WHITE ROCK - SPRING MOUNTAIN CONSERVATION ESTATE
Ipswich is a leading tourism destination rivaling the best that South East Queensland has to offer. It is rich in its landscape with an abundance of bushland and native wildlife, flora and fauna with strong linkages to the Traditional Owners, the Jagera, Yaggera and Ugarapul People.
Located just 35 minutes from Brisbane, White Rock – Spring Mountain Conservation Estate features the distinctive, sculptured, rocky outcrops of White Rock and Spring Mountain. Covering close to 3,000ha of regionally significant bushland, the Estate also features extensive forested ridges, escarpments and valleys that are home to an amazing array of plant and wildlife species.
Nugum/Boogun (White Rock) is a sacred site culturally known as a Women’s area. The Traditional Owners have requested no one climbs Nugun/Boogun. The estate has rocky outcrops and caves that are culturally significant to the Traditional Owners, providing a link between Country and personal identity and allowing the passing on of cultural knowledge.
Visitors can enjoy the full gamut of outdoor activities including hiking, bird-watching, horse riding, mountain biking and nature study.
FLINDERS-GOOLMAN RECREATION RESERVE
Located 20 minutes drive from Ipswich Central, the Flinders-Goolman Conservation Estate covers over 2,200ha. The conservation estate supports extensive forests and rugged volcanic peaks and slopes including Flinders Peak, Mount Blaine, Mount Catherine and Mount Goolman.
A range of recreational activities are on offer to visitors to the Flinders-Goolman Conservation Estate including bird-watching, hiking, mountain biking, horse riding (bring your own bike or horse) and camping. Hardings Paddock and Flinders Plum picnic areas are the destination highlights within the conservation estate with each area offering barbecues and public toilets. The campground at Hardings Paddock provides the only bush camping opportunity within the 6,000ha plus of natural reserves in the Ipswich region.
Cultural records on physical artefacts and sites of spiritual significance are documented for this area, such as a former Bora Ring between Mount Blaine and Flinders Peak. Burrumpah/Booroongaph (Flinders Peak) is considered part of The Dreaming landscape. It was also used as a marker to guide visiting clans from other Aboriginal Language Groups. Today, Hardings Paddock features a permanent Kupmurri cooking area and bush tucker trail designed to enable the continuation of cultural practices and knowledge sharing.