Cooling off for a swim or kayaking, bushwalks or bird spotting, stand up paddle boarding, mountain biking and more. There’s plenty to do and see no matter what your interest is when you visit what locals affectionately call Enoggera Dam.
Whether you’re going to swim or dig up dinosaurs, yes that’s right, there is a little Dinosaur Dig Pit for the kids to play palaeontologist, proving there is something for everyone.
All lovers of the great outdoors can happily recharge the batteries and spend the day out in the bushland exploring the waterways, headlands and peninsula’s dry and wet sclerophyll forests.
There’s free parking with a big upgrade on its way to provide a lot more, but until then, be sure to get there early so you don’t miss out. Carpooling is encouraged and you can also do the ‘park n ride’ with the local 385 bus.
So, what can you expect to find and do there? Here’s a list of the most popular activities available at the reservoir. Now bear in mind there aren’t any BBQ’s but it is a top spot for a picnic so don’t forget the picnic basket and snacks. Unfortunately, Fido has to stay at home as this is a wildlife only kind of place, no domestic pets allowed.
Out on the Water
Swimming
With a gradual slope down to the water of the man-made beach this is a popular swimming hole with locals and can get pretty crowded in the summertime. It’s perfect just to hang out with friends, have a picnic and spend some time outside – in and out of the water.
Kayaking
Single or double kayaks are a popular way to explore the reservoirs peninsulas and little hidden bays. Once you’re out on the water it’s a completely new world giving you a unique perspective of the area you just don’t get on land. Plus, as you glide silently along, you are more likely to see wildlife that come to drink. Coast up close to water birds and get a good look at the native flora.
SUP – Stand Up Paddle boarding
This is a great workout, great fun and growing in popularity daily. By the end of the day your sides will hurt from the laughter as well as the great core workout while you paddle along the waterways.
Tyres and Tubes
It’s a great Queensland tradition to just spend time lazing around in an inner tube floating along and enjoying being in nature. We don’t know why, it’s just fun and we love it. The reservoir is friend to all modes of non-motorized watercraft so if you have a tube, grab it. Don’t forget to bring it along when you head on in for a swim.
On Dry Land
Mountain Biking
This is one of the most popular riding spots around so you’re bound to see a lot of bikers around. Luckily, there are bike trails separate from the walking tracks so it’s safe for everyone and you don’t have to worry about getting run over. Plus, there’s the added bonus of cooling off with a swim after your ride.
Bushwalking
Araucaria Track 5km
From the cooler wet sclerophyll forests through to drier more open landscapes, there’s a range of scenery to be enjoyed as you explore one of the areas walking tracks. You can follow the shoreline around the reservoir on the 5km Araucaria Track which showcases an abundance of water birds, fat little freshwater turtles, other wildlife and those glorious splashes of colour overhead as cheeky parrots look down at you checking you out as much as you check them out. Suitable for all ages and fitness levels, it’s an easy track, virtually flat and a great walk for the whole family with seats along the way if you want to have a rest or just hang out and enjoy the scenery. It’s recommended to allow about 2 hours for this walk so you can take your time and enjoy it.
The track does get hot, so make sure you take along plenty of water, sunscreen and a hat.
Corymbia Circuit 1.2km
Your other option is to take the shorter Corymbia Circuit at 1.2km which gets a little steeper in some places, not mountain goat country but enough to notice and maybe raise your heart rate a smidge. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be an Olympic athlete to complete it, anyone of normal fitness can do it no problem. On this walk you can expect to enjoy the multi-layered rainforest scenery of wet sclerophyll forests with thick ferns shaded under taller trees and bell birds tinkling overhead adding to the romance of this walk. It takes less than an hour and is a photographers and birders dream.
Bird Spotting
The delicate tinkling call of bell birds, loud laughs of kookaburras along with numerous other bird species in residence around the reservoir is enough to delight every birder. There are bench seats strategically placed around the shoreline for you to sit, watch, picnic or just take a break as you walk around the reservoir on your bird spotting adventure.
Brilliant flashes of colour reveal the gorgeous scarlet of King Parrots up in the treetops or the deep azure blue of water hens running around lily pads so be sure to remember the camera to capture those beautiful colours above and below.
Kayaking
Another option is to do it from a kayak which is becoming quite popular as it allows you cover more territory and glide up almost silently to get a good look at our feathered friends hanging around in the tree tops and on the shoreline.
Dinosaur Dig Pit
Okay this is for the little kids and the big kids alike to play in the pit and practice their palaeontologist skills trying to unearth Jurassic relics or curiosities from the Cretaceous period. You may be successful, you may not, but it sure is a fun thing to do the weekend if you don’t mind getting grubby. It’s nearby so be sure to keep an eye out for it.
How to Get There
Nestled along Mt Nebo Road at The Gap, just follow Waterworks road until it turns into Mt Nebo Road. You can drive or use the ‘park n ride’ of the local 385 or 363 buses depending on where you’re coming from.