive, and Koala Tavern handles the afterwards.

When to go. Early morning on a weekday. You get cooler ground, the best chance of seeing koalas and kookaburras on the move, and the carpark to yourself. Skip the middle of a summer day entirely: the loop is long, there is no water and no shortcut back. Good for big runners with a long attention span.

Sources

• Brisbane Koala Bushlands - Brisbane City Council · www.brisbane.qld.gov.au
• Koala conservation - Brisbane City Council · www.brisbane.qld.gov.au
• Brisbane Koala Bushlands Loop - AllTrails · www.alltrails.com

Compiled from public sources and verified listings. Always confirm current rules with the venue or council before you travel.