Downfall Creek Mcdowall
This lovely reserve is located on 815 Rode Rd, Mcdowall. Also known as the Raven Street Reserve. You and your Brisbane Kids will not believe that this reserve is only kilometres from the city except for the fact that you can hear cars when you stop in the middle of a bushwalk. The first plus to this location is the parking, lots and lots. We easily found a park on a school holiday day, most of them are also shaded which is a bonus. There are a couple of walking tracks, one of which is a sensis trail. See Brisbane City Council website for more information on the walking tracks. The walks (though probably not designed this way) are suited to the kids bringing their bikes and scooters as we found on the day we were there. The sensis trail is a lovely, albeit short walk through bush and some semi rainforest to a lovely viewing platform. Along the walk there are signs with numbers (winner with our Brisbane Kids) and information stands with interesting information and questions to share with your Brisbane Kids. The sensis trail took about 5 or so minutes for my little 23 month old to bumble along- on total with stopping and questioning and counting the numbers we did it in about 10. It is a circuit so it takes you back to the centre.
The Downfall Creek bushland centre is open 5 days a week and has some fish tanks with native fish, brochures, some interesting information throughout and presents a nice opportunity to educate and discuss topics with your Brisban Kid. The site also has a WOW playground, toilets (open 7am-7pm 7 days a week), 2 gas BBQs, several shelters and a basket ball court. There are gates on the front on the reserve that also open around 7am-7pm seven days a week. We think this is a perfect location to have a picnic, a bushwalk and a play on a playground without it being too wearing on Mums and Dads or little Brisbane Kids. The playground itself while not designed for tiny Brisbane Kids simply requires a minimal amount of supervision to ensure a 23 month old can get onto the equipment- there are plenty of slides for them to come back down.
