Buhot Creek Circuit

A 9.3 km circuit through tall eucalypt forest and along Buhot Creek inside Daisy Hill Conservation Park, about 25 km south east of Brisbane. Daisy Hill is one of the few Queensland conservation parks that lets dogs in at all, and the permission is specific: on leash, and only on the walking tracks and shared trails. This circuit uses the shared network, so the whole route is open to you.

The walk. AllTrails logs 9.3 km and around two and a half hours at a moderate grade. Wide forest tracks and management roads for most of it, with the Old Quarry water hole as the landmark on the way round. The lower section is well signed; further out the junctions come faster, so photograph the trailhead map before you set off.

The rules. Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service permits dogs in the picnic areas and on walking tracks and shared trails only. Not on mountain bike trails, not on horse trails, not inside the Daisy Hill Koala Centre building. Leashed at all times. No bins are provided anywhere in the park, so waste gets bagged and carried out. Look for the dog symbol on the directional markers at junctions; it tells you whether the trail ahead is one you can take.

Hazards. Venomous snakes live in the park, so watch the track on warm days and wait for one to move rather than stepping past it. Ticks are the reason insect repellent sits on the park's own packing list. The give way code matters on a shared network: cyclists give way to walkers and horse riders, and walkers give way to horses. Emergency markers with unique codes sit at every trail junction, and if you need to call triple zero, reading out the nearest code is the fastest way to get help to you.

Getting there. From the Pacific Motorway take exit 23 heading south from Brisbane or exit 24 heading north from the Gold Coast, then follow Chatswood Road and Daisy Hill Road in. Seven car parks sit off the Ring Road. The number that matters is the gate: it is locked each evening, open 7am to 5.30pm between 15 March and 14 October and 7am to 6.30pm the rest of the year. A nine kilometre circuit started late in the day can finish behind a locked gate, so work back from closing time. Loganlea is the nearest railway station.

Nearby with the dogs. Daisy Hill Trails covers the wider network if you want a shorter day, and Quarry Road Track is the direct route to the same quarry. Zhilin (Kiwa) cafe is minutes from the entrance, and Lady's Dog Park and Cornubia Dog Park are the off leash options.

When to go. Weekday mornings from autumn through spring. Weekends and Sunday mornings carry the most bikes. In summer, start at opening and be out before the middle of the day. Good for big runners with the legs for nine kilometres, and easy to shorten if that turns out to be optimistic.

Sources

• Visiting Daisy Hill safely · parks.qld.gov.au
• Journeys | Daisy Hill Conservation Park · parks.qld.gov.au

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