Mount Coot-Tha is the mountain nearest to Brisbane, located just 6 km from the city. I left early in the morning with my very ordinary bike to make the ascent to the top. The climb was tiring but the result is worth it! Once at the top, I was awarded with a magnificent view of the Brisbane River and the city.
Brisbane view from mount Coot-Tha
In addition to the look-out and a restaurant, there was a short hike through the forest. The hike is a loop that can be done in just under an hour. The forest is relatively more lush than the conventional semi-tropical forest usually found around Brisbane. Throughout the hike, there are some reconstructions of aboriginal art visible on rocks or trees.
Aboriginal art (on the rock)
Brisbane has two botanical gardens, a small in the middle of the city and a bigger one on the side of Mount Coot-Tha. It was a classic botanical garden, full of diverse and varied vegetation and a few sculptures. The park was quite large, covering 52 hectares and contained a planetarium and a Japanese garden.
Sculpture in the botanical garden
Mount Coot-Tha is worth it, the view was awesome, and the climbing was not too time consuming.
I heard that this place can become a nice romantic date on a starry night …