Oxley Creek Common Walk

Oxley Creek Common is 115 hectares of wetland, grassland and hoop pine forest wedged between Sherwood Road and the creek, opposite the Brisbane Markets. The tracks are flat, wide and gravel, and cattle graze parts of it, which is the fact that decides how you walk a dog here.

The walk. AllTrails records about 6 km for the full circuit, rated easy, a bit over an hour. Within that the signed Pelican Island walk is a lighter 3.5 km round trip from the trailhead, so you can pick a shorter version off the map board rather than committing to the lot. There is no climbing anywhere on it.

The rules. Brisbane City Council manages the common and dogs are on lead on the walking tracks. There is a fenced off lead area near the car park if your dog needs a run first. Cattle graze the open paddocks and the tracks run straight through them, so the lead is not a formality here. A loose dog among stock is a bad outcome for the dog and for the cattle.

Water. There are drinking fountains near the car park for people and dogs. The wetlands are not for swimming and there is no safe creek access on the walk, so fill up before you head out.

Hazards. Snakes are present and the grass beside the tracks grows long in the warmer months. The grazing sections have almost no shade, which matters more than the distance does on a Brisbane summer day. After heavy rain parts of the track flood and stay boggy.

Getting there. Free parking off Sherwood Road, Rocklea, just past the markets. The Red Shed near the car park has composting toilets, gas barbecues and picnic tables. Bus routes 598 and 599 stop at the Sherwood bus depot on Sherwood Road, and Sherwood station is about 1.8 km away.

Nearby with the dogs. Sherwood dog park and Kookaburra Park are both close for an off lead run, Sundays Cafe is the nearest coffee, and Archerfield Wetland is the next wetland walk over.

When to go. Early morning, before seven in summer, or the last hour of light. The cooler months are much better here because of the exposure. Good for big runners who want flat distance, and for anyone who does not mind a slow walk full of birds.

Sources

• Off-leash dog parks and dog rules - Brisbane City Council · www.brisbane.qld.gov.au
• Oxley Creek tracks and trails · www.sustainablebrisbane.com.au
• Oxley Creek Common Walk - AllTrails · www.alltrails.com
• Oxley Creek Common - Birds Queensland · birdsqueensland.org.au

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