The best cycling routes in Whites Hill Reserve

The Minnippi Wetlands Circuit loops around a series of lagoons and restored wetland habitat, with wide sealed paths that make for an easy walk or ride. The route stays mostly level and passes reed-lined water edges, open grassland, and scattered shaded sections where you’ll often spot ducks, ibis, egrets, and other waterbirds feeding around the shallows. There are benches, picnic areas, toilets, and parking nearby, making it an easy one for a relaxed lap without needing to venture far from the city.

The Minnippi Wetlands add a quieter, more natural side to the parklands, with shallow lagoons, reed-lined edges, and pockets of restored habitat attracting plenty of birdlife. The wetlands were designed as part of a broader environmental rehabilitation project linked to Bulimba Creek, helping improve stormwater quality while creating habitat for aquatic species and migratory birds. Early mornings are especially good here, when the water is still and you’ll often spot ducks, ibis, egrets, and other waterbirds moving through the lagoons.

Bulimba Creek forms one of Brisbane’s major urban wildlife corridors, flowing through wetlands, bushland remnants, and freshwater swamplands before eventually reaching the Brisbane River. Around Minnippi Parklands, the creek helps support a surprisingly diverse ecosystem within the suburbs, with waterbirds, wetland vegetation, microbats, and even squirrel gliders recorded in the area. Restoration work along the creek corridor has helped improve habitat around the lagoons and riparian zones, giving this stretch a much more natural feel than you’d expect so close to the city.

Set along the river in New Farm Park, this jacaranda is part of a wider network of trees that have become closely tied to Brisbane’s identity. Introduced in the nineteenth century, jacarandas now mark the shift into spring, when their purple blooms briefly transform parks and streets across the city. Outside of bloom, the tree still stands out for its wide canopy and position along the water, offering shade and open views across the river.

This viewpoint looks across the Brisbane River toward the modern towers that define the city’s central business district, along with landmarks including the Story Bridge and South Bank. The skyline rises in clean lines of glass and steel, often reflected in the water, with green riverbank parklands softening the urban edge. It’s a popular place to pause for photos, especially in the evening, when the changing light makes the buildings glow across the river.

Kangaroo Point Bikeway is a riverside shared path that runs along the Brisbane River at Kangaroo Point, linking the Story Bridge area with South Bank and the city’s broader cycling network. The paved route follows the waterfront, offering continuous views of the river and Brisbane’s skyline, and is a popular route with cyclists and walkers as a scenic connection between several inner-city parks and riverfront attractions.

The Kangaroo Point Green Bridge is a pedestrian-only bridge spanning the Brisbane River. This new bridge links the city center with Kangaroo Point and was completed at the end of 2024. Part of the city's "Green Bridges" project, designed to reduce car use and, as a bonus, offers super-scenic views of the skyline, cliffs, and river.

Newstead Park is a waterfront park with some interesting historical stops. In the middle of the park, the Newstead House, built in 1845, is the oldest surviving home in the area and is now a museum. For a nature-based historical stop, check out the Old Fig Tree, which has a plaque explaining its massive size and age. This is a great stop on the Lores Bonney Riverwalk, with public restrooms and plenty of places to take a break on the grass and soak up the sun.