Straddie’s gorge walk still open for a naturally wonderful experience

The popular Point Lookout Gorge Walk is still open for visitors to enjoy, despite a section currently being closed due to erosion following a recent severe weather event.

Division 2 Councillor Peter Mitchell said the majority of the walk on North Stradbroke Island/Minjerribah remained open, with tourists and locals welcome to use the facility as long as they adhered to the safety signage.

“With two long weekends coming up we wanted to remind people that the gorge walk still offers an amazing and naturally wonderful outdoor experience, with multiple vantage points to see stunning scenery and abundant wildlife including kangaroos, sea eagles, dolphins, rays, turtles as well as humpback whales during their annual migration from May – November.

“Most of the boardwalk is still open, with two entry points – one to the south of the closure and one to the north. It’s just not a circuit at present, so when you get to the closed section roughly in the middle of the walk, it’s as simple as retracing your steps back the way you came,” Cr Mitchell said.

“The heavy rain that resulted in erosion and flooding in many areas of south east Queensland in the lead up to the Easter break caused a wash out around boardwalk foundations on the southern side of North Gorge.

“The affected section was immediately closed off to ensure visitor safety and to allow Council’s engineers to assess the damage.

“The walk is an iconic destination, and this special experience can still be enjoyed – but to do this safely, sticking to the designated trail is a must, for your own safety as well as to protect the sensitive vegetation in the area.

“A fall from the closed section could result in serious injury, so we ask that visitors and locals take heed of the site safety signage and not enter the closed area, create shortcut trails around it or try to bypass it.