Intentionally Playful
Inspiration to keep you being intentionally playful on your learning journey .
Creek Review: Gap Creek Reserve
The beautiful images in Creek School are adapted from photographs taken at Gap Creek Reserve in Brisbane, part of the Mt Coot-tha forest and Mt Coot-tha Walks. Gap Creek Reserve is easily accessed from the carpark for those with mobility issues or small children not wanting a long walk to the car.
The area just over the entry bridge on the right hand side offers an abundance of opportunities for play and creek exploration. Prone to flooding the creek changes throughout the seasons opening up new experiences each time you visit. After lots of rain you may find the banks eroded and deeper pools available that allow for younger children to swim while still able to touch the creek floor in most places. After a dry spell large rocks create pathways for rock hopping. There is generally water flowing or at least trickling under the bridge and into the wider, sandy pool area. The water flow through the rock course creates opportunity to build dams, watch the water trickle through the rocks and send leaf boats and tiny stick rafts down into the larger pool. There is always an abundance of branches lining the edges of the creek bed allowing for bridge building and fort construction. For those who are a bit more adventurous there’s more to be explored around the bend. You can access this area if you cross over the wider pool and follow the creek bed as it twists to the left. This creek also hosts a large dirt and rock hill face that provides strong climbers with the opportunity to climb to the top and slide down a natural dirt slide between the bushes. The abundance of trees that line the creek and surround picnic area mean there’s always plenty of shade. Beside the creek lies a wide flat picnic area with a table, bbq suitable for lighting a small fire and plenty of room to lay down your picnic mat and enjoy the afternoon.
Key features:
- Toilets
- Drinking fountains
- Car parking
- Big dirt slide that offers challenges for climbing and sliding down
- Bridge to explore under
- Shallow running water that creates mini rapids
- Sandy base keeps the water looking clear most of the time and easy to walk through without getting muddy
- BBQ area suitable for lighting fires
Creek Review:
Slaughter Falls
Another beautiful section of the Mt Coot-tha forest and home to lots of varied creek spaces for exploration is the Slaughter Falls Picnic Area.
The creek follows a rocky expanse with lots of shallow pools and running water perfect for small explorers who enjoy rock hopping and throwing stones. The abundance of rocks means there are ample opportunities for building dams and creating rock structures. With plenty of shade from the trees lining the creek you'll usually find all sorts of life in the shallow pools as well. We've found tad poles, small fish and yabbies on our visits. Within the rocky water course are rocks that can be ground against each other to create bush paint, finding the right rocks takes a little bit of patience testing each rock by wetting it and rubbing it against other rocks. Beside the first creek entrance as you enter the space lies a wide flat picnic area with tables under canopies and plenty of room to lay down your picnic mat or have a game of ball or frisbee. This picnic area also hosts a hidden adventure playground. Across the bridge and towards the climbing net at the top of the hill explorers can access a secret rainforest oasis in hidden in the bush. Complete with large carved totem poles, stepping logs, a bridge and bush drums. This space creates a magical hidden pathway to inspire the imagination.
Key features:
- Toilets
- Drinking fountains
- Car parking
- Hidden totem poles and bush drums
- Tadpoles, yabbies and fish
COMING SOON...
