The Kholo Botanical Gardens is a small park, in Ipswich,
overlooking the Brisbane River. The park was established in 1988 as
a bicentennial project.
It has two 1878 vintage pump wells on site, the original source
of water for the ‘city’ of Ipswich. Remnant vegetation is has been
enhanced with more ornamental native plants, combined with a few
exotic species. A protected gully has been restored to preserve
local rainforest species, with a boardwalk winding through it.
For the plant-lovers, there is a 50m tall Queensland kari pine
(Agathis robusta) and 60m tall hoop pine (Araucaria
cunninghamii) planted by early settlers.
A number of water features including waterfalls and ponds
attract native birds and provide restful spots for family picnics
on the nearby lawns.
The park is open daily from 0600hrs to 1800hrs. Dogs aren’t
permitted, but there are BBQs, picnic tables, public toilets and
plenty of grassy areas to run around and some fun areas for the
kids to explore.
Access to the cache is no longer pram-friendly due to the damage
from the recent stroms and flooding. The final approach requires,
either an amphibious assault from the Brisbane River, or else the
intrepid cacher must negotiate fallen trees, a creek crossing, and
steep (approx 70 degree) muddy slopes. The fallen tree that once
made a good bridge across to GZ has been moved by the flood waters
and is no longer useful as a bridge.