Tinchi Tamba Wetlands
Wyampa Road, Bald Hills, Brisbane, Queensland, 4036
Brisbane’s Tinchi Tamba Wetlands provides access to bird watching, kayaking, walking, and spotting wildlife, including dugongs, turtles, and kangaroos. The reserve spans more than 940 acres (380 hectares) of wetland on the fringes of Moreton Bay. Habitats run the gamut from mangrove-clad estuaries to salt marshes, intertidal flats, wetlands, grasslands, and forests.
The basics
Most travelers start a visit to Tinchi Tamba in the Deep Water Bend area, which has picnic tables, barbecues, bathrooms, a children’s playground, fishing platforms, and a ramp to launch boats and canoes. Two popular walks start here: the 20-minute return stroll to the bird hide and the 2-mile (3-kilometer) Island Circuit boardwalk over mangroves and intertidal flats. There are two canoe or kayak trails: the 2.5-mile (4-kilometer) Island Trail and the 6-mile (9-kilometer) Eagle Trail.
Things to know before you go
Tinchi Tamba is great for boaters, kayakers, canoeists, stand-up paddleboarders, and bird watchers.
You could spend 30 minutes or half a day here, depending on whether you want to picnic, kayak, or stretch your legs.
Bring a sunhat, sunscreen, and—particularly in the wetter months—mosquito repellent.
The Island Circuit boardwalk is wheelchair accessible. There is also a reasonably accessible bathroom on site, but carer assistance may be required.
How to get there
The Tinchi Tamba Wetlands are about a 15-mile (25-kilometer) drive north of central Brisbane, with plenty of free parking. Or, from Central station, catch a suburban train to Geebung, then the No. 327 bus to Arnica Crescent near Mantias Street. The wetlands are about a 5-minute walk, and the Deep Water Bend area a further 15 minutes.
When to get there
Sunset is a spectacular time to visit the Tinchi Tamba Wetlands, with the D’Aguilar Range silhouetted against the sun’s last rays as you paddle through the mangroves. Birders will find something to enjoy year-round, but migratory birds are best seen in Australian summer (December–February).
Bird life in the Tinchi Tamba Wetlands
Each spring, migratory shorebirds fly south from as far afield as Alaska and Japan to feast on Moreton Bay’s rich mudflats, but there’s rich bird life year-round. Depending on the season, you may see kingfishers, egrets, cormorants, sea eagles, brahminy kites, ibis, spoonbills, honeyeaters, and more. Viewing is best when there’s about 1–2 inches (2–5 centimeters) of water on the mudflats, so check tide times before you visit.
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