The Springwood Environmental Park is a 36 hectare area of mainly natural bushland located in the Logan City suburb of Springwood. The Park lies on the slope of a major ridge of Daisy Hill and provides great views of Logan City and its surrounds. It is a place for a quiet walk, to relax, to wonder, to enjoy, to escape from it all.

The main feature of the Park is The Gorge Discovery Circuit, with its diverse flora, from tall forests to mountain heath. The walk takes you up the steep track to the top of the ridge, past huge moss-covered rocks. As you climb the vegetation changes from rainforest to more open forest. Eucalyptus planchoniana (Porcupine Stringybark) is the principal species, with an understorey of Leptospermum polygalifolium (Wild May) and Banksia spinulosa (Golden Candlesticks).

Across the top of the plateau the understorey changes to Allocasuarina torulosa (Forest She Oak), whose dead limbs show signs of regrowth. This is a sign that these trees have been affected by bushfire. Occasionally, growing through the litter of the forest, are Thysanotus tuberosus (Common Fringed Lily), Stylidium graminifolium (Grass-leaved Trigger Plant) and Patersonia sericea (Silky Purple Flag Iris).

A walk along the spur track through mountain heathland to Stringybark Lookout surprises with magnificent views of Brisbane to Mt. Gravatt and beyond to Mt. Coot-tha and the DAguilar Range. Below is a beautiful grove of Xanthorrhoea johnsonii (Forest Grass Tree). Further along the Coastal Grass Tree, X. macronema, is encountered, with its lovely creamy bottlebrush-like flowers, not the usual tall flowering spike associated with other Xanthorrhoea species.

Returning to the main track takes you past the creek lined with such species as Melastoma affine (Native Lasiandra) and Lomandra longifolia (Mat Rush) to the old quarry. In this area regrowth is dominated by Allocasuarina littoralis (Black She Oak) and Acacia species (Wattles).

A walk through the forest brings relief from the hot sun in the cool shade provided by Lophostemon confertus (Brush Box), Eucalyptus phaeotricha (Queensland White Stringybark) and E. microcorys (Tallowwood), with an understorey of Calochlaena dubia (Rainbow Fern), Passiflora herbertiana (Yellow Passion Flower) and P. aurantia (Red Passion Flower).

The Springwood Environmental Park is just off the Pacific Highway (22km south-east of Brisbane). Access to the Park is from the entrance on Newell Court, off Jardine Drive, where car parking is available. The Park is open to the public every day. Admission to the Park is free. No domestic pets are allowed.

For more information on Springwood Environmental Park, contact Logan City Council, Parks & Recreation. Phone (07) 3826 5524.