Mount Coot-tha

It was a fine sunny Sunday. there was nothing much to do, so i decided to head for Mount Coot-tha for some sightseeing. well, first let me provide a brief introduction to the mountain(following excerpt obtained from wikipedia).

Mount Coot-tha is a mountain as well as suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The mountain is 287 metres above sea level and forms the eastern extent of the Taylor Range. It is a prominent landmark approximately 6 km to the west of the Brisbane central business district. Before the Moreton Bay penal settlement, Mount Coot-tha was the home of the Turrbal Aboriginal people. Early Brisbane people called it One Tree Hill when bush at the top of the mountain was cleared except for one large eucalypt tree. The Aboriginal people of the area used to come to the mountain to collect ‘ku-ta’ (honey) that was produced by the native stingless bee. Mount Coot-tha (Place of Honey), a derivative of (the indigenous term), replaced the former title ‘One Tree Hill' in 1880 when the area was declared a Public Recreation Reserve. and is visible from much of the city.

Mount Coot-tha is one of Brisbane's most popular tourist destinations. The scenic drive, from the base of Mount Coot-tha to the lookout, is a winding, climbing journey that offers spectacular views of the greater Brisbane area and of the mountains and coastline that disappear into the horizon. The Mount Coot-tha Reserve contains more than 1500 hectares of natural bushland, including JC Slaughter Falls, as well as native wildlife. Mount Coot-tha Reserve also shares a border with Brisbane Forest Park, which adds a further 25,000 hectares. There are several popular walking tracks around Mount Coot-tha, one of which includes an art display comprising works produced by local Aboriginal artists. The tracks vary in difficulty, with most involving some uphill sections or steps.

you can see part of Brisbane River


closer view of the river




10X zoom view of the City









smack in the middle of the picture is where UQ is located. on the right of the river.





i got adventurous and went for the JC Slaughter Falls


air is really fresh when you are in nature, you don't actually feel tired. and weather was so cooling and good, wasn't sweating at all.



i'm lying on the slab of stone behind me in the above picture. makes a good, cold and hard bed.


since i was already there, might as well go for the art trail.







i couldn't exactly find the Falls. slightly disappointing. but i think this should be the one...








this should be the picnic area, or just a big patch of grass.


ok. i came across this huge log that fell across to the other side of the ravine. below is a ravine that's about 7-10m deep


and i just had to walk across for a picture


tarzan wannabe in jeans and lovely pink


as the trail ended, i came to what i think is another picnic spot



i don't know where this is, but it looked good




when i started the trail, it was slightly after 1pm. when i reached this travelling goodness-knows-what, it was 4pm. haha...




i minted this coin myself at the top of the summit. it's a copper penny.

all in all, the trail was interesting thou there wasn't any exotic wildlife. so i didn't manage to hunt any wallabys, kangroos nor koalas. hence i was damn hungry after the trail. had to resort to take a bus back to the city to have some food.



came across this monument when at city. it is for remembrance of those who died while fighting world wars 1 and 2.



central station


we have this in australia, in the city. be jealous people.... haha.



but at the end after dinner, i went for pancakes. looks like shit in this pic, but 'Chocolate jewels' as they call this. chocolate pancake topped with chocolate ice cream, house-made chocolate sauce and whipped cream with icing. was high with chocolate overdose that night.