It's not often you get an unspoiled natural wonderland in the heart of a city but Denmark Hill Conservation Reserve in Ipswich Central is an idyllic environmental gem. Once you descend the walking tracks amid huge native trees, you completely forget that you're just a few minutes away from the city's main streets. It's a popular place for bird watchers, with owls, kookaburras, wrens, finches and others making their homes there.
Just head up to the white water tower on Denmark Hill overlooking the Central Business District and you'll find this hideaway for nature lovers. You can take the five-storey staircase to the top of the tower first for a spectacular vista then have your choice of walking circuits that range from 200 to 800 metres. It's a relaxing walk down to the picnic area where you venture into Triassic Park, complete with a Stegosaurus structure protecting the dinosaur footprints and fossil displays that have been found there.
Like many other attractions in Ipswich, Denmark Hill Conservation Reserve has a prolific history. Established as a reserve in the 1880s, it sits above closed-off mine tunnels, with part of the walking trails following the former coal-skip tramway.
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