There is a version of the Gold Coast that most visitors never see. It does not involve theme parks, high-rises, or fighting for a parking spot at the beach. It is 1,200 hectares of wetland, eucalypt forest, and mangrove habitat, ten minutes from your apartment on the Broadwater, and it is completely free.
Coombabah Lakelands Conservation Area sits just behind Biggera Waters, tucked between the suburbs in a way that makes it easy to miss entirely. Which, as it turns out, is part of the appeal. This is a Ramsar-listed wetland of international significance. It supports 274 animal species, including 24 internationally protected migratory birds, wild kangaroos, koalas, and powerful owls. And on a weekday morning, you might have the whole place to yourself.
The Trails
The conservation area has over 16 kilometres of walking trails, ranging from short boardwalk loops to longer bushland circuits. The terrain is flat, which makes it accessible for most fitness levels. Here are the standout walks.
The Mangrove Boardwalk to the Bird Hide (800 metres)
Start from the Shelter Road car park and follow the wooden duckboards as they wind through the wetlands. The boardwalk ends at a bird hide overlooking Coombabah Lake, where you can sit quietly and watch the birdlife without disturbing it. Egrets, herons, cormorants, and in the right season, migratory shorebirds that have flown in from Siberia and Alaska. It sounds improbable, but there it is. This is the shortest walk and the most rewarding per step.
The Melaleuca Boardwalk and Wallaby Circuit (1.2 kilometres)
A flat loop through melaleuca forest and fern groves. The paperbark trees here are beautiful, their trunks peeling in soft layers, and the air smells different under the canopy. Cooler, damper, a world away from the Broadwater foreshore. Despite the name, you are more likely to see kangaroos than wallabies on this circuit, particularly in the early morning when they graze on the grassy clearings near the trail.
The Koala Trail (variable length, via Pine Ridge Road)
Access this trail from the Pine Ridge Road entrance. The eucalypt forest here is koala habitat, and if you walk slowly and look up, you have a genuine chance of spotting one. They tend to sit in the forks of tallowwood and grey gum trees, dozing through the morning. The trail is not signed as clearly as the boardwalks, so stick to the main path and keep an eye on the trail markers.
The Myola Court Boardwalk (2 kilometres return)
Accessed from opposite 29 Myola Court, this boardwalk heads into the wetland from a different angle. Quieter than the Shelter Road entrance and less visited. It is a good option if you want solitude with your birdwatching.
What You Might See
The wildlife here is the point. Beyond the birds and koalas:
- Kangaroos graze on the grassy clearings, especially at dawn and dusk. They are used to people on the trails but keep a respectful distance.
- Water dragons sun themselves on the boardwalk railings. They will stare at you with considerable confidence for an animal the length of your forearm.
- Grey-headed flying foxes roost in the melaleuca canopy during the day. At dusk, they leave in vast, noisy columns.
- Powerful owls, one of Australia's largest owl species, are resident in the conservation area. You are unlikely to see one during the day, but knowing they are in there adds a certain atmosphere to the walk.
Practical Details
Coombabah Lakelands is on Lakelands Road, Coombabah, about a 10-minute drive from Bayview Beach Holiday Apartments. The gates are open daily from 6am to 6pm. Entry is free.
A few things worth knowing before you go:
- There are no toilets or drinking water inside the conservation area. Visit a cafe on the way (Biggera Waters has several) and bring a water bottle.
- Dogs are not permitted. This is a wildlife conservation area and the rules are firm on this.
- Wear enclosed shoes. The trails are mostly flat but can be muddy after rain, and the bush tracks are uneven in places.
- Bring insect repellent if you are walking near the mangroves. The mosquitoes there are both committed and numerous.
- Early morning (just after 6am opening) is the best time for wildlife. The kangaroos are out, the birds are active, and the light through the trees is genuinely lovely.
More Walking Near the Broadwater
If Coombabah gives you a taste for walking, the Gold Coast Broadwaterway is a 22-kilometre network of paved foreshore paths stretching along the Broadwater's edge. You can walk south from Biggera Waters through Labrador to the Broadwater Parklands in Southport, a three-kilometre waterfront park with playgrounds, swimming enclosures, barbecue areas, and a 100-metre fishing pier. The path is flat, paved, and pram-friendly the whole way.
Heading north, the foreshore path continues through Runaway Bay to Paradise Point, with water views the entire way. It is the kind of walk where you set out meaning to do 20 minutes and end up gone for an hour because the Broadwater keeps being beautiful and you keep finding reasons not to turn around.
A Different Kind of Gold Coast Day
Coombabah Lakelands is not trying to compete with the theme parks or the surf beaches. It does not need to. It is a genuine pocket of wild Australia sitting quietly behind the suburbs, waiting for anyone curious enough to lace up their shoes and wander in. Pair it with a morning coffee at one of the local Biggera Waters cafes and an afternoon on the Broadwater, and you have a day that feels nothing like the Gold Coast you expected. In the best possible way.
Image credit: City of Gold Coast, Coombabah Lakelands Conservation Area