Starting from Lake Manchester Road, Kholo, this walk takes you to the summit of Mermaid Mountain and back, visiting Little Mermaid Lookout along the way. The summit rewards you with stunning westerly views of Lake Manchester and the city of Ipswich to the south. Surrounding mountains such as Mt. Barney and Mt. Glorious look beautiful covered in dark green as well. Enjoy the constant birdsong of eastern whipbirds and bellbirds along with other species as you make your way through the woodland. The tracks are wide and partly shaded but the signage is almost non-existent. A GPS or a compass is highly recommended. Hiking poles may come in handy against the slippery surface and relieve your joints on descents. Wear a hat and sunscreen on a sunny day, but bring heaps of water regardless of the weather conditions. You might need to scramble a little bit on the steepest parts. Parts of the track may go through private property, so please ask the landowner for passage. Let us begin by acknowledging the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we travel today, and pay our respects to their Elders past and present.
Before you start any bushwalk ensure you;
• Tell someone you trust where you are going and what to do if you are overdue
• Have adequate equipment, supplies, skills & knowledge for the whole journey
• Consider the impact of weather forecasts, park/track closures & fire dangers
• Can respond to emergencies & call for help at any point
• Are healthy and fit enough for this journey
If not, change plans and stay safe. It is okay to delay and ask people for help.
At roundabout, take exit 2 onto Mount Crosby Road, 37 and drive for another 450 m
At roundabout, take exit 2 onto Mount Crosby Road, 37 and drive for another 6.1 km
Continue onto Lake Manchester Road and drive for another 3 km
Turn right and drive for another 4 m
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Track Notes
Turn by turn instructions & maps
Getting started From Lake Manchester Road(735 metres northwest of intersection with Swensons Road), head towards the metal gate with a yellow little metal pole next to it. Before heading around/over the gate, see if there’s a way for you to reach the landowner to kindly ask for passage(if it’s labeled as private property). Head around/over the said gate and join the wide dirt track gently uphill as you move away from the road. Follow the said track as it meanders deeper into the woodland to continue along Mermaid and Little Mermaid Lookout Track.....
Turn map
Directions & comments
Start.
After another 3.3 km turn left, to head along Mill Road.
After another 550 m pass the "Little Mermaid Lookout" (45 m on your left).
After another 1.6 km continue straight.
Then head up the very steep (10% ~ 5.7°) incline
After another 660 m come to "Mermaid Mountain".
Turn around here and retrace the main route for 6.1 km to get back to the start.
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Terrain
Know the Hills, grading & facilities
Mermaid Mountain and Little Mermaid Lookout
Grading
Class 4/6
Hard track
Length
12.1 km
Time
4 h to 6 h 30 min
Quality of track
Formed track, with some branches and other obstacles (3/6)
Gradient
Very steep (4/6)
Signage
Minimal directional signs (4/6)
Infrastructure
Limited facilities, not all cliffs are fenced (3/6)
Experience Required
Moderate level of bushwalking experience recommended (4/6)
Bushwalk
4 h to 6 h 30 min
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After another 550 m pass the "Little Mermaid Lookout" (45 m on your left).
Then head up the very steep (10% ~ 5.7°) incline
