Sugar Creek picnic area

Looking for a place to relax and admire nature? Walk through the forest? Maybe cook up a snag or two? Sugar Creek picnic area is a cool sanctuary among the tall timber. Make use of the gas barbecue before heading off on one of the easy walks.

The tall cabbage palms and flooded gums are awe-inspiring, having survived logging in the area that continued until 1999. From September to December, you might see the purplish flowers of the red beard orchid or, in early spring, the mauve blossoms of the velvet mint-bush.

These forests are also home to hundreds of species of birds, including catbirds (not surprisingly, their call sounds a bit like the mewling of a cat), as well as kangaroos, wallabies, possums and frogs. Those with eagle eyes might also be able to spot koalas in the tall eucalypts, although they’re much easier to see if you bring binoculars.